Pynch – Beautiful Noise

London’s Pynch have followed up their critically acclaimed debut, ‘Howling At A Concrete Moon,’ with their new album, ‘Beautiful Noise’ (Chilliburn Records). It was recorded at the band's home studio in Brixton, with frontman Spencer Enock handling production duties and Los Campesinos cohort Jimmy Robertson overseeing the mixing.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band

‘Howling At A Concrete Moon’ was the finest coming-of-age record in a generation. Lost protagonists searching for hope amid a sea of austerity and races to the bottom. Without being an explicitly political record, it lit up the times in the bleak, grey brush strokes that were.

Fast forward two years, with hope still a distant dream for many, and so, ‘Beautiful Noise’ saddles up and searches for more meaning. ‘Forever’ comes out the gates with Grandaddy-esque production and the effortless summer cool of Real Estate as they yearn for “late nights to go see the world To find God in the eyes of a girl”. With the spirit of Billy Bragg’s ‘A New England’ coursing through it, Pynch land you straight back into their out-of-kilter world of Kerouac prose and Jonathan Richman vocals.

Enock’s development on studio duties is enriching on ‘Forever’, but on ‘Revolve Around You’, it gives the band new dimensions. The tinges of drum ‘n’ bass fold in the sound of cathartic chaos. The coming to terms with loss, with unfathomable heartache that catapults your soul into nights of empty sex and excessive booze:

“I lost myself chasing memories / Of things that were never there at all”

They channel their soul through coming-of-age tales, reaching a powerful peak on ‘Microwave Rhapsody’. It's where the divine cool of Is ‘This It’-era Strokes collides with the raw, unfiltered roar of Seafood, a sound both expansive and intimately wounded, as they gaze out across London’s grey skyline, wrestling with life’s big, unanswerable questions.

There’s a hypnotic chaos to their slower songs, a sense of losing control that grips the listener, claws into the spirit, and tears at self-doubt. Memories and dreams blur through their guitars like spectres; the past grins knowingly, its scars worn like armour. The joy, when it comes, is laced with sorrow, aware of its all too fleeting nature.

Elsewhere, they cut through the philosophical torment with the likes of ‘Supermarket’, ‘Hanging On A Bassline’, and ‘Come Outside’. ‘Supermarket’ whilst steeped in youthful estrangement, sonically plays with Graham Coxon and his inclination to b surrounded by “painter and decorators” in the Good Mixer to feel something real. ‘Hanging On A Bassline’ reimagines Beach Boys and The Strokes for London’s youth looking for its freedom. Meanwhile, on ‘Come Outside’, Enock duets with drummer Juliana Hopkins. The lightness of The Cure’s pop-goth guitars sprinkles fairy dust before they race with the glee of Sebadoh and the romance of The Wedding Present circa ‘Seamonsters’.

Pynch documents the isolating nature of your twenties with an innate sensitivity, but crucially, with a burning passion. They wander willingly to the edges of emotional cliffs, staring into the abyss, not with despair, but with curiosity. Music can be playful, even meaningless, but Pynch injects substance into their brand of rock ’n’ roll like a collision of T.S. Eliot and Irvine.

Elsewhere, they cut through the philosophical torment with the likes of ‘Supermarket’, ‘Hanging On A Bassline’, and ‘Come Outside’. ‘Supermarket’ whilst steeped in youthful estrangement, sonically plays with Graham Coxon and his inclination to b surrounded by “painter and decorators” in the Good Mixer to feel something real. ‘Hanging On A Bassline’ reimagines Beach Boys and The Strokes for London’s youth looking for its freedom. Meanwhile, on ‘Come Outside’, Enock duets with drummer Juliana Hopkins. The lightness of The Cure’s pop-goth guitars sprinkles fairy dust before they race with the glee of Sebadoh and the romance of The Wedding Present circa ‘Seamonsters’.

Pynch documents the isolating nature of your twenties with an innate sensitivity, but crucially, with a burning passion. They wander willingly to the edges of emotional cliffs, staring into the abyss, not with despair, but with curiosity. Music can be playful, even meaningless, but Pynch injects substance into their brand of rock ’n’ roll like a collision of T.S. Eliot and Irvine Welsh.

Theatre Royal – A Change of Weather

Rochester’s Theatre Royal are back with their sixth studio album ‘A Change of Weather’. Recorded at Ranscombe Studios, the record was produced by fellow Medway soul Jim Riley and is released by the impeccable label Spinout Nuggets.

Image & artwork courtesy of the band.

Middle age comes to us all; how we choose to approach it remains a personal choice. Fortunately, motorbikes and affairs at Coldplay gigs are not for our Kent heroes. They’ve allowed life’s natural slowing-down process to filter into their songwriting to fine effect. There’s a reflective tone percolating throughout which, on ‘Saturday Son’, is not without its questioning of what they’re becoming. The angelic vocals from Oliver Burgess and the dreamlike guitars allow their uncertain rhetoric to swell with heightened poignancy.

 Former single ‘Souvenir’ and album opener ‘In Time’ follow a similar pattern. The former, tinged with the stomp of classic R’n’B, Northern Soul and the bubble gum pop of the Lightning Seeds’ Ready or Not’ tackles not letting go of the past. ‘In Time’ leans into the estuary blues and greens warmth of their Medway peers The Claim, Beatles harmonies, and post-2010 Edwyn Collins as they eloquently explore being out of time.

In places, A Change of Weather turns to folk influences for the first time in their careers. On ‘Feet First’, they blend the whimsical pop of Noah & The Whale with the charm of Stornoway. Whereas, ‘Angelina’s strings evolve Portland’s Decemberists into a Kent countryside ramble. Both feel like a natural fit for Theatre Royal and raise the question: should they transition into the genre full-time?

Their archetypal sound has not disappeared, though. It still informs their twisting melodies throughout. ‘Feel A Lot Better’ and ‘Thrown Up Grown Up’ are both best with the riotous glee of former greats ‘Port Bou’ and ‘Locked Together On the Lines’. Then, on ‘Welsh Coastal Towns’, they serve up the album's finest moment and perhaps their best since ‘French Riviera 1988’. The frenetic jingle-jangle is accompanied by pulsating brass parts, taking them from The Jam to Phil Spector. It’s the romantic classic The Wedding Present forgot to write. The beauty and frustration of family holidays haven’t sounded this good since the Griswolds went to Walley World. Burgess’ prose and his vocal cadence are nostalgic, vital, and simply brilliant

Six albums in, the creative well has certainly not run dry. With the folk influences creeping in, it feels like a fresh start for one the UK’s hidden treasures. If there was any justice in the world, recognition would go beyond the iconic John Kennedy and Steve Lamacq as it is, those who know, know. Those who don’t, should.

My Raining Stars - Momentum

Thierry Haliniak’s My Raining Stars returned this summer with their latest album ‘Momentum’. It follows 2022’s fine ’89 Memories’, can it match up to its quality?

‘Momentum’ is available via their Bandcamp page.

’89 Memories’ was indebted to the lush melodies of the early 90s indie-pop and shoegaze scene in the UK. Whilst these hallmarks remain, there is a newfound directness to Haliniak’s songwriting, causing a stir here. Opener ‘For Good’ puts Johnny Marr’s hook-making skills through Andy Bell’s psychedelic prism to great effect. Whilst not full throttle in tempo, there is an urgency pouring out of ‘For Good’ that demands serious attention. ‘Lost in the Wild’ follows this more direct route with punchy, breathy vocals and defiant blasts on the guitar. Haliniak’s playing strays into the gothic overtures of The Cure, allowing a melancholic beauty to swell around the lysergic ‘Sonic Flower Groove’ artistry. ‘The Cost Within’ takes all that was good from ’89 Memories’ and is between the paisley singles era of Stone Roses and The La’s to conjure the jingle-jangle moment of the year.

All great shoegaze bands attempt to make coming-of-age records. It’s a default setting that all dreamers with pedals have. On ‘Special Place’ and ‘Stop the Time’, My Raining Stars enter said realm. The former opens with “There’s a place I know you’ve never seen”, from here on, Haliniak acts as the effortlessly cool friend who takes you to the best books, music and clothes. Sonically massive, spiritually pure, ‘Special Place’ hits hard with poignancy and, as the drums begin to close in on you like an anxiety dream, Haliniak’s solo heals with its divinity. ‘Stop the Time’ is steeped in rock ‘n’ roll desperation, of a longing to be heard. Haliniak’s ethereal vocals struggle to find space to breathe as the guitars come to the fore. It gives the song a cinematic quality, where the protagonists' arduous journey to triumph is against all odds.  

‘Manhattan’ close the album out with the finest Brian Jonestown Massacre homage written in a decade. Mid-paced, psych-guitar-driven tracks, beset with great drama, close out this album in the heroic style it richly deserves.

What comes next for My Raining Stars must be word-of-mouth success. Accept the challenge and spread the love!

The Bracknall – Falling Out Of View

The Bracknall released their second album ‘Falling Out of View’ last Friday via Beat Lab Records. In 2022, their debut album ‘Going Nowhere Fast’ announced the band as contenders to rock n roll’s throne. Will they ascend?

You wait five years for a great guitar record to come along, and then two come at once. First up was Pastel’s ‘Souls In Motion’, and now, The Bracknall have followed suit. In 1994, Noel Gallagher’s songwriting gave a downtrodden nation the seedlings of hope. In 2025, after fifteen years of racing to the bottom, The Bracknall’s brand of Gallagher songwriting and their penchant for soulful rock ‘n’ roll seems set to save us all once again.

Noel’s influence has a beautiful foothold on this record. Frontman and lead guitarist Jack Dacey’s vocals and lyrics on ‘Get Better’ tap into the Burnage soul that yearned to break free. Lyrically, an earthiness leads you into the band’s struggle with the same authentic ease as ‘Definitely Maybe’. Rather than adopt angst-ridden guitars, Jack, brother Harry, and Ed Smith’s guitars land you in the swirling hysteria of ‘I Hope I Think I Know’ and ‘My Big Mouth’ (minus the gak). It’ll land you in the gutter but arm-in-arm with a nation of guitar-loving brothers and sisters.

‘Say You Won’t Be Gone’ leans into the acoustic guitars and heaven-sent production that made Gallagher Senior a national treasure. It is, though, the windswept majesty of Soundtracks of Our Lives that underpins this track's magic. Dacey’s vocal glides between Ashcroft's melodic snarl and Mattias Bärjed's soulful romanticism on this ode to romance.

The album is bookended by two clarion calls in Make It Happen’ and ‘Giving Up Again’. The former flies across the horizon with the debauched grace of All The Young at their peak. Blessed with fingernails in the dirt desperation, it confronts it’s fears with the air of violence that early Kasabian roared onto the scene with. Dacey sings, ‘I could make it happen’ with such unflinching self-belief that mortgages will be wagered on it.

‘Giving Up Again’ sonically storms the gates with its bullish guitars. This relentless assault of the senses is accompanied by a lyrical nugget of gold:

“I’m tired of giving up again”

The euphoria that Dacey delivers in this line is sensational. The Bracknall, a band of over a decade, conveys the agony and ecstasy of band life with sensational euphoria. When otherworldly psyche chimes, it allows for a brief moment of peace and, thus, all of the band’s toil and rejection flood the senses before they come roaring back with tear-inducing power.

This is an album of blessed guitar solos. However, it has its crowning glory on ‘Everything I’ve Ever Known’ and the title track. If Kasabian nudged Oasis forwards in 2004 sonically, The Bracknall have appropriated their best bits and forced rock n roll’s wheel to begin rolling again. The progressive snarl of Liam and Tom Meighan and the rapturous key changes of Noel are injected with the blissed-out sunsets of Soundtracks of Our Lives and the joyfulness of My Morning Jacket. In an era of increasingly spiteful men, The Bracknall have given a generation a chance to hug their best mate and tell them they love them with a pint in hand and a tongue in their ear!  If ‘Everything I’ve Ever Known’ is coming up, then ‘Falling Out Of View’ is the sweet hours of love that follow. Images of the lights going up in Brixton Academy emerge in the wake of this powerful yet ethereal brilliance. Thousands simply must sway in unison as the band walks off triumphantly at the end of their working week.

For many, having Oasis back this summer is a great thing. It’s nothing compared to the guts and glory of The Bracknall slogging their guts out for a decade and unearthing this album-of-the-year contender. Sonically, stylistically, and lyrically, they’ve reimagined what Oasis, Soundtrack of Our Lives for the modern age. In an era that doesn’t give bands a shot, they should be lauded as working-class heroes, for The Bracknall have reminded us all it’s something to be!

Pastel – Souls In Motion

As lockdown began to fade in October 2021, Pastel put the world on notice with their ‘Deeper Than Holy’ EP. Organic, righteous, explorative indie-psyche music reared its head and sowed the seeds of hope for the guitar scene.

Four years on, they’ve opened for Liam Gallagher at Knebworth, blown their label mates of stage at the Islington Academy, and ushered in a new era of shoegaze and rock ‘n’ roll with a miraculous performance at The Garage in London.

Key to their ascendancy has been the likes of ‘Deeper Than Holy’, ‘Isiah’, and ‘Escape’. The former eloquently follows in its footsteps. The trippy ‘Life’s An Ocean’ guitars, whilst Blake-esque lyrics elevate the best moments of The Verve to the fore, something that will become their stock in trade. ‘Isaiah’ is steeped in Nick McCabe’s magical swirling guitars that beckon tonnes of dry ice on a huge stage for them. Frontman Jack Yates’ angelic vocals give the astonishing sonic a human touch, allowing us mortals into their world. ‘Escape’, written after a hefty acid trip, has the melodic hallmarks of ‘Weeping Willow’ and ‘Space & Time’ and the explorative splendour of ‘Blue’. The sumptuous slide guitars are destined for iconic status.

Image courtesy of Fear PR

The unheard additions to the album are its biggest assets, though. ‘Heroes Blood’ and ‘Gone Too Fast’ rise to the top of ‘Souls In Motion’ with astonishing power. ‘Heroes Blood’ is a tornado of rock ‘n’ roll with basslines from the devil and guitars from the darkest quarter of McCabe’s soul. With hedonism in their blood, they march unsighted through the mire to announce “I’m free” alongside the majesty of ‘Urban Hymns’. It’s a monstrous opener, beset with the kind of intent that ‘Stone Roses’, ‘Definitely Maybe’, and ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ unleashed.

‘Gone To Fast’ is where they transcend to greatness. Frontman Jack Yates finds spitefulness in his vocals in the verse; it gives the self-belief in the lyrics the venom they richly deserve. Conversely, as  Joe Anderson and James Yates build the tension to a fever pitch, Jack’s melodic vocal uplift becomes the most significant moment in rock ‘n’ roll this decade! Has three and a half minutes ever felt more like a victory?

Pastel have given the alternative circuit its credibility back. For the first time in what feels like forever, a band has decreed statements of intent and confidence that, not only can be believed in, can resonate with the life-or-death authenticity of Jimmy Cooper (Quadrophenia):

“I’ve got heroes blood running through my veins” (‘Heroes Blood’)

“The hand that shakes the suit and tie / is the one that will betray” (‘Your Day’)

“You can’t walk a single step in my shoes” (‘Gone To Fast’)

The time is up for the raffle winners who are half-arsing fame and supporting 90s legends on seemingly every tour! The real deal has woken from its slumber, and it’s taking back big stages, festivals, and glory.

Manchester’s Pastel are set to release their debut album on January 17th via Spirit of Spike Island Records. ‘Souls In Motion’ was recorded at The Old Bank studios, with Afflecks Palace frontman J Fender producing and James Kenosha mixing.

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Memorial - Redsetter

Brighton’s Memorial released their second album, ‘Redsetter’, back in May via Lucy Rose’s Real Kind Records. It followed 2022’s critically acclaimed self-titled debut, but could it match its prowess?

Image and artwork courtesy of Longevity PR

‘Redsetter’ is an album searching for meaning for men approaching the settling down period of their lives. On ‘Corduroy’, songwriting duo Ollie Spalding and Jack Watts ponder the present and allow the itchy fever to creep in that perhaps they’re not ready to relinquish “steady day-drinking / soaked in that memory light”. Despite the unwillingness to let go of this freedom, King Creosote's hypnotic hooks and lush melodies of Kings of Convenience lend it an eloquence that pulls from the friendship of The Detectorists far more than anything toxic.

The vulnerability they let in gives the record a curiosity and tenderness to the moments they are less clear of thought. It parks darkness and shows a side to masculinity far more in keeping with the common man than bravado rock ‘n’ roll often does. On ‘White Campion’, the low-light folk of Richard and Linda Thompson’s early work combines with the beauty of Judy Collins and the lo-fi richness of Alfie and Bon Iver’s debut. The luscious combinations allow this poignant coming-of-age tale to take an emotive stranglehold of your senses and never let go. There’s a real sense that the clouds have parted and that commitment and fatherhood don’t have to mean a relinquishing of your identity. Still, through the heartfelt vocal, a loving acceptance that sacrifice is pleasing will work in tandem.

The songwriting fervour peaks on ‘Honey’, ‘Circle’, and ‘Silver’, lifting the record to album of the year contender. The former, a song with suicide undertones and subsequent mental health issues is as pure a song recorded this decade. The gentle warmth of James Yorkston and the ethereal folk of Bon Iver delivers a woozy moment of comfort for anyone struggling. ‘Circle’, meanwhile, takes the peak Turin Breaks for a woozy meander on this beautiful ode to letting go. Then, the album is given its crowning glory on 'Silver'! The vocals range from the potency of CSN and the joy of Paul Simon to the aching beauty of Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses). They create an addictive richness on what is, quite simply, an instant classic! The subtle but soaring orchestration fades into the ether with an autumnal glow's beauty but inevitable decay.

‘Redsetter’ is often an enigma, and it is unclear how the protagonist crosses the most significant crossroads. It lends itself a curiosity and a poignancy that music lovers will lean on in their darkest and happiest moments. Nothing short of an alt-folk triumph!”

Kasabian – Happenings

Kasabian’s eighth studio album ‘Happenings’ was released last Friday via Columbia Records. It’s the second album post-Tom Meighan and was produced by Serge Pizzorno and Mark Ralph (Sub Focus / Rag n Bone Man).

*banner image credit: Neil Bedford

Artwork courtesy of MBC PR

Despite 2022’s number one album, ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria,’ there was no escaping its frontman-sized hole baggage. The focus should have been on the quality of ‘ALYGATYR’, ‘LETTING GO’ and ‘CHEMICALS;, instead,theret seemed to be constant questions and opinions about their past.

As such, the approach to the ‘Happenings’ release had the air of a last-chance saloon. A once truly great creative force was in danger of becoming a heritage act if this didn’t land.

There is a directness to ‘Happenings’, a real trimming of the fat at just twenty-eight minutes long, which serves it well. Every couplet a hook, no middle-eights, Pizzorno has written an album that Record Label bosses in the ‘60s would have killed for.

‘Darkest Lullaby’ and ‘Algorithms’ bookend the album with melodies so pure that any weight of expectation has seemingly dissipated. ‘Darkest Lullaby’, lyrically beset with self-doubt and heartbreak (“Oh, I don’t where I’m going now…I was afraid we got so high), they use the dancefloor, via the disco licks of Marr and Rodgers and the rock ‘n’ roll funk of Vanilla Fudge as route of escape. ‘Algorithms’ is blessed with the spirit of future tour buddies The Streets’ ‘Weak Become Heroes’ and Lou Reed’s simplistic classic ‘Perfect Day’. It’s the sound of the outsiders marching to victory against the odds once again. As Pizzorno croons “This this one for the weirdos / One day we’ll be heroes”, the marginalised, the dreamers, and those who believe in building things up emerge from the shadows to regain humanity's innocence. For too long, those seeking to destroy have halted progression in all walks of life, but, with ‘Algorithms’ soul and the recent election in the UK, a turning point with hope looming has surfaced.

Where ‘Darkest Lullaby’ is the sound of ecstasy giving freedom on the dancefloor, the former single ‘Call’ is the sound of the devil enticing you to it. The colossal, dirty 00s breakbeat demanding your attention (“come on, make your move, there's nothing left to prove”) is followed by Pizzorno’s blissed-out Balearic vocals and keys, which put you through hyperspace and blow you out the other side a better person. ‘Coming Back to Me Good’ has a sun-kissed easiness and the tenderness of a friend nursing you through tough times and trips. Whereas ‘Hell of It’ leans into the bombastic riffs of ‘N.E.R.D’ and Roots before fading into a heavenly synth release. Together, they help build a band rediscovering its soul among people who are losing control, a realm in which Kasabian has always thrived.

On ‘G.O.A.T’ and ‘How Far Will You Go’, Kasabian remind everyone they are still the creative force we wondered they could be before the album's release. The former, diving into the dystopian beats of the debut and the heavy psyche guitars of ‘Empire’ to conjure the albums outstanding moment and Pizzorno’s finest vocal to date. As epic as Stranger Things and majestically warped as a Moon Duo solo aid the punk rock rhetoric well. As Pizzorno decrees “cause you know it’s true / You could be the greatest of all time”, a flurry of images ranging from Lydon to Strummer/Jones to Morrissey/Marr to Gallagher to Wire raising souls to be whoever the fuck they want to be is released to the world. ‘How Far Will You Go’ somehow manages to add layers to Kasabian’s more riotous catalogue. They summon a venomous firepower which conjures a world where Jamie T and Chuck D spit venom alongside Andrew Innes and the Stooges blasting a hole into the sun! Approach with caution!

Kasabian and Pizzorno, in particular, have rediscovered their working-class glory on this record. They’ve brought the obscure to the masses once again. Every track is a single, and every verse is a chorus. Intense but never overbearing, catchy but never trite, this is a tour de force of a record from a band written off. It’s not a comeback, but it’s going to dazzle the masses and quieten the chin-strokers!

The Rifles - Love Thy Neighbour

The Rifles release their first studio album in eight years today. ‘Love Thy Neighbour’, Despite countless tours, festivals, and re-releases, the band’s life commitments to work and family have hindered their creative process.

Image & artwork courtesy of Fear PR.

In 2023, frontman Joel Stoker ventured into new sonic territories with his debut solo album, 'The Undertow ', recorded at his Right Hook Studios in Walthamstow. The album's free-spirited sound was mirrored in Stoker's lyrical exploration of mental anguish, marking a significant evolution in his musical style.

Early B-side ‘Rock the Boat’ became a firm live favourite in the intervening eight years. The ska-tinged guitars and Stoker’s vocals unite with crowds in a hymnal mood. Its opening stansa oozes through large sections of this album. ‘Mr Sunflower’ saunters with Madness keys and vocals in carnival mode. Its message of love your neighbour does not come to expect from their intensity but is a perfect fit. Time away as a band and getting older suits them.

‘Days of our Lives’ continues the effervescent spirit. Taking a Sham 69 reference and making it sound like a Rifles and George Harrison concoction is joyous. Deano Mumford’s keys and the acoustic lean into Bob Marey and Ocean Colour Scene before Luke Crowther steam rollers the closing stages with howling guitars and Grant Marsh’s drum fills, planting you firmly into the band's happy place.

The archetypal Rifles sound emerges with clarity alongside their new deft touch on ‘Starting Monday’, ‘The Kids Won’t Stop’, and ‘Out For The Weekend’. With its military drums and yearning to be more, the former takes classics like ‘Heebie Jeebies’ and turns them into prophecies for their middle age. Similarly, ‘The Kids Won’t Stop’ examines parenthood and day job relentlessness versus their youthful days of dreaming and chaos. As Marsh’s drums rumble, the ecstatic furore of ‘No Love Lost’ rears its head but, this time, with a humorous take on being a parent rather than tear-ups in East London. ‘Out For the Weekend’ blows away the responsibilities and leans into the boozy male bonding that has made them such a must-see live act for twenty years. Crowther’s licks, razor-sharp, beg you to put on your best threads and let the middle-aged spread rumble once more.

On tracks like ‘All Aboard’ and ‘Money Go Round,’ The Rifles venture into uncharted musical territories. ‘All Aboard' infuses the sweeping majesty of their album ‘Freedom Run’ with jagged edges and the folk and roots elements that their peers, The Coral, excelled in during the 00s. ‘Money Go Round’ takes on a Small Faces-esque groove before transitioning into a Beatles-worthy melody. Luke Crowther's psychedelic folk guitars draw inspiration from latter-day Weller and Cornershop, giving the band a fresh makeover and potentially, a new musical direction.

They say abstinence makes the heart fonder, well, for The Rifles as a writing new music band, it has. The album is steeped in the kind of love and hope George Harrison would look upon fondly. It marks a new era for the band. The need to produce chaos has faded into wry takes on that era, and their most mainstream rock classic sound to date. Let’s hope it’s not another eight years.

The K’s – I Wonder if the World Knows

Last Friday, Earlstown band The K’s released their debut album, ‘I Wonder If The World Knows’ via LAB Records. What followed has been a titanic battle with The Libertines for the number-one album spot.

Image nad artwork courtesy of Sonic PR & Halestorm PR.

The Libertines’ debut album, ‘Up The Bracket’, captured the imagination of a generation twenty-two years ago. Its thoughtful rawness and poetic hit reset on a bloated Britpop and toxic nu-metal scene. 2024 is in a different galaxy to 2002, and so, for The K’s, their debut album is less about reimagining Albion and more about their survival within it.

In this environment, the pressure on bands to run to a perceived middle has often been too great, resulting in beige output. The K’s, like The Simpsons, CM Punk, and Martin Scorsese, always managed to walk the mainstream and underground tightrope simultaneously. Hinged on the partnership between singer-songwriter Jamie Boyle and lead guitarist Ryan Breslin, they take gritty anthems akin to The Jam and The Courteeners (circa St. Jude), such as ‘Hometown’. ‘Heart On My Sleeve’, and ‘Circles’ toward Blossoms, U2, and pop music.

Former single ‘Hometown’ witnesses a flawed protagonist embroiled in a downward spiral (“He’s so easily persuaded by his need to feel sedated / and the only way to get it is to empty all his wages”) set to blistering guitars. Just another indie-rock single? In truth, kind of, but, through Boyle’s vocals, the offshoots of something special lay. Straying between infectious, aggressive, and defiant, he adds another dimension to said blueprint.  

The fire of their early singles continues on ‘Heart On My Sleeve’. Imbued with desperation and enthralled by sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, Boyle lays bare troubled co-dependence with people and alcohol. His tortured soul, threatening to go under at several points, is made utterly engrossing by Breslin’s guitars. Then, on ‘Circles, ’ Breslin takes his live showmanship to the studio, and The K’s begin to shed the angst-ridden debut album skin. Breslin, so adept, finds a way to make The Courteeners and The Enemy sound like U2. Throw in Boyle’s lyrical desperation to succeed, his Madonna via Phil Spector Girl Group vocal, and The K’s life as a cinematic force has begun.

The transcendence continues the album's big set pieces. ‘Hoping Maybe’ grows with Andrew Cushin's aching beauty and a modern take on the crooning glee of ‘Coles Corner'-era Hawley. Breslin’s guitars shimmer in moonlight skies as the band steps into the mainstream with rock classism at its finest.

In the age of destructive post-punk, where vocals have been a blurred mesh of spoken word and snarling punk, The K’s emergence is a game changer. This change is cemented on the ‘Lights Go Down’. It is a big romantic musical number, the kind that dangles a carrot in the middle of the road to come into a more exciting world. From Burt Bacharach to Noel Gallagher, to Scott Walker, they’ve written a song which will play out to England’s glorious defeat in World Cups for years to come.

There's an aching amplitude flickering needles and hearts alike throughout this fine debut album. Boyle’s diary entry-style lyrics and Breslin’s soaring universality allow people to attach their meaning to their anthems. It's a different world to the one The Libertines launched into, but The Ks have given rock ‘n’ roll an emotive anchor to Arcadia once more.

The Libertines - All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade

After Hyde Park in 2014, nothing else truly mattered to the band's fans. When Pete Doherty entertained the crowd with a rendition of ‘Albion’ as security fixed the barriers, Carl Barat emerged to join him. To see them sing Babyshambles’ finest moment restored faith that they were friends once more.

Artwork courtesy of Tony Linkin.

*banner image credit: Ed Cooke

With kinship renewed, ‘Anthems of a Doomed Youth’ emerged a year later. Considering all the struggles, the band were in “bonus” territory with fans. After the tragedy of losing Amy Winehouse, fans could accept an album of some brilliance but largely mediocre songs in return for their existence.

Nine years on, Doherty’s sustained period of sobriety led to a sober writing session with Barat in the Caribbean. ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’ (EMI), their fourth studio album might be the one! Then Louis Theroux showcased a Doherty seemingly as lost now as he has ever been.

It’s the hope that kills you!  

Like the opening half of Anthems for a Doomed Youth, The Libertines again toy with their past on former singles ‘Run Run Run’, ‘The Night of the Hunter’, and ‘Shiver’. The first two tap into the glory and odious failure alike. Pete and Carl toy with their addiction (“It’s a lifelong project of a life on the lash. / I forgotten how to care but I’ll remember for cash”) to the sound of Phil Spector and The Ramones. They evoke images of Camden’s bedraggled glory, and as they attempt to escape their inevitable final destination, “gonna live like it’s the end / I love you to death, but I must suggest / You’d better run, run, run boy”). Despite the reference points, the band are firmly in the present for once and reinvigorated them beyond recognition, showing their growth and potential for the future.

‘The Night of the Hunter’, a Pete-penned track that used the Robert Mitchum film of the same name as inspiration, holds an unnerving mirror up to their career. Their ability to use Mitchum’s big bad wolf character as a metaphor for their past catching up with them is an anxiety attack wrapped up in great poetry and a Swan Lake-esque riff. A fog consumes Doherty’s vocal innocence; free from drugs, but not from his own mind. A lost soul forever?

Through even more stark reflection, their collective trauma is laid bare on ‘Shiver’. What was it for? Why did we bother? Identity crises are not to be underestimated for men in their 40s. Many men fall to suicide, failing to find answers to these questions. The bravery, the heart, and the sheer guts for this band to exist, let alone be great again (and they are), becomes sensory overload for anyone who cared for them when they decree:

“Shiver for the Albionay”

The intertwining of their dreams of Arcadia and the Monachy’s recent changes are laced with playful preposterousness on a career-best vocal from Doherty. Hushed and ethereal, he summons images of pained stares into a mirror rueing everything and yet, knowing if it hadn’t happened, those outcomes would have been worse:

“Reasons to stay alive / not to die at 25”.

Closure? Probably Not.

They have masterfully manipulated the world they created in the 00s into the modern day. At other points, they move out of that realm completely to become topical for the first time. ‘Merry Old England’ paints a picture of post-Brexit England, greying from Empire failure and welcoming (or not) immigrants to the sound of Doherty’s solo career and Richard Hawley’s beauty. ‘Be Young’ continues this newfound form, examining global warming with blistering Dave Davies guitars and a playful Specials ‘Blank Expression’ breakdown.

Elsewhere ‘Oh Sh*t’ roars to the surface with Jamie T’s ‘Zombie’, THe Pistols, and The Ramones in its heart. Barat’s vocal, a snarling Scott Walker, oozes charisma on this tale of chancers whilst the sonic explodes boisterously but forever playfully.

Is ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade’ the classic that they should have written in their twenties? No, but for the first time in two decades of near misses and regret, they’ve steered the Albion ship in its direction. With sustained sobriety and strong allegiances, the modern-day Burton and Taylor are beginning to define in terms of glory rather than defeat.

It’s the hope that makes you feel alive!

Office for Personal Development - Doing. Is. Thinking

Click the image to buy the album.

The Office for Personal Development, resplendent in their company attire of double-breasted grey suits and green ties, have unleashed their foray into propaganda. Their debut album ‘Doing. Is. Thinking.’ is out now and captures the (mock) government department findings of the past eighteen months from their Bexhill offices.

*image credit John Cheves

During budget week, the treasury and the Chancellor offered little to no hope for public services, the working class, and the standard of life of improvement. Step forward, motivational guru Trevor Deeble. Famed for his time in Indigo Moss and the double act with Hannah-Lou, he created the finest ministerial department since DoSac lost its immigration file USB stick.

‘Born to Be’ takes gentler aspects of Alannah Myles and Pat Benatar's melodic prowess to the fun and quirks of Lemon Jelly, especially Fred Deakin’s recent solo album ‘Fred Deakin Presents The Lasters’. ‘Do It All Over Again’ leans into Deakin’s sonic furthermore, which climaxes in a joyous Kraftwerk ‘Computer Love’ era synth solo from their Head of IT Del Querns. Lyrically, this is where the former single comes alive. The protagonist, a messianic narcissist, details the monstrous thoughts darting around their deluded mind as they carry out the big shop. Both tracks sow the seeds of reintegrating fun back into an electronic scene that has been saturated by Boiler Room posers for far too long.

‘You Are In Control’ and ‘Take Me Back’ continue on this path, with Director Deeble leaning into his Neil Tennant-esque vocal. The former allowed him to glide from angelic to wry, accentuating his auteur overlord presence in the office. The sci-fi sonic is fraught with anxiety via the poptastic keys, the spirit of Hot Chip, and early 90s rave breakdowns but is never without a sense of hope. ‘Take Me Back’, Originally recorded ten years ago when Moss was a fine art student at Goldsmiths University, has a protracted landing to earth but unfurls a pop masterpiece. The heart of ‘A Bath Full of Ecstasy’ infiltrates the melodic magnificence of Wilson Phillips with the elegance of Goldfrapp strutting to the dancefloor.

A day of motivational speaking and team bonding is as promising as having a rusty spoon fish out your kidney stones. Until now! The OPD have business cliché into credible electronic hooks and substantive pop music. Late-night Magic FM has collided with 6Music to produce an underdog record-of-the-year contender.

Cast - Love Is The Call

Cast return this Friday with their seventh studio album ‘Love is the Call’. It’s their first in seven years and sees them hook up with legendary producer Youth at Space Mountain Studios in Spain.

*image and artwork courtesy of Fear PR.

Last time out on ‘Kick Up The Dust’, there were offshoots of peak Cast, but overall, it loitered outside of this realm and became an album for only the truly loyal fans. This time though, frontman John Power and their manager, Alan McGee, have both been very buoyant about Cast delivering something special.

Pre-order the album here.

In the main, they’re not wrong. ‘Love is the Call’ feels like a debut album yearning to be set free onto the world to make its mark. ‘Forever and Day’ chugs with the optimism of a wiser mindset which knows the pitfalls to avoid. As Power sings, “some things in life are destined to change / and for the first time in forever you have a smile on your face”, the feeling of the band’s anxieties and creative fears melting away are tangible. Power’s melody is as pure as anything he’s ever written. It’s juxtaposed with a reassuring vocal sternness, like a father figure nudging young souls back to the light.

‘Time Is Like A River’ and ‘Tomorrow Calls My Name’ both stoke the band’s early creative fires, but now, Power’s lyrics look back with an experience and knowingness of when to fight and when to let go. The former meanders toward the ‘Forever Changes’ brass as the protagonist learns to let go of the past. ‘Tomorrow Calls My Name’ finds a sweet spot between vintage Cast, Shack, and Love on this tale of trepidation and redemption. The Bunnymen-esque acoustic guitars create a tense apprehension. Still, the melodic uplift in the chorus and Tyson’s sumptuous guitars provide a redemptive blueprint for even the most tarnished souls. Power’s vocal switches from defiant to hymnal as guitars rain down an emotional heft that surpasses ‘Walkaway’.

Throughout the album, two things become abundantly clear. Power’s songwriting has rediscovered the magic touch, and accompanying it is his desire to impart love and wisdom to the world. A well-lived life, not shared, is criminal, and Power is certainly not guilty. His pop sensibilities have also hit career peak with ‘Faraway’. It's more instant than a sun-drenched Coral ditty. The slight gravel tinge to his voice dissipates into choral euphoria as he attempts to lead us back to collectivism and kindness.

Restoration is key to this album. Cast have restored faith in humanity and their ability as a serious exponent of great music. Their faith in hope and love has, in turn, delivered, at worst, the best album since their debut. Where ‘All Change’ captured a moment of optimism and change in 1996, ‘Love is the Call’ seek to counter the fractured world with a reminder that things can, should, and will be ok again. It’s an arm around the shoulder of the discontented, a hand up off the floor to the disenfranchised but chiefly, great guitar music.

Shambolics - Dreams , Schemes, and Young Teams

Pre-order the album here.

Friday 16th, February will see the release of Fife’s Shambolics’ debut album ‘Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams via Scruff of the Neck Records. The album was produced by Chris Marshall (Gerry Cinnamon).

*banner image courtesy of Fear PR. Credit Liam Maxwell.

It’s been six years since they announced themselves as serious players with their debut single ‘When She Goes Home’. At that point, Blossoms and The Lathums were in serious ascension and, for many, despite their fine melodies, lacked an edge that these bleak times deserved. It is then notable that it, along with fan favourites ‘Sandra Speed’, ‘Chasing A Disaster’, and ‘Love Collides’, do not appear on the album.

Bold? Yes. Reckless? No.

In ‘Attention’, ‘Losing Your Mind’, and ‘Daily Dosage’, they have a new arsenal of melodic weapons to unleash.  ‘Attention’ is relentless and grand, perhaps capturing their live sound for the first time on record. Flourishes of The View combine with Fleetwood Mac and Big Star to conjure a dream-like state to rejoice in. ‘Losing Your Mind’ gracefully strides out into moonlit skies with angelic guitars before ascending to a ‘Rumours’-esque classic. The co-frontmen Darren Forbes and Lewis McDonald transcend music here with an ethereal rock ‘n’ roll vocal that will echo into eternity if any justice is left in this industry. ‘Daily Dosage’ leans into the melodic ache of ‘Well I Wonder’ and the sweeping majesty of ‘There Is Light That Never Goes Out’ as they guide The Smiths to a sunnier disposition.

While the standard remains melodically, the characterisation and intensity significantly outweigh the early years. This newfound substance spills over sonically on ‘If You Want It’ and ‘Fight In Side’, their heaviest sound to date. The substance levels and creativity spread their wings on ‘Tambourine Tam’ and ‘Universal Credit’. The former is armed with a Jamie T-esque riff, and The Libertines’ ramshackle beauty cuts through the album's archetypal harmonies. ‘Universal Credit’, is a joyously sardonic take on being on the doll whilst in a band. The humour of their interviews has now filtered into their writing and created a Sick Boy and Renton-style rant to guitar hooks worthy of The Rakes and The View.

Forbes and McDonald’s vision of working-class life is no better exemplified than in ‘Everything You Should've Done’ and ‘Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams’. It is a tale of what might have been versus a clarion call to chase your dreams. ‘Everything You Should've Done’, sonically euphoric, which is the notion it’s protagonist is trying to generate with drugs as they tragically run away from real life. The title track, however, is gritty, feel-good British cinema parading as an instant pop classic. Recklessly defiant and oozing confidence will make the oldest of souls feel like a teenager again! Together, the songs light up the working-class struggle for the first time in a generation. The former, downtrodden with no sense of a future, it's easy to check out of society with misguided dissipation as our hearts cry out for heroes on TV screens. What ‘Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams’ does so well is to lay bare the struggle and hope. Forbes and McDonald’s sense of Albion isn’t going to come by just wishing. It will be a long, hard road, but, such is their ebullience, you believe they will get there.

As debut albums go, it's not quite in the pantheon of all-time classics, but there are moments when it is. At worst, it's banging on that door to be allowed in.  Above all else, it’s refreshing to hear working-class life soundtracked by great melody again.

Kula Shaker – Natural Magick

Kula Shaker return on Friday, the 2nd of February, with their seventh studio album, ‘Natural Magick’, via Strange Folk Records and Absolute. For the first time since 1998, keyboardist Jay Darlington returns to reunite the original line-up.

*images and artwork courtesy of Hermana PR.

Click the image to buy the album.

The band returned in 2022 after a six-year break with the album ‘1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love’, which marked a new era of great 60s-inspired psychedelic rock for the band. Can the old line-up continue this new run of form?

Based on recent singles ‘Waves’ and ‘Natural Magick’, their fire is burning bright.  The former blossoms with melodic sitars and bugged-out riffs, which frontman Crispin Mills wraps his Donovan via Syd Barret vocal around. Its melody is instantaneous, and Mills’ vocal is so buoyant it’s impossible not to be encapsulated by the joy of it all. However, this year's ‘Natural Magick’ thrusts into action with its best hook since ‘Hey Dude’ exploded onto the airwaves in 1996. Its psychedelic-funk licks stomp the way to the almost The Go! Team-esque DIY vocal breakdown. Ask any band that broke through in the mid-90s; breaking away from that era has been challenging for them. On these two singles, Kula Shaker appears to have embraced that time and put out singles worthy of their chart peak.

The band has always been known for their spaced-out psyche and Middle Eastern influences. They’ve been the bedrock for the band to manoeuvre away from the poppier moments with an ease that many bands struggle with. Bridging the gap is ‘Indian Record Player’. Opening with Ezra Furman-esque guitars and Cornershop‘s pop sensibilities, Mills returns to his Southall upbringing, discovering the soundtrack to Mughal-E-Azam and yearning for the ideal of 60s love and peace. The culmination is a groove which commands dancefloor and muso attention.

The band steps into full kaleidoscopic mode on ‘Happy Birthday’ and ‘Chura Liya (You Stole My Heart)’, both assisted by Laboni Barua’s spellbinding vocals, both come armed with mass cinematic appeal via Mills’ love of Bollywood. The former dips, peaks, and effortlessly grooves like classic Tarantino. Darlington’s hazy keys trip with a blissed-out freeness, allowing Barua to glide in with her divine, ethereal vocal. Then, the album spills over to bona fide classic territory on' Chura Liya'. They fuse the vastness of a Morricone epic, Bollywood, Lee Hazlewood vocals, and majestic widescreen brass and guitar licks of Arthur Lee’s Love.

The album's back end (‘Whistle And I Will Come’ / ‘Kalifornia Blues’ / ‘Give Me Tomorrow’) moves out from their mystical stance into a more timeless sense of writing. They don’t hit the heights of the, but they add an enjoyable ballast for the poppier moments and the more thought-provoking tracks to grab your mind. Either way, they’ve tapped into the debut album energy of any great band desperate for your attention.

We suggest you give it to them.

Click the image below for tickets to their upcoming tour:

Shed Seven - A Matter of Time

Shed Seven returned last week to release their sixth studio album via Cooking Vinyl Records. Recorded at Space Mountain in Spain with the iconic Youth producing once again. The album went in at number one/, a fine way to kick off their 30th year as a band together. Let’s see why.

Buy the album here.

*all images courtesy of Cooking Vinyl Records.

Six years ago, they released ‘Instant Pleasures’, sixteen years after the unfairly overlooked ‘Truth Be Told’ in 2001. The origins of ‘Instant Pleasures’ began by chance when frontman Rick Witter overheard Paul Banks playing a riff in a soundcheck. While ‘Room In My House’, ‘Better Days’, and' Butterfly on a Wheel’ were memorable moments, there was an air of constraint looming over the album, consistent though it is.

Fast forward six years, and the Sheds faced the exit of fan-favourite drummer Alan Leach and keyboardist Joe Johnson; the band was at a crossroads. With Tim Wills (keyboards and guitar) and Rob Maxfield (drums) coming in, the band decided to continue. The fresh impetus spreads through the band as they rediscover a youthful vibrancy on ‘Let’s Go’ and ‘Talk of the Town’. The former stomps to early U2 and The Ramones, with their punk fire burning bright once again. On ‘Talk of the Town’, the album explodes into life. The vivid haze of ‘A Maximum High’s youthful indulgence roars to the surface via Peter Buck and John Squire guitars. As Witter decrees, “Bring back the romance to these streets”, change (although less hopeful) feels as tangible now as it did in ‘96. As we move into election year, this instant classic could and should act as a clarion call for change.

The compositions and Witter’s ‘Instant Pleasures’ melodies carried an aching beauty. On ‘AMOT’, a sense of escape and yearning to be elsewhere caused by COVID’s entrapment take hold. Although stylistically close to ‘Instant Pleasures’ at times, spiritually, the energy and sense of destiny on ‘Change Giver’ and ‘A Maximum High’ ooze through this album.

‘Kissing Kalifornia’ and ‘Let’s Go Dancing’ are perfect bridges from ‘Instant Pleasures’ to now. Banks’ playing on ‘Kissing Kalifornia’ again takes Buck’s quaint guitar lines to the precipice of ‘Mersey Paradise' era Squire. It joyously twists and turns from urgency to an aching forlornness that ‘Enemies and Friends’ was beset with. Meanwhile, ‘Let’s Go Dancing’ possesses the cinematic beauty of ‘It’s Easy’ or ‘Invincible’ with its soaring orchestration.

On ‘Starlings’ and ‘Thowaways’, however, they lean into their elder statesmen status. ‘Starlings’ delicately handles the concept of a life partner dying and the widow wanting to commit suicide to join them. Witter and Banks combine here with such a deft power that it is chilling at points. Banks’ pianos begin with such hope and end in harrowing circumstances. Witter’s vocals and lyrics, gentle and melodic throughout, soar and tumble with the grace of the subject. The references to the “picturedrome” and night buses evoke romantic nostalgia that, even the youngest of lovers can emphathise with. Witter exquisitely frays the seams of this happiness and moves into grief and bitterness of the loneliness:

“For you to take off would be daylight robbery

They always said we’d become real darlings”

‘Throwaways’, featuring The Libertines singer-songwriter Pete Doherty, explores a life of being an outsider. The unlikely pair steal the show on this fine album. All the years of being written off undervalued and undermined become anathema. For fans, it becomes worth it. This is a moment of brilliance that we can skip across Albion, ramming down the throats of whoever doubted them.

Thirty years deep, Shed Seven have hit songwriting heights most never thought they’d hit again. It’s too early to say if this topples ‘A Maximum High’ from their best album slot, but it's banging on the door for a cuppa with serious intent.

The Dream Machine – Thank God! It’s The Dream Machine

Wirral five-piece The Dream Machine released their debut album ‘Thank God! It’s The Dream Machine back in April via Run On Records and Modern Sky UK. The band formed in 2020 when frontman Zac McDonnell quit drumming in The Mysterines and began working at the iconic Parr Studios. Studying the likes of Blossoms and The Coral, McDonnell united Matt Gouldson (lead guitar & backing vocals), Jack Inchboard (bass & backing vocals), Isaac Salisbury (drums), and Harrison Marsden (keyboards) and began to hatch their psychedelic dreams.

Image and artwork courtesy of The Lost Agency

In a world of corruption, war, and failure of leadership like never before, The Dream Machine’s innocent souls are beyond refreshing. Their creative journey without borders or destination rings true through them, as with The Jonestown Massacre in 1995. Newcombe, Mayami, and Gion’s fingerprints can be found on ‘Away For The Summer’ and ‘The Last Temptation’. The former, a ramshackle kaleidoscopic folk number with harmonies so pure that you’ll miss the bitterness (“I'd rather die all on my own than see you again”) swelling. ‘The Last Temptation’ taps into BJM’s colossal sense of destiny and The Coral’s melodic joy on this satanic masterpiece.

The moments when they raise the tempo show that this is a band that can and will do whatever they want! ‘Always On My Mind’ waltzes into view like the devil conducting The Stands. Meanwhile, former single ‘TV Baby / Satan’s Child’ sets fire to Love’s ‘A House Is Not A Motel’. McDonnell’s usually angelic vocal fractures into a James Skelly freak beat moment of genius! Then, in ‘White Shadow Blues’, they erupt into a furious mesh of ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ and Jake Bugg’s early classics ‘Taste It’ and ‘Lightning Bolt’.

What is true of their influences is still typical of the music industry today. They will be judged on their singles. Step forward ‘Lola, In The Morning’ and ‘Children, My England’. The former is blessed with the optimism of The Coral’s ‘In The Morning’, Roger McGuinn’s finesse, and Hamilton Leithauser’s vocals. On ‘Children, My England’, The Dream Machine cross the threshold from upstarts into a world of Richard Hawley and Pete Doherty. Masterful poets lost souls, and romantic souls are searching for a higher ground to set themselves free. The Parisian keys meet the guitars of The Stands and the bands featured on the Children of Nuggets compilation. Shimmering and tumbling guitars provide a perfect backdrop for the lyrics that bed in between Coleridge’s ‘Lyrical Ballads’ and John Cooper Clarke’ 's ‘Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt’.

‘Thank God! It’s The Dream Machine’ is undoubtedly the most fully formed debut album from a British band in a generation. Perhaps longer. They’re on the precipice of greatness. Flashes of immortality rear up here, making the prospect of their second album mouth-watering.

The Coral - Sea of Mirrors

“From as far back as I can remember, I've been a drifter
The drifting life is a lonely life but the only life I know”

Twenty-one years on since the Wirral outsiders stormed the scene with their anarchic self-titled anarchic debut, they released ‘Sea of Mirrors’ via Run On and Modern Sky UK Records back in September.

Image and artwork courtesy of Perspective Communications.

After a brief dip on 2010’s ‘Butterfly House’, The Coral have delivered four studio albums of remarkable substance. The heavy psyche of ‘Distance Inbetween’ and folksy-cum-La’s melodies of ‘Coral Island’ lead that pack. So, where did ‘Sea Of Mirrors’ stack up?

During the ‘10s, their fine albums explored new but quite natural avenues of their sound. Then, on ‘Coral Island’, they ever so slightly nudged their melodic poise toward the weird and wonderful sonic of ‘The Coral’ and ‘Magic Medicine’. Now, on ‘Cycles Of The Seasons’ and ‘North Wind’, their mature worldview steps resplendently back into their youthful realm. The former looked at ‘Calendars and Clocks’ and ‘Don’t Think You’re The First’ and nodded in approval. Meanwhile, the caressing beauty of ‘North Wind’ feels like a fully formed and joyfully content ‘Careless Hands’.

With Coral Island being a double album and ‘Sea of Mirrors’ being accompanied by a physically released only album, one has to wonder just how much The Coral has in the arsenal. The two tracks mentioned have great folk orchestration calling Weller’s fine reinvention on ’22 Dreams’, an almost double album. The beauty, peculiarity, and effortlessness of ‘Sea of Mirrors’ never deviates from this state of wisdom and quality.

However, there are several moments of darkness throughout the album. ‘Ocean’s Apart’ captures why fans love their rebellious ways:

“It's been the same since I was a little kid
When I see the desert I see an ocean
When I see an ocean I see a desert
Each the image of the other
A sea of mirrors, and here I am
Caught between both the form and the reflection
Between fact and fiction”

The torment of not fitting in and drifting relationships as a consequence has taken its toll:

“I love you, yes, I love you
From your smile to your scars
But we're oceans apart”

This ode to fallen stars earning their living at the arse end of their industry sparkles when Cillian Murphy recites Nick Power’s poetry in the closing stages. It gives it an innocence that eases the sense of regret permeating throughout. Blink, and you’d miss the anguish amid the cinematic orchestration. Latter-day Weller and Richard Hawley’s enriching souls swoon across horizons here to offer hope amid the despair.

The title track, ‘Sea of Mirrors,’ continues the feeling of uneasiness, of not knowing if up is down. Twenty-one years as outsiders, as pioneering drifters, has left them feeling “no help can be found when the world sinks into the ground”. The strings are beset with the creative grandeur of Love (the band), which soundtrack the bands struggle to co-exist:

“From my window seat, I see a stranger sleep
Visions of a war long since past
An enemy, a friend, a battle 'til the end
The flags have been lowered to half-mast”

No matter the inner turmoil, The Coral remains outwardly mesmeric. This is no traditional journey back to the start, but the fleeting moments they pop into their beatnik spirit are delivered with middle-aged suffering and a creative masterfulness to revel in. ‘Sea Of Mirrors rightly takes it place in the upper echelons of their catalogue.

The Shed Project - Our Fear Is Their Power

The Shed Project are set to release their second album ‘Our Fear Is Their Power’ on November 24th via One Love Records. The record was produced by Daniel Hayes and recorded at The Ivy Studio in their hometown of Bolton.

On their debut album, ‘The Curious Mind Of A Common Man’ the band knocked out a collection of songs which paid homage to their heroes Stone Roses, Northside, The Mondays and aspects of the C86 movement. Moments like ‘My Life’, ‘Lucky Number’, and ‘Modern Way’ lit up their tales with undeniable psychedelic and baggy licks.

Bridging the gap sonically between the albums are former single ‘Ghost Town’, ‘Naughty’, and ‘Easy’. The former is blessed with John Squire’s power, the indomitable groove of ‘Chicken Rhythms’ and the lysergic beauty of Afflecks Palace. ‘Naughty’, whilst questioning the notion of “getting on it” and its slippery slope comes with Mani-esque crunching basslines and Paul Ryder’s funked hedonism vision of rock ‘n’ roll rock ‘n’ roll visions. On ‘Easy’ however, they link to the first album with the Roses licks and signify this albums’ distinct change. Power! The delicate licks of the debut spiral into a more intoxicating brand of psychedelia and thus, begin to forge their identity as a band.

The harder sonic is laid bare on former singles ‘If You Know You Know’ and ‘Our Fear Is There Power’. The expansive sonic of Squire’s ‘It’s Begging You’ is injected with brutality. The hedonism fades into a realm of rage and angst that explodes into with the combined power of The Who and The Verve at their most volatile. On the title track, the harder edges are met with visceral social commentary too. Our decaying government! Polemic is not something naturally associated with the rock ‘n’ roll of the Northwest, but it’s always loitered in the hearts of Ian Brown and Noel Gallagher. Roy Fletcher’s success here proves the icons could have been more overt in their lyrics. His line in the sand is met with haunting licks and a bassline desperate to break its leash. Together, they spiral with the baggy ease of The Charlatans towards the eruption of psychedelic guitars. It’s far less a solo and more a howl of hatred.

The newfound power develops further In the politicised lyrics on ‘Ghost Town’ and the gritty examination of drug use of ‘Naughty’. ‘Ghost Town’, a modern take on the Specials classic told from the perspective of their native Bolton. They countenance the notion of “levelling up” by highlighting increased homelessness, poverty, and race to the bottom across all industries. Their despair is lit up by sunlit guitar licks and frontman Roy Fletcher’s angelic vocals. It's as fine a juxtaposition as you’ll hear this year. ‘Naughty’ however, strays into the realms of tragedy as Fletcher decrees “one thing leads to another / then you lose your brother”. A fine update on Buffalo Springfield’s “your troubled young life / Had made you turn to the needle of death”.

What began as mates in a Shed playing for fun has become the do-or-die rock ‘n’ roll generations live for! Their attempt to convey their moods has given a window into a nation teetering on the edge of revolt at its politicians, media, and institutions falter. This is rock ‘n’ roll for the people by the people, and it's no wonder they’re selling out venues across the UK.

Trampolene – Rules Of Love and War

Swansea’s Trampolene returned in March this year to release their fourth studio album ‘Rules of Love & War’ (Strap Originals). The record was was produced by Mike Moore (Baxter Dury/Liam Gallagher), Richard Jackson (Super Furry Animals) & Jason Stafford (Albion Rooms). Banner image courtesy of Matthew Eynon.

‘Rules Of Love and War’ is available to buy from their store here.

Last time out on ‘Love No Less Than A Queen’, they set their sonic sails away from the Libertines’ notion of Albion for the first time. It opened them up to the wayward psychedelia of Fat White Family, Snapped Ankles, and King Gizzard and The Lizzard Wizzard and gave their heartfelt anthems, providing weirder and more textured avenues of discovery.

With the creative mindset now broadened, Trampolene continues to press forward on ‘Lena Lullaby’, ‘Thinking Again’, and ‘Money’. ‘Lena Lullaby’ treads frosty paths with icy orchestration and Jack Jones’ falsetto vocal. Jones’ guitar playing delicately moves from JJ72 to Darren Heyman to Sam Duckworth’s cult solo classic ‘The Mannequin’ before a mild injection of angst lifts proceedings to Snow Patrols’ early work. Jones plays with his cadence and vocal tone on ‘Thinking Again’ bringing The Vaccines’ understated ‘Melody’s Calling’ to the fore. The guitars tap into the dreamy psyche of Kurt Vile and the lo-fi wonderment of Aziz Abraham. Together, they unite to conjure a more poetical, weed-induced take on the early 00s post-punk of My Vitriol and Hope Of The States. ‘Money’ is a ball of financial anxiety wrapped up in spoken word and Snapped Ankles fuzzed-up imagery.

At Trampolene’s core though, is Albion’s sense of romanticism. On ‘Resurrection Concerto’ and ‘Alexandra Palace’, they return to Arcadia from their psychedelic adventures determined to enhance the movement. The former finds a place between Pulp’s ‘This Is Hardcore’ and ‘We Love Life’ with its soaring classical production alongside Jones’ poignant observation of living for the moment. As he decrees “just starting to live again”, you can feel pain, loss, and years of abuse ebbing away from the soul. It’s followed with the defiant howl of “it doesn’t have to be the end” as the guitars and keys bellow with debauched bombast. The protagonist, still carrying the weight of the past on their shoulders, chooses hope, chooses life! Life is far more ebullient on ‘Alexandra Palace’. Sam and Alice, the modern take on The Kinks’ Terry and Julie, is a great romantic failure in North London. With hints of Billy Bragg’s ‘St Swithins’ day warmth from the brass and the innocence of Pete Doherty’s ‘You Can't Keep It From Me Forever’, Jones lights up a coming-of-age story that will scar the characters forever.

The journey from ‘Swansea To Hornsey’ youthful fire to ‘Rules Of Love and War’ measured prose has been six years seemingly one of hope, self-doubt, escape, self-discovery, and now, one of triumphant return. The mission statements they dreamt up in bedrooms in 2017 are now becoming fully realised via richer creative palettes. Coupled with Jack Jones’ purist of souls, long may Trampolene’s ship sail on.

Click the image below to get tickets for their upcoming shows:

Treasures of Mexico – Burn The Jets

Medway’s Treasures of Mexico returned earlier this year with their third album ‘Burn The Jets’ (Spinout Nuggets). Following their 2018 indie-pop masterpiece ‘Everything Sparks Joy’, it has vocal contributions from Jetstream Pony’s Beth Arzy and was recorded at Jim Riley’s Ranscombe Studios.

Image and artwork courtesy of Spinout Nuggets.

Five years ago, ‘Everything Sparks Joy’ cut through a Brexit-dominated landscape with the indie pop-perfect ‘Supercute’ and resplendent ‘Avalanche’. Remarkably, in 2023, society feels worse than it did back then. Client media, concocted culture wars, and eye-watering interest rates have flooded our lives. Can the Treasures of Mexico save us from the gloom once more?

Leading the charge are ‘Days With A “Y” In’, ‘Beaming’, and ‘Servant To The Seasons’. The former leans into the indomitable spirit of their former band The Dentists and the formidable guitars of Norman Blake roaring their way to the light. The hazy lo-fi tinge gives proceedings a sense of agitation yearning to break free, which the ecstatic organ solo does with gusto. ‘Beaming’ gently dazzles like Real Estate playing Byrds songs. On ‘Servant To The Seasons’, despite the moments of distrust and doubt (“id like to say we’d be ok but that depends on you….here we are again”), they conjure a melody doused in gorgeousness. Bob Collins' jingle-jangle guitars inject the lush world of Felt with a dose of Mood Six and The Fanclub’s urgency.

Mark Matthews’ exemplary ability to manoeuvre darker discourse alongside Collin’s joyful playing continues on ‘Halo’. Matthews’ sarcasm (“I see you polish halo”) descends into bitterness in the second verse:

“I see you feeding your ego / I feel you trampling over me / Your arrogance running free”

The angelic Cocteau Twins-esque keys are accompanied by guitars which swell with frustration to bursting point. ‘Halo’ is so subtle yet masterful in highlighting a relationship's bespoke nuances and how they fracture and repair.

Then, on ‘Monday Morning’, Treasures of Mexico find a career-best song. Matthews’ vocal hits upon an elegance and reverence in this tale of a lost soul. As Matthews decrees “you’ve lost that loving feeling and what you believe in”, you can feel an embracing arm around the shoulder through his tired but loving notes. Matthews goes on to dissect the protagonist’s precarious life with such affection and aching beauty that few will be tear-free as he sings:

“you had a heart of gold that gave so much, but someone melt it down / took all you empathy, they stole your smile and turned it upside down”

Collins’ astonishing solo follows to blow melt even the coldest of hearts. He should be a national treasure! Emotive. Escapist. Ecstatic.

Three albums in, Treasures of Mexico show no signs of tailing off. ‘Burn The Jets’ is a heartfelt slice of guitar joy that all should bask in.

Click the image below for tickets to see them, The Claim and Jasmine Minks in Brighton: