Astrid – Through The Darkness of Your Life

Childhood friends Willie Campbell and Charlie Clark are back with new Astrid material. Written with Paul Quinn (Teenage Fanclub/Soup Dragons) and James ‘Cliffy’ Clifford (Cosmic Rough Riders), the 90s pioneers release ‘Through The Darkness of Your Life’ via No Big Deal Music.

Image & artwork courtesy of Sonic PR

Similar to the fantastic new Boo Radleys single, this targets past experiences as key learnings to moving forwards. As the hazy guitars swirl, Clark finds hope and progress through his more troubling days.

The spritely psychedelia of Alfa 9’s underrated classic ‘My Sweet Movida’ chimes with The Pretty Things classicism and the pop sensibilities of The Coral as the band proves they still have the magic. Campbell and Clark’s harmonies hark back to the warming immediacy of Pretty Things ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’.

Rather than the obligatory west coast solo for this type of record, Astrid keeps it tight with a Beatles-esque stomp. It keeps the party atmosphere of The Stands alive and is all the better for it.

ASTRID - 2022 UK TOUR DATES - Buy tickets here
February 11th ,The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh
February 12th Tolbooth, Stirling 
February 13th Eden Court, Inverness

Alfa 9 - My Sweet Movida

In 2017, LA’s GospelbeacH reignited the classic sound of California, this year, the unlikely grey skies of Newcastle-Upon-Lyme are following in those footsteps. The four-piece Alfa 9, have surged onto the roots scene this year with their third album ‘My Sweet Movida’.

Leading this charge is ‘Movida’, sounding like a lost single from The Coral’s ‘Butterfly House’ album. Phil Mason’s gentile vocal flow wraps around his, and Leon Jones’ effortless guitar playing. This is the sound of alternative pop music begging to be loved by the masses.  

'Different Corner' and 'When The Light Goes Out' make up a trio of great radio-friendly pop efforts on ‘Movida’. The former taps into the spirit Teenage Fanclub, much like Daniel Wylie’s sun-kissed album 'Scenery For Dreamers'. Meanwhile, ‘When The Light Goes Out' is a light trip through Paisley psyche, using the guitars of Shack’s ‘Cup of Tea’ and ‘Pull Together’ to garner real affection.

'When I Think Of You' however, best encapsulates this album’s spirit. It’s beautifully elsewhere, whether it’s talking about love, loss, and hope. The sense of longing and melancholy colliding with sun-drenched musicianship shape shifts from nostalgia to aspirational in moments. 'Coincidence Files' furthers this with the great lyrics “time it passed you by” and “it all works out the same”. Feeling lost never felt this sprightly before.

There is an expansive guitar side always threatening to break out on this record. The album isn’t lacking solos but, on 'Rise' and the trippy closer 'Fly', the highlight reel grows significantly. Think Stills at his sprawling best with Manassas.

Having proven this consistency, hopefully, Alfa 9's careers will be secured by playing sunny afternoons at festivals. This body of work highlights how giving artists time and space to grow can achieve great results.