by John Tindale During ‘All We Got’, the first track on Coloring Book (thanks for the spelling America…) the follow-up to 2013’s vibrant Acid Rap exudes joy, Chance The Rapper boasts “Man I swear my life is perfect, I could merch it” and it’s easy to understand why. The past three years have seen Chicagoan Chancelor Bennett rise into the upper echelons of hip-hop’s stars and over the course of his
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by Ollie Rankine It’s taken six years and 14 home-recorded albums for Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo, a bedroom artist par extraordinaire, to finally step into a recording studio. Previously managing to turn a handful of heads with 2011’s Twin Fantasy, fans waiting patiently for Toledo’s studio scepticism to subside finally have something to cheer about with Teens Of Denial, the release of his first ever professionally produced studio album.
by Ed Biggs Hot Chip’s signature song, the maddeningly catchy chart smash ‘Over And Over’, very quickly became their passport to mainstream attention and remains one of the most distinctive songs of the noughties. However, less attention is paid to its parent album The Warning, which truly displayed the London quintet’s talents after something of a false start.
by Ollie Rankine It appears Twin Peaks are in the process of parting with their adolescence. In typical high school band style, the Chicago quintet released their lo-fi, angst-propelled debut mini-album Sunken in 2013 in an attempt to stimulate interest from America’s petulant and apathetic youth. Since then, much has changed. Having embarked on their quest in the search for musical maturity via 2014’s Wild Onion, Twin Peaks’ new record Down In Heaven
by Ollie Rankine We can all remember Alex Turner’s triumphant, mic-drop acceptance speech following AM’s Album of the Year victory at the 2014 BRIT Awards. “Rock ‘n’ roll will never die” was his ego-encased message to the watching world. Two years later, it seems fitting that his choice of support act to accompany The Last Shadow Puppets’ latest venture reinforces his statement’s sincerity accordingly.
by Ed Biggs The final instalment of the triptych of masterpieces that made up Bob Dylan’s imperial phase of the mid-1960s, Blonde On Blonde is arguably the most impressive album he has ever recorded. Thought to be the first ever ‘double album’ in rock history, his seventh album is an exhaustive (but not exhausting) tour through Dylan’s ever-evolving musical and songwriting repertoire.
by Ed Biggs Released a little over two years ago, Eagulls’ self-titled debut was one of the rare post-punk revival records over the last decade that has truly understood the dynamics of the genre and also revitalised it with something quintessentially now. Few have channelled the ghost of Ian Curtis as successfully as lead singer George Mitchell, but the sound behind Eagulls was aggressive and urgent, driven by existential panic and
by John Tindale Philadelphia quartet Modern Baseball have built a reputation for playful songs about love and the internet – all standard stuff for a pop-rock-meets-emo band. But on the back of a cancelled tour of Australia and news of co-frontman Brendan Lukens’ time in rehab for manic depression, Holy Ghost stands as a moment of triumph in a dying genre. Splitting the record into two sides (the first written by
by Ed Biggs Given the endless summers, sun, surfing and convertibles with which The Beach Boys’ early career is always associated, the manner in which they delivered Pet Sounds, one of the very first undisputed masterpieces in pop, was rather curious and somewhat unexpected. Its release certainly blindsided many at the time, as critics were baffled by this resplendent, carefully orchestrated and not entirely danceable song cycle of love, heartbreak, depression,
by Ollie Rankine White Lung frontwoman Mish Way is fast becoming the driving force behind girl power in modern punk rock. Having been greatly influenced by ‘90s punk icon Courtney Love, Way is practically her purified artistic reincarnation, retaining Love’s wit and articulation but ditching the drama and controversy. Churning out four studio albums since White Lung’s formation in 2006, Way’s fondness for fast-paced fury has been obviously apparent from the
