by Lauren James & Ed Biggs As the auteur behind Tame Impala, arguably the most celebrated new guitar band of the 2010s, Kevin Parker is nothing but an experimentalist. As soon as the world had begun to demand more of his retro brand of ’60s-inspired nu-psychedelia after the critical and commercial triumph of 2012’s Lonerism, he announced that he was jumping lilypads to a sound that is more synth than fuzz; more hipster,
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by Ed Biggs It’s taken a five year absence to remind us not to take The Chemical Brothers for granted. With only the soundtrack to the independent film hit Hanna and a live album and theatrical release Don’t Think to tide us over, the commercial dance scene has become totally overrun by the empty calories of EDM, so a reassertion of the nutritional goodness provided by that scene’s spiritual forebears is
by Matthew Langham New York duo MS MR, consisting of Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow, return with their follow-up to their 2013 debut Secondhand Rapture which featured the alternative-pop hit ‘Hurricane’. While they aren’t considerably well known and are considered hard to place in the alternative pop landscape, Plapinger is probably best known for owning New York label Neon Gold – which released early records by Haim and Marina &
by Ed Biggs Though they can occasionally offer an interesting insight into an artist’s influences, covers albums have a distinctly chequered reputation – no matter how varied the source material, it takes a truly exceptional artist to avoid the potential pitfalls of the exercise. While most can muster up one or two original interpretations, the attempt to do so a dozen times usually produces a flattening effect over the course of
by Lauren James I should know better than thinking “hotly anticipated debut” is for anything other than PR and lazy showbiz journalism, yet I still clung to the hope that the much buzzed-about Years & Years would deliver a sound to define 2015. Communion is crammed with the kind of slickly produced house-pop London does so well, yet even singer Olly Alexander’s boyband-perfect voice fails to carve any palpable emotion into
by Matthew Langham Breaking onto the scene in 2009 with her debut record Hands, Little Boots’ unique style on tracks including ‘Meddle’ and ‘Stuck On Repeat’ drew praise from industry critics, particular for her use of the Tenori-on and the Stylophone. Whilst her 2013 follow-up record Nocturnes was overshadowed by her electronic pop contemporaries including Lady Gaga, Little Boots (aka Blackpool’s Victoria Hesketh) is now CEO of her own record label
To adapt that famous misquotation attributed to Mark Twain, reports of the album’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Ever since the turn of the millennium, conventional wisdom has had it that the traditional long-player is on its way out, an arcane format out of time with the digital world that will cede inexorably to a future of singles and playlists. But while many artists have experimented with what an album
by Ed Biggs Operating as Four Tet for over fifteen years, Kieran Hebden has been one of the most consistent forces in the kaleidoscopic collection of sub-genres that constitutes British electronic music, with his 2003 album Rounds universally considered to be a classic. However, his last album, 2013’s Beautiful Rewind, had all the elements that traditionally make up Four Tet records – gentle beats, downtempo rhythms and field recordings making up
by Matthew Langham Chicago-based troubadour Ezra Furman returns with his third solo album, a highly charged record which springs from OCD, sexuality, religion and alienation. Perpetual Motion People has everything a solid rock ‘n’ roll album should have, full of the pent-up frustrations of lonely youth, one that Furman calls ‘an album for misfits’. Having received praise from BBC6 Music’s Marc Riley (as well as many other music critics) for his
by Ed Biggs The first full-length release of Jack Antonoff’s solo project Bleachers, has been a considerable time in the making. From his work as one third of pop-rock favourites Fun. to his songwriting for the likes of Taylor Swift, he’s always been an unapologetic advocate of a bold, ‘80s-style pop epic, and a couple of singles in the shape of ‘I Wanna Get Better’ and ‘Rollercoaster’ made a serious dent
