by Matthew Langham Formerly of English experimental group Tuung, Sam Genders’ latest release Chromatics is his second under the name of Diagrams. Having received a considerable amount of decent write-ups for his 2012 effort Black Light, his new record couples a similar synth-pop sound with a folkier tendency closer to his work with Tuung. The instrumental underpinnings are perfectly accompanied by Genders’ throughout the record, providing an experimental journey through
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by Matthew Langham and Ed Biggs The War On Drugs stopped off in Leeds on their victory lap of the UK, celebrating the slow-burning commercial success of last year’s Lost In The Dream, this publication’s runner-up for album of 2014. The band’s growth has been such that tonight’s gig had to be upgraded in venue size from the Brudenell Social Club to the O2 Academy, and the album’s reputation burgeoned
by Ed Biggs Shedding Skin is the third full-length album from former Mercury Music Prize nominee Ghostpoet, the recording name of Londoner Obaro Ejimiwe. His 2011 debut Peanut Butter Blues And Melancholy Jam was considered a dark horse at the awards ceremony, and though it was eventually beaten by PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake, it set him up as one of the most promising artists of the new decade. A
by Ed Biggs Three years after their exceptional debut album Shrines, the world has now just caught up with Purity Ring. The Edmonton duo’s quirky, sparse brand of electro-pop seemed to suggest a future that had not yet arrived but was just around the corner. Along with similar minimalist artists like Grimes, they’ve influenced the aesthetics of pop and hip-hop in the time they’ve been away. Despite triggering a frenzied
by Ed Biggs Ever since the disappointment of Oasis’ third album Be Here Now, the fall-out from which was enough to kill off an entire musical movement in one go, the genial Noel Gallagher’s career has been something of a paradox. His forthright, self-effacing interviews are invariably a lot more entertaining than the music he’s there to promote. This has been problematic for his development as an artist, since no
by Ed Biggs Few would have thought that of Montreal would ever turn into a minor musical institution, but that status seems to have snuck up on them by accident in the last five years. The group has been elastic in number since its 1997 debut, with leader Kevin Barnes using it as a vehicle to explore the darker corners of his own psyche and allow his fancies to take
by Matthew Langham Far from being a side project to his other band Wooden Shjips, Ripley Johnson formed Moon Duo with his partner Sanae Yamada during 2009 as a means of exploring Krautrock-influenced rock, rather than his primary band’s Spiritualized / Doors-inflected explorations. Now on their fourth record, Shadow Of The Sun sees an experimental new sound treading into the electronic element of psychedelic rock. Album opener ‘Wilding’ is a
Lauren James and Ed Biggs review some of the biggest and best albums released over the last month, including: Peace – Happy People Idlewild – Everything Ever Written Imagine Dragons – Smoke + Mirrors Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear The biggest news items are also discussed, such as the new Blur album The Magic Whip, Live At Leeds line-up, Glastonbury’s possible headliners, and the BRIT and Grammy
by Matthew Langham Inform-Educate-Entertain was one of the most distinctive releases from 2013, made of up of public service audio clips, and interweaved with choppy riffs and electronic interludes; Public Service Broadcasting’s second release shows that they aren’t a one trick pony. The core elements of their debut remain. Archived audio clips from the British Film Institute mix with a plethora of moody rhythms to boost the emotional resonance of
by Ed Biggs Last Thursday’s announcement of a new Blur album triggered an avalanche of excited social media reaction. Not only are they the most fondly-remembered band from the Britpop era alongside their great rivals Oasis, but they left behind a body of work that, by and large, has stood up to the test of time. Their summer reunion tours of 2009 and 2012 are the stuff of legend, but
