Expanding the palette of their influences for album two, ‘Take Control’ sees Slaves doing exactly that.
’22, A Million’ not only manages to stray from anything clichéd but reasserts Justin Vernon’s status as one of the few artists that truly manages to make an art form out of his melancholic ponderings of the world around him.
While it ticks many of the same boxes as its predecessor, The Wytches’ second album sees them hit something of a creative ceiling that will need to be addressed next time.
Despite some mediocre moments, ‘Head Carrier’ gives us an older, more sensible Pixies who sound as though they’re having fun with their music.
In the third decade of their career, Drive-By Truckers get more politically explicit than ever before with their 11th album.
Michael Rosenberg gives us another collection of songs that are mostly tolerable and pleasant enough, yet still feel utterly bland and emotionally contrived.
Merchandise’s Anglophile influences are still very much apparent on ‘A Corpse Wired For Sound’, but it’s a stepping stone towards something greater.
‘Melt’ doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but it’s exciting to hear a promising young band begin to experiment.
Despite areas of ‘Heads Up’ being more accessible than its predecessor, Warpaint continue to reap rewards from their intricate playing style.
‘Preoccupations’ crackles with nervous energy and tension, and serves to buttress the impressive and innovative post-punk of the band’s debut last year.
