by Ed Biggs Mark Kozelek, the songwriting powerhouse behind Sun Kil Moon, finally accessed a wider audience last year with Benji, a deeply moving and highly autobiographical album detailing family, death, childhood memories and ageing set to stripped-down acoustic music. Long-term fans of Kozelek’s work – he’s been recording as Sun Kil Moon for over a decade, and before that was the leader of American slowcore legends Red House Painters in
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by Ed Biggs As the member of the A$AP Mob with the highest media exposure by far, A$AP Rocky has publicly stated that he wants his second album to signify “the return of the God MC” in wider rap music – presumably why the acronym for his new album At.Long.Last.A$AP sounds like ‘Allah’, rather handily. Real name Rakim Mayers, he’s presented himself as a jack-of-all-trades, dabbling in fashion, acting, directing and
by Ed Biggs Bridie Monds-Watson, who records under her nom de plume Soak, has been one of the most talked-about new artists of 2015 so far. Having first gained the attention of critical circles at the tender age of 16 for the intense yet understated psychodramas of her first clutch of EPs, many harnessed their “next great singer-songwriter” hopes to her young shoulders. Wisely, Monds-Watson has elected to take her time
by Ed Biggs It’s been nearly seven years since The xx became one of the last word-of-mouth success stories in pop, their self-titled debut album capturing the hearts and minds of the public with its exploration of space, both physical and musical. While the group’s singers Oliver Sim and Romy Madley-Croft often stole the limelight with their intimate lyrical back-and-forths, the real secret to their brilliance was Jamie Smith (aka. Jamie
by Ed Biggs Florence + The Machine was probably the last seriously big pop act to emerge from the noughties, the bracing and physical voice and the startling, gothic imagery of Florence Welch’s songs propelling her 2009 debut Lungs and its 2011 successor Ceremonials to platinum-selling status on both sides of the Atlantic. For her third album How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, Welch parts ways with James Ford and Paul
by Matthew Langham The third release from the American-New Zealand group Unknown Mortal Orchestra marks a distinct shift in style in comparison to their guitar-driven debut and its follow-up II. As the album title suggests, the concept behind the record is that of relationships and their constant anxieties that can often unfold. The listener gets more of an insight into the mind of lead singer Ruban Nielson on this album and
by Ed Biggs What a tremendous pleasure it is for anybody who was a teenager at the turn of the millennium to see Ash back on the scene! It’s been five years since the conclusion of their intriguing ‘A-Z’ project, a subscription collection consisting of 26 singles released one per fortnight for a whole calendar year from 2009 to 2010. It saw the band attempt to play to their strengths –
by Ed Biggs It’s an oft-told story for British indie bands that doesn’t always end well – band finds critical and popular respect with first album, and carries on making hay while the sun shines with a similar second one. Band is knackered after constant touring and is confronted by an existential question – what do we do for our third? It’s a question that has stumped some pretty big names
by Matthew Langham Thee Oh Sees have become one of the US’s most consistent indie acts over the last five years. They have consistently put out great, stripped-down records and now onto their ninth record, lead singer John Dwyer return with his unique blend of fuzzy psych-rock. After a very brief hiatus that lasted all of a month, the San Francisco-based band returned with 2014’s Drop which featured yet another line-up
by Ed Biggs Seriously, what’s actually left to say about The Fall? The countless line-up changes, the on-stage fights, the record number of Peel sessions… it’s all been documented on so many occasions. But the brilliance of The Fall is that, while there may be little new to say about them in 2015, its leader Mark E Smith always seems to have something new to say about the world around him:
