Parquet Courts’ fifth album ‘Wide Awake!’ is the boldest record they’ve made so far, both musically bold and unambiguously political.
Goat Girl’s self-titled debut album displays huge promise and compelling modern punk bile, but its structure of song sketches lets the band down.
The Decemberists’ eighth album ‘I’ll Be Your Girl’, branching out into electronic textures to complement their established indie-rock sensitivity, is only partly successful.
The Smiths’ fourth and final album ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’ is the sound of Morrissey and Marr trying very hard not to repeat themselves, and succeeding handsomely.
A companion piece to ANOHNI’s ‘Hopelessness’ album last year, ‘Paradise’ is thought-provoking, politically relevant and musically exhilarating.
Sleaford Mods may be nine albums but they show no sign of slowing down with their tirade against all things pop-culture with ‘English Tapas’ – even if that include themselves.
Mark Kozelek’s eighth Sun Kil Moon album is as long and epic as its title suggests, which does his unique style no favours at all.
Despite areas of ‘Heads Up’ being more accessible than its predecessor, Warpaint continue to reap rewards from their intricate playing style.
by Ed Biggs By 1986, nearly three years of quality singles and equally great albums and compilations had established The Smiths as one of the most consistently brilliant and distinctive guitar bands of the eighties, but they had yet to make an undisputed masterpiece – one of those instant, all-time classics that cement an artist’s place in pop history. 1984’s sepia-tinged, self-titled debut had established their trademark sound – jangly guitar
Continue reading…
by Ollie Rankine Many were slightly taken aback in November last year following exposure to Parquet Courts’ second studio EP Monastic Living. Although it was clearly audacious, the New York punk rockers’ attempt to fashion an idiosyncratic work of art was revealed to be nothing more than an experimental write-off and was consequently battered by critics across the board. With this information in mind, it’s easy to place Parquet Courts back
