“I noticed the sun, first time in months / it seems like it’s actually shining” sings Vic Allen on her new single ‘Healing’. I first noticed Vic Allen many years ago when she was busking on the streets of Norwich. Even then, her talent shone through and I remember having the feeling that I was […]Read More
I have followed the Eels for most of their career, which has often been a rollercoaster ride through the dark recesses of Mark ‘E’ Everett’s emotional turmoil set to a jangly music box soundtrack. With Earth to Dora we arrive at album number thirteen. Given the record charts the rise and fall of a relationship, […]Read More
The healing power of music never ceases to amaze me. From the opening lyrics of ‘lavender and heaven’, by Norwegian singer songwriter iris, I knew this track was something much more than another guitar backed ballad. 25-year-old Vilde Iris Hartveit Kolltveit, or iris, hails from Bergen in Norway. ‘lavender and heaven’ is the first track […]Read More
Bruce Springsteen has been part of the soundtrack to my life since my teenage years. While the experience of seeing Springsteen live never disappoints, album releases have often failed to meet expectations. In the past thirty years, only 2002’s The Rising and 2019’s Western Stars have stopped me returning to the nostalgia of the earlier […]Read More
The opening synth bars to ‘Cold Water’, the new single by DAME, shout nineties’ house music. For a moment I am curious as to what to expect from the Birmingham indie-pop band. Is this going to be another track inspired by Dua Lipa’s brilliantly retro Future Nostalgia that will pull me to the dance floor? Is […]Read More
20th August 1995 is for me one of those where were you? moments. I recall driving back from a day at the beach, listening to the UK Top 40, as the winner of the Battle of Britpop was announced. Blur’s ‘Country House’ pipped Oasis’ ‘Roll With It’ to then coveted number one spot. At the […]Read More
When you listen to a song which repeats the lines “Children hurting bees with sewing needles” you know you have found a left-field track. The release in question is the new single ‘Swallow Man Aviary’ from Italian/Welsh band Lunar Bird. The lyrics may be left-field but this track has immediate appeal. The synth driven melody builds […]Read More
September was Polycystic Ovary Syndrome awareness (PCOS) month. Unfortunately, for the one-in-ten women affected by this serious genetic, hormone, metabolic, and reproductive disorder their symptoms will still be there long after September ends. PCOS can affect women in multiple ways. Symptoms include irregular periods, excess facial and body hair, severe acne, cysts in ovaries, and […]Read More
One of the bright spots of 2020 is the number of strong releases from new artists, carving out their path in the industry despite limits to their live gigging opportunities. The latest is the debut six track extended play from London based Canadian Cate, with her intriguingly titled Love, The Madness. Intriguing, because of that […]Read More
Twenty seconds into ‘The Drive’, the new track by Skyler Cocco, my daughter and I looked at each other and said “Haim”. By thirty seconds, I already knew how this review would go. The vocals and the arrangement had me hooked. Under some circumstances, the comparison to another artist may suggest that a track lacks originality. […]Read More
It was third time lucky for Michael Kiwanuka on Thursday, as he claimed the 2020 Hyundai Mercury Music Prize with his self-titled album Kiwanuka. Although the folk and soul singer was the bookies favourite to win the award, nothing was guaranteed. The artist was nominated in previous years for Home Again (2012) and Love & […]Read More
On her Facebook page C’est Karma describes herself as an “18 year old human being from Luxembourg making music for anyone who will listen.” The press release accompanying her new single ‘Fist Fight’ describes her as an “Alt-pop sorcerer” who “invites you into her fantastical world”. Never one to turn down such an invitation, I […]Read More
Prior to listening to Middle Child I was unfamiliar with Eliza Jaye, so I approached the record with a curious mind. Forty minutes and eleven tracks later my curiosity was piqued further as I stepped out of the musical kaleidoscope I had just passed through. This album is a beautifully crafted, sometimes breathtaking, but undeniably […]Read More
As the film made its debut at the 77th Venice Film Festival, the world got a first look at the movie with a 49 second clip. In the short taster of The World to Come, we see the two leads—Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice) and Vanessa Kirby (The Crown)—out for a walk whilst discussing previous generations […]Read More
Exactly ten years ago, Katy Perry announced her arrival as a pop megastar with Teenage Dream. The album received mixed critical reviews on release but would go on to be nominated for seven Grammy Awards. Moreover, the album spawned five US number one singles, the second in history to achieve this honour, after Michael Jackson’s Bad […]Read More
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