Single Reviews: 3 February 2023: David Curington, Mylar, Chris Hyson, Andy Loebs
Photo by Grace Ho David Curington – Assured Listening Experience experimental The mystifying plunderphonics of Mancunian artist David Curington are spread across 26 minutes on the recent release “Assured Listening Experience”. Like Ronseal Quick Drying Woodstain, it does exactly what it says on the tin, assuring a wonderous, if notContinue Reading
Sam Himself – Never Let Me Go (Album Review)
Maybe songs don’t need to be about anything to be about something. This seems to be the case for the pieces of Sam Himself, a musical project led by Swiss-born NY implant Sam Koechlin. His painfully cool vocal delivery is low in the mix and used to perfume odourless lyrics,Continue Reading
Meg Baird – Furling (Album Review)
Meg Baird wants to show you another world. The psychedelic folk tones of her new albumĀ FurlingĀ underline a slow-burning and patient collection of dreamy songs that act as conduits for inter-plane travels. The honest-to-goodness production, mainly helmed by producer Tim Green at his Grass Valley Louder Studios, packages Baird’s songs inContinue Reading
Acid Goose – Perpetual Torment (Album Review)
The sociologist Margee Kerr has the most incredible job title in the world; fear scientist. Through her research of fear at the University of Pittsburgh, Kerr has found that scary scenes, such as those in horror movies, trigger our flight-or-fight response, offering a free dose of adrenaline. This explains whyContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 30 January 2023: Unstuck, Dev Lemons, Cloudy Summer Days, Glossy Boy, Hotel Lux
Photo by simon peel Unstuck – Anne-Marie pop punk Wexford arrivistes Unstuck play blisteringly fun indie rock as exhibited on their recent single “Anne-Marie”. The lo-fi sound and loud guitars complicate the otherwise pop simplicity of this infectious track. With slacker sentiments, Unstuck claims viability with Mid-Atlantic accents and relentlesslyContinue Reading
David Deutsch – Prism (EP Review)
While his work as a film composer has landed him some big-name projects, LA-based musician David Deutsch flexes his ‘serious composer’ muscles on his debut EP Prism. Constituted by ambient-leaning pieces that play with sonic intensity, the EP often finds moments of serenity and beauty through acoustic piano, orchestral strings, andContinue Reading
Michael Crean – Songs To The Sea (Album Review)
What do the sea and dreams have in common? That’s not a joke or a riddle but a philosophical question. Perhaps the answer can be found in Londonite artist Michael Crean’s debut album, Songs To The Sea, which sees Crean explore the redemptive power of the sea by contrasting it with theContinue Reading
Single Reviews: 27 January 2023: Sad Girls Aquatics Club, Niches, Lucas Mellone, Cirklen, PLF
Photo by Jameson Draper Sad Girls Aquatics Club – Beyond The Blue pop Purveyors of smooth and fashionable “break up pop”, Yinzer duo Sad Girls Aquatics Club have released the simple and catchy “Beyond The Blue”. Members Marie Mashyna and Chelsea Rumbaugh set sporadic hits of futuristic electro against brightContinue Reading
Ryan McMurtry – Thoughts Like Birds (EP Review)
From Belfast via Bristol, the whispery folk balladeering of Ryan McMurtry makes a light-hearted but lasting impression on his joyous new EP “Thoughts Like Birds”. Strings, brass, and backing vocals help to accentuate the true spirit of McMurtry’s dryly performed songs. Sacrificing energy for clarity, the pieces are delivered inContinue Reading
Compltr – You Won’t Get A Gold Medal (EP Review)
Embracing who we are in a world that rewards cookie-cutter copies of the herd is one of the significant challenges of adulthood. However, accepting and coming to love our shortcomings is one of the greatest pleasures awaiting those brave enough to ignore the status quo. Someone aware of this factContinue Reading