She steps gingerly out of her comfort zone again on I Never Wear White, its harsh guitars veering towards garage rock, and the banjo-led angry man blues of Song Of The Stoic. If any of this proves too much for less adventurous fans, the literate whimsy of Crack In The Wall and Silver Bridge trek across more familiar terrain.

His music admittedly feels a little more battle-scarred nowadays, but this world-weariness fits the LP’s resigned, roots-tinged ballads Good Enough and There It Goes like a glove.

Despite a couple of bland sections--St Martha’s in particular--The Starless Room is worthy of many repeat, and extended, visits.

Holter is a master at conjuring up beguiling atmospherics. Here, backed by her usual live touring accompaniment of drums, viola and double bass she concocts a variety of striking permutations on familiar work.

Melding the ethereal and otherworldly with some wonderfully punishing basslines on future classics like Ring The Alarm. [Jun 2026, p.103]

He’s painstakingly conceived a uniquely personal concept which, for the first time, includes creating new music for the project.

This, with producer Dan Carey keeping things sharp, is another streamlined thriller, recorded in double-quick time. [Jun 2024, p.100]

The claims these guys make of being an “anti-band” are redundant in light of how clean and complex Early Risers is, but, on the whole, it’s oddly unmemorable.

Occasionally the record can lose focus, without a standalone frontman/woman--and while that doesn’t make Hug Of Thunder bad, it can feel disjointed, like listening to a decade-spanning compilation, moving through genres and line-ups with discombobulating results. Still, better to have too much than not enough.

A preoccupied and deeply immersed heart-art journal, graced with discreetly nailed-on band performances while simultaneously worrying away at its own edges.

[Vanishing Point is] raw and unrefined, it has as much energy and attitude as any of their previous albums.

It sounds like a lost album that should have come out after 1979’s I Am: a very shrewd approximation of the EWF we know and love, it’s crammed with sophisticated R&B, gossamer-light jazz and powerful, soulful vocals with a positive message.

A long overdue return, and well worth the wait.

Wrangler make vibrant, organic electronic music that respects the genre’s history while turning a fresh page.

Nothing here is going to uproot trees, but given Hillman’s recent lack of activity the release is welcome. The ideal aural companion to Johnny Rogan’s comprehsive Byrds books.

Loose Talk is a tightly crafted exploration of live unmoored. [May 2025, p.104]

Often it’s Himeno’s drums alone which provide any sense of conventional structure, adding hypnotic rhythms to the cicada chatter and guitar feedback of #2 before Zaikawa’s heartbeat-like bassline belatedly joins in.

It’s an album to truly cherish.

A compelling snapshot of the group in their infancy, but already on their way to being fully formed, it captures then in a joyous mood. [Aug 2025, p.94]

Anyone who likes instrumental prog will be pretty at home with this, which might just also turn a new generation onto the genre’s noodly stylings. Waverers may be persuaded by the four star film, making the CD package the best purchase.

It all hangs together with ease, making for Kings Of Leon's most fun album since the Noughties. [Jun 2024, p.102]

Subtle and understated, yet brimming with raw passion, this is songwriting at its cathartic, confessional best.

It’s hard not to be cynical about such repackaging, even if the music within is so special.

From the barroom country-rock of Shouting Match to the tear-stained seasonal misgivings of A Very Sorry Christmas, the whimsical warmth of If Only You Knew Her and the back porch baroque of Out Of The Lime, this is perfect and brilliantly realised melodic pop.

Finn senior’s prescient lyrics, sugarcoated with melody for ease of delivery, help make Dreamers Are Waiting both tart and timeless.

As with his previous albums though, GRIP most impresses in its introspective moments (Spades, Lucky Me) -- perhaps next time we'll get the morning after album. [Feb 2024, p.103]

British Road Movies comfortably flits between exhilaration and devastation, with the production careful to mimic the song’s subjects. It’s an album that firmly points Jackson in a new direction, allowing her to flourish on her own terms.

Their most ambitious to date. Presented as an old-school double album split into four thematic sides, it serves (by design or otherwise) as a thoughtful precis of the band's 20-year history. [Jul 2024, p.105]