pop

Listening to the Beatles albums chronologically, I found that Beatles For Sale was the least enjoyable of the lot thus far. It took me a little while to put my finger on it; initially things seemed like they were in their right place; that early 60s rock and/or roll sound that I have come so familiar with now after being 4 albums deep was in full effect, and the production is more grounded, with less…

There’s a lot of songs on this thing but it just flies by. I haven’t seen the movie and have no plans to so unsure how they tie in, if at all. I’m assuming this may be the reason why the songs seem a little shorter than usual? Either way, song quality is up there, as in there’s very few moments where I want to skip forward. Not as many stand outs as the previous…

Yo dawg I heard you liked your rhythm section panned hard left? Say no more, say no more! I suppose quality wise this is on par with Please Please Me and it certainly feels like a “part 2” to that album. The songs here though are not quite as good IMO, I really start to lose my way in the middle with shit like “Please Mr. Postman” and friggin’ “Roll Over Beethoven” (what is this,…

I didn’t expect much for the first record from the Beatles knowing the “roots” in American “rock and roll” (Beach Boys tae fuck) and I expected very traditional full band pop music. I was very much shocked at how much I enjoyed this thing out of the gate. I was also surprised however that I knew a few of these songs, such as Love Me Do and Misery. I also feel that this thing sounds…

A fresh mix of fuzzy rock and angelic pop. Like Lorde joined one of these several hundred revival blues rock bands that are around right now. It’s an interesting mix, and reminds me of Fleetwood Mac in some regards, and also stuff like Blood Ceremony or Jex Thoth. There is something that really just tells me that Freya’s songs would be better with a piano or even an electronic beat behind them, though. But hey,…

Quite possibly a contender for my favourite St. Vincent album, even though Daddy’s Home is really good too. The acoustic versions of songs like “Savior”, “Smoking Section”, “Fear The Future” and “Young Lover” are absolutely stellar. The piano truly brings out the emotion in these songs and also allows St Vincent’s vocals to really, truly shine. Brilliant stuff!

I am one of those people who heard MassEducation before this original album, so I can’t confirm whether or not that gives me some sort of bias when it comes to this decision, but after multiple listens and relistens I genuinely believe that these songs are much better in their stripped down forms. Here, if anything, I feel like the nuances of St. Vincent’s incredible voice are lost somewhat in all that electro-pop madness.

I have infinite respect for Joan Wasser’s songwriting but I’ve always felt that The Classic was a swing and a miss, with its stronger soul themes not really landing for me. But hey, this is entirely subjective, and there is no way I could argue that this album is bad; the production is fantastic and the songs sound amazing, I am not just not able to personally connect with any of them.

Mystical, ethereal, magical even – like walking through a forest of thick fog where there is no discernible end. I find it difficult with David Lynch’s aural experiments to quantify his contributions, but I don’t suppose it really matters all that much. Tammy Preston’s (sorry, I mean) Chrysta Belle’s vocals are fantastic and the sparse music is excellent at setting the tone.

Rain Dogs comes in the middle of a trio of absolutely classic releases from Tom Waits. The man was, truly, on a roll with these studio albums. There’s something so magical and unique about these songs and the feelings that they conjure up. Rain Dogs is also a rare album where its remaster has caused me to appreciate it more, at least in regards to listening digitally.  Such a brilliant album.

Stunning LP from St Vincent. I’m not much informed on her music other than Mass Education, but this random pick was fantastic. Sultry and sassy, with a nice dollop of funk in between the lush, low key vocal performances.

Another one of my absolute favourite songs of all time. I am, at heart, an album guy, but when it comes to strong singles there are a core few which have been with me for my whole life. “True Faith”, not so much it’s b-side “1963”, is one of these incredible songs. The cold, mechanical drum machines and synthesisers mesh with soft vocals and odd bass leads, making a concoction which shouldn’t really work but…

One of the greatest singles of all time, which probably needs little to no introduction, let alone a review from me. I remember falling in love with this song as a kid, hearing it on the radio but having no idea who sang it. I loved the drum machines, the synths, the vocal delivery. It all felt so futuristic, so new, so fresh, yet also rather dark at the same time. Just absolutely brilliant.

I feel like I’ve heard a thousand records like this yet John Maus truly still stands alone. Such a minimal, nonchalant approach to electronic pop is delivered with a shrug and a post-punk indifferent style of vocal, but it is a delivery that Maus well and truly makes his own with this record. This things is backloaded in my opinion, with the best tracks coming in the final third, rounding out with one of my…

Unfortunately nowhere near as suave or sophisticated as the album sleeve promises. I have heard a Slayyyter release in the past so I should have know what to expect here, alas I let the Roxy Music lookin ass cover lead me in under a false sense of security. Granted, she has matured musically from dreck such as a “Daddy AF” but this is still vapid nonsense. Cool if you’re into that. I’m not lol.

The compilation CD that introduced me to the fantastic project that is Faithless. For its 80 minute run-time, it does admittedly lose its way towards the end, but is toploaded with some of the best tracks of the band’s career.

Pointless, vapid bubblegum pop that sounds soulless and modern yet tired and outdated all at the same time. Mind you, this thing is so inoffensive it’s hard to justify getting riled up enough to give it a stinker of a review. The producers have made a fair enough effort in all fairness but Minogue sounds like she really can’t be arsed to even be here on her own album.

Damn son this makes me want to stand on a street corner in a light drizzle outside some nondiscript cafe or bar in an anonymous western European city. I’ve just lit a cigarette and I’m watching the pretty girls walk by, huddled in their coats and black tights. Inside, the bar man is pouring aperitifs into small crystal glasses for me and my faceless date, who is also impossibly beautiful. Her face is cloaked in…

I’m sure there are many others out there just like me who have David Lynch to thank for including Au Revoir Simone’s music in Twin Peaks: The Return. Their “performances” were highlights of the somewhat dreary musical acts to appear in the returned TV show, and I made with haste to the very album from which those cuts originated. Unfortunately, I did not process this review with the same haste in which I visited the…

I have absolutely no fucking idea how I stumbled onto Zheani’s music, but Spiritual Meat Grinder is something of an aural palate cleanser. Insane, headache-inducing electronics meet absolutely manic vocal performances from sweet singing, yelping, growling to auto-tuned warbling. It’s like witnessing some sort of aural overdose of sugar. 19 minutes later and I’m sat here like “WTF was that?” but for some reason I want to listen to it again.

Expanding on my recent comment, I figured I’d do a review as I owned the CD – This gets a 3 star because it was one of the first CD singles I ever bought. I wanted the album, because I knew a lot of OPM stuff had swears in it, and as an 11 year old, that was just the coolest shit ever. However, there was something about the absolute dogshit artwork on the album…

I fell in love with Sarah Barthel after hearing the Big Grams album (a collab project between Phantogram and Big Boi from Outkast). The problem I have with Phantogram themselves however is a similar ailment that strikes me when I listen to The Chromatics (although perhaps not so much there, the problem is worse here with Phantogram). And the problem that I am talking about is… well, I could be listening to just about absolutely…

This isn’t usually my bag but I was drawn in by the incredible vocals. Ended up sticking around for the whole EP, which is at points as dark and weird as it is poppy – the songs are crackling and alive with the spark of youth (lol) and I’d be very excited to hear more from this group to find out where they ended up taking things.

Pretty boring track to be honest. This is probably the most pointless review I’ve ever written.

This is arguably the catalyst for the initial destruction of the original run of the band in the 80s. I’ve seen it called a band unravelling, a misled attempt at a solo project, or also the work of intense vanity from certain members of the group. But how does it sound? To my knowledge, Geordie and Jaz go it alone on this effort, with a hired band of session musicians. It sounds… like a really…

What I would define (if possible) as Killing Joke’s “poppy” period is probably my least favourite era. That being said, Night Time is a banging album, but Brighter Than A Thousand Suns continues in this vein, but with less urgency and with more sprinklings of New Romantic style pomp. That’s not to say the songs aren’t sprawling or lush or anything like that, but elementally, things just come together differently, and therefore hit differently, especially…

I’ve never listened to Genesis before. Of course, their shit is all over the radio, but never to the point have I sat down and enjoyed one of their albums. I also can’t help but feel like Patrick Bateman listening to this shit. Anyways, it’s a very poppy, very synthesizer-heavy roundup of songs from Genesis. There’s some absolute bangers, and then there’s some tracks that just kinda blur on by with nothing to say for…

Since September 2019 I’ve had a private Telegram channel in which I keep track of everything that I listen to. Once I’ve done a piece on LIW for that particular release, I delete the entry from the Telegram channel. Etienne Daho’s Pop Satori has been on that list since September 2019 lol. In fact, I remember listening to it, headphones on whilst lying on the sofa, my girlfriend not long pregnant with our son. She’d…

This one has been on the list for a while. Always been a fan of Kate’s unusual voice and the kinda spiritual instrumentation used, even at the peak of 80s synthesizers. Hounds Of Love really shows off Kate’s intense and mesmerising vocal performances, and there are some very interesting twists in the song writing. Lovely stuff.

Is this a concept album? I should probably look it up but I can’t be bothered. Anyways, I love all eras of Ulver and its been a while since I’ve written about the later stuff so I decided to spin this up. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a toploader of an album, with all the good shit stacked at the front. It also doesn’t really bring anything new to the table in regards to Ulver’s…

I was never that big a fan of Demon Days when it first came out. It seemed to lack the dub stylings of the Gorillaz self-titled album. It could not be argued however, that Demon Days is not packed with fantastic singles. From “Dirty Harry” to “Kids With Guns” to “Dare” or even all the way through to the abstract “Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey’s Head”, Demon Days is loaded with low key banger…

I love Boy Harsher. Both their album (Yr Body Is Nothing) and this original demo/EP/whatever are absolutely fantastic slices of dark electronica. Here on Lesser Man, themes and imagery of the dark industrial or noise worlds is used with warbling analogue synthesizer sounds and cold, sparse and tense vocals, to create a danceable yet thought-provoking series of compositions. One of the best!

Stunning, dreamy, nostalgic – these are a few words that spring to mind with this album playing. In fact this is so good I threw down on a copy of the cassette release off the strength of the first track alone. I can’t wait for it to arrive so I can listen to it again on an analogue format (dec 2021 update: it sounds amazing). Mixing the treacle-like haunted nostalgia vibes of vaporwave with morose…

Different Class is fucking great but I’m not sure if it has aged well. Jarvis Cocker’s sexually charged mumbles and whispers give him the air of some creepy-ass sex offender, especially when a few of these numbers have a sting in the tail (tale? Haha). He will get your Mrs. coked up, fuck her without johnny on, and then bail. But, he’ll write a song about it, so that makes it OK, apparently? Like I…

I found out about this Bristolian duo through the Instagram account @scvmrat. Turns out she had posed for this record cover and its voyeur / BDSM kinda vibe gave me industrial or power electronics vibes. I was even more curious when I found out the band played “dream pop”, and so added EW to my listen list. Dream pop is a pretty good way to describe this. The term generally makes me think of stuff…

I got turned onto XTC when the song “Making Plans For Nigel” was used in the Black Mirror episode Bandersnatch. I’d heard it before but something about hearing it again made it stick with me, and it wasn’t long before I got this album on the go. It’s a strange affair, a lot of mixed vibes and bizarre songs, the weirdest one has to be “Complicated Game”, which seems like a mix between Adam Ant…

I remember this record coming out as if it was yesterday. It marked a turn in direction for Björk, who I understand was going through a lot of personal stuff at the time. Not only is the tone and content darker, the songs are impenetrable and sprawling. Björk has released plenty of difficult or challenging records, but this album is almost painful an experience when listening from start to finish. I guess in some regards…

My good friend and recent LIW contributor Gareth turned me onto Volenté when we were scouting for new artists for our Tape Co. label. I’m reminded immediately of Portishead, what with the ticking beats and low key unsettling instrumentation adorned with breezy, unique vocals. Some tracks are more traditionally structured, where others are more experimental or out-there. In parts I can draw comparisons to Enya or even Bowie, but maybe I’ve had too many whiskies.

If you put the memes aside, Lana Del Rey is actually a fantastic artist. I’ve been guilty of shitting on her myself (2021 edit: read that out loud mate, Jesus Christ) here on the site but off the back of surprisingly enjoying the “bonus” album Paradise (which I listened to first), I decided it would probably be best to check out the incredibly well received Born To Die. Born To Die is best listened to…

The start of a highly commercial period for Bowie, I believe Let’s Dance is possibly his best selling album? The title track is great and there are some lovely entries here along with it, but I can’t really fall in love with this the way I want to.

There’s something sweet about the chilled out yet morose tunes of Portishead. Sure, the beats are definitely sounding their age, but the spacey atmospheres and glorious vocal performances that makes this debut so exciting, even today.

I fell in love with Priest’s debut single, “The Pit”, and the album which followed it. Unfortunately, the kinship with their cold and awkward techno pop ends there. 2020’s sophomore effort lacks in just about every attribute that made the original so interesting, which is a true shame. I hear there may have been line up changes in the band? Either way, this is pretty disappointing, truth be told.

The Chromatics bring their unique, haunting brand of bubblegum dream pop to the Simon & Garfunkel classic. Ethereal, moody synths and breathy vocals take you on a trip well worth travelling. Not a groundbreaking cover, sure, but still a gorgeous listen.

Dreamy, otherworldly pop, which for all its ethereal atmosphere, is a touch devoid of originality. Once one track is done, I feel like I’ve scoped the vibe for the entire album. Every track is delivered with the same pace; that same valiumed-up-to-my-eyeballs vocal delivery, regardless of who is behind the mic. That being said there are some solid tunes here, including a great version of “Shadow” (in the online version) and the various iterations of…

Tyler has come a long way from Goblin, that much can be said. Igor didn’t exactly blow me away, but it is a decent collection of tracks. I’ve always seen Tyler as a producer first and a vocalist second, and now that rapping as been almost completely removed from his repertoire, that opinion is even more tilted. This record is glorious, and the beats have bells on, but that’s about it.

This is the debut solo release here from Hayley Williams of Paramore (despite other current members of Paramore actually having a part to play in the album at various points throughout). An unique and refreshing sound – and move away from Paramore – adapting a clever and dark sort of indie pop vibe. A fantastic selection of songs here, and a really tight bunch that fit perfectly together as an album and compliment each other…

Here we have Ellie Goulding’s fourth studio album, the number one selling Brightest Blue. So, I believe the premise of this record is that it is split into two sides; two parts – one being the very sort of sound we started seeing Ellie creep into around the time of her Halcyon record and the latter part a series of collabs with various sort of EDM artists (all of which I’d never heard of prior…

Released right in the heart of national shutdown, I can honestly say this has without doubt been the soundtrack to my entire 2020 lockdown listening wise. This is the second full length release from Bryde, and a very welcome one at that; a wonderful selection of songs from catchy big chorus numbers like one of the albums singles “The Trouble Is” to the track “Flies”, with its big yet dark and haunting sound, and of…

Here we have the latest and 3rd album from the Haim sisters. A straight up sixteen track offering too which is quite rare to often see. Certainly delivering the content here. The album kicks off with the laid back smooth jazz sound of “Los Angeles”. It’s difficult to quite label but it has a certain kind of smooth groove to it, with the horn/brass sounds that introduces the record, and with that really nice under-groove…

Random Access Memories is absolutely deserving of its Grammy win – not that I put much stock in such accolades, but it does show that “the system” sat up and clapped its collective hands. There was also a small backlash from certain long time Daft Punk fans at the time due to the direction of the record. This week marks the first time I’ve actually sat down and listened to the whole thing in one…

TT is a guise – or pseudonym if you will – of musician Theresa Wayman, who is known for being a member of the band Warpaint. I’ll first off admit that I discovered this album on the off chance of a bit of a CD browse and haul; a sort of musical gamble I suppose, having not heard any material from the album or the artist. I decided to take a chance on it, and…

Laura Marling returns with her Mercury Prize nominated seventh studio album, “Song For Our Daughter”. This is a really nice album. It has a lot of soul to it; some beautiful melodies, harmonies and an overall big warm sound, and is a really good album to just pure chill out to, with it’s strong summer-esque, lazy day vibes and the odd sombre moments. There is fabulous songwriting and a captivating performance throughout that just takes…

Vespertine is another classic in the original run of stunning Björk albums, and a welcome return to form after the miss that was Selmasongs (unsure if that counts as canon, being a soundtrack album). Vespertine is looser, much more abstract and flowing than Homogenic that came before it, and I suppose you could say that initially it suffers, lacking direction, however this formula turns out to really work well for Björk, and many of the…

I came to this world with nothing, and I leave with nothing but love. Everything Is Borrowed is a wildcard in The Streets’ canon, and absolutely one of my absolute favourites of theirs. The street-level rapped antics of the everyday pulse of the city is swapped in lieu of introspective philosophical musings and lyrics that are almost riddles. The scope of the sound is opened tenfold; gone are the banging garage beats, in are full…

Dark brooding 80s electronica with a refreshing and unique melodic edge. A little out of my usual comfort zone, definitely, but I enjoyed the vibes here. I think I’ll give it a few more play throughs. 

Taxi seems like the weaker young sibling to Ferry’s stunning Bete Noire album. Both came out around the same time, and both reach for that same dark yet lush 80s electronics vibe (even into the early 90s!), laden of course with brooding vocals. Where Bete Noire excels, Taxi fails to hit the mark, and comes across a bit half arsed, especially with the inclusion of several cover tracks.

She act like a sloot, she sing like a sloot, hell there’s a good chance she probably is a sloot (with all due respect – no offense intended, she’s owning that shit hahahah), but something tells me that Slayyyter and her fans love it. I mean all of this in the best possible way. Raunchy, if not a little uninspired, kinda like this review. It’s moments like this where I wonder where I’m going in…

One thing that always strikes me about this record is how short it is. Not that it matters, as it’s packed full of soulful tunes. I love the production; it has that classic warmth of jazz and blues. Winehouse was another one gone too soon, but what are you gonna do?

Highly sought after 12″ EP from disappeared (?) pop/rap goddess, Abra. Six tracks, all fairly chill, some a bit raunchy. A decent listen. Not really my usual cup of tea, though. Just wanted to check what the fuss was about.

Homogenic is possibly the most consistent of all Björk records (perhaps the clue is in the name). After the meandering madness of styles on Post, our formidable musical heroine sticks to a classic electronic backbone for her songs on this album. The beats in particular are absolutely outstanding. The synth lines are stunning. The production possesses a clarity that could bring you to tears. I don’t have to tell you about Björk’s vocal performances. Every…

I broke this out after the news of Keith Flint’s death began to trick into the media. The Prodigy, or more specifically “Firestarter”, was one of the first things I ever truly remember hearing or enjoying as a child. I never fully immersed myself in their music, but once this “best of” came out in 2005 it entered into a regular rotation. I regrettably never got to see The Prodigy live. 

I was inspired to listen to this by my mate Gareth, who has recently caught the group live in concert. Honestly, this record was way better than I expected. Some of the synth sounds are very unique, and the bass sound is fantastic. It is a bit poppy for my taste, but has a dark streak running through it. All in all, a decent listen.

There is something unusually uplifting about the rock band / synthesizer combination this record. I guess this is also what makes the album so enduring; the physical – or analog – world meeting the clinical and mechanical world of computers. Couple this with Numan’s bizarre but now trademark delivery and you have an all-round winning combination, that in all realities and existences, needs no introduction.  

There is a lot of hype around this lass right now, but spinning this up I can see that all of it is totally deserved. There is something incredibly special about this record. I guess, the genius starts with the production, which is done entirely by her brother, Finneas O’Connell. The songs really pop out of the speakers, the crisp, in your face tracks duck and dive from style to style, led by Billie’s pure…

I recently added “This Corrison” to a whopping playlist that I was working on, so was inspired to finally go back and check out the album that it came from. Some of the other tracks don’t seem to hold up so well compared to it, but “Lucretia My Reflection” and “Driven Like The Snow” are brooding goth classics. The drum sounds on “Never Land – A Fragment” are stunning too. I love the mysterious simplicity…

I think my girlfriend saved this record to my Spotify playlist, because I can’t remember ever showing any interest in listening to it. But, in the interest of enjoying artists like Grimes or Nicole Dollenganger, I thought fuck it, let’s give Lana a spin. My first impression is that this is some kinda Adele with manic depression shit, but it soon clicked with me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn’t call myself a fan,…

I’m not entirely sure what it is about Die Antwoord’s music that draws me to it. It embodies mostly everything that I hate, but it appears to be done in such a DIY and genuine way that I cannot help but be drawn to it. It may also be because its perfect music for the gym, or because Yolandi Visser is mint as fuck, but who knows. Ten$ion isn’t my favourite record but there are…

Blackstar is a strange trip; a trip tinged by sadness, although that particular sadness was steeped in strength and ready to face what lay beyond. It isn’t everyday that you get to hear a record put out by a man who knew that he was dying (inb4 the general existential dread that comes with the knowledge that we are all slowly dying lol). This in itself should cut an interesting enough scenario, but things were…

Azealia Banks keeps popping up in the media due her somewhat erratic and bizarre behaviour. Naturally, this led me to actually check out her music, remembering “212” from a few years ago being a bit of a banger, with rude lyrics and intense Euro-style techno instrumentation. Broke With Expensive Taste is a bit of a mixed bag, if I’m honest. It reminds me of Lady Gaga’s debut album, which was also desperate to try and…

There is something about this release that I find very hypnotic and mesmerizing; there is definitely a sense of mystery here, which I absolutely love – it isn’t something you see all to often in these glory days of the information age! Couple the fact that this cassette release meanders within itself as much as it leads with hypnotic rhythms, and you have the perfect recipe for pulsating electronic work. The “cassette” quality sound of…

I can’t tell you how rare it is that I come across the perfect album, and I mean that in the sense of when on a record every single song is flawless; each piece contributing not only to the overall experience, but able to stand its own ground without just being needless filler. Faithless are not a band that I spin all that often anymore, but if I’m in the mood for this style of…

I’m not sure if “angelic” is the correct word to use in regards to Nicole Dollenganger, but it is indeed the first thing that comes to mind whilst listening to this possibly troubled teen. I say that because there is something a lot more than just the voice of an angel here; there are many other faces, perhaps those of demons, bubbling beneath the surface. Her voice is fragile and delicate, yet powerful and mesmerising….

Excellent, if not a bit too polished pop from France. Initially I suspected that this record suffered from “lead single syndrome”, and whilst to some degree that statement still stands, this is a subtly clever album that will grow on you over time. Well, unless you exclusively listen to shit like Hatebreed, then you’ll probably despise this, obviously. This was subject to one of those weird comeback-outta-nowhere scenarios; having originally being released in France back…

Here we have the Earth EP by South Wales based acoustic singer/song writer Craig Watkins; a well put together collection of soulful acoustic material, with lots of raw energy and passion coming through, with a very real sense coming off of it all as an artist (real in the sense of you can tell he’s passionate about what he’s playing and what he’s singing about, which is always great to hear). Production wise the EP…

(I don’t have a cover with my copy, but here’s a cover anyway, because I’m too good to you. Happy new year!)As ridiculous as this sounds, this 7″ will always hold a special place in my record collection. I’ve been putting off writing this post for years, mainly due to Lines In Wax evolving away from just speaking about my physical vinyl records, but also due to not really being able to face writing about…

I love Björk, I really do, but a lot of her later output leaves a lot to be desired, in my opinion. Case in point: this entire album. Despite the lead single “Crystalline” being one of my favourite Björk tracks, and “Mutual Core” being a fantastic, brooding ballad-meets-speedcore headfuck, the remainder of Biophilia is unfortunately a lazy wasteland of ploinky ploinky quirkiness that goes absolutely nowhere, which in a bizarre twist of fate is simultaneously…

Big Grams is an extremely refreshing mash up of synth-drenched electronica pop and hip hop. Initially, I had a reaction of “holy shit, this sounds like Lorde collaborating with Run The Jewels!”, and rather ironically, considering how ridiculous that comparison is, Run The Jewels pop up on track six here. Anyway, Big Grams is actually New York dream pop duo Phantogram but fronted by Outkast nutter Big Boi. And, not to mince words, its fucking…

The Gorillaz self-titled record was the first album that I ever owned. Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory (unfortunately) holds the title for first record ever bought, but Gorillaz was the first thing that I seriously jammed, and it was instrumental in developing my interest in music as a serious hobby. Back in the day I had this terrible transparent blue Aiwa tape walkman / radio combo, and I played the livin’ fuckin’ guts out of my…

Heartless is the most recent offering from bizarre, dark and menacing electronica group Bestial Mouths. Expect “darkwave” (the YouTube comments section just had a triple bypass with the use of this word) meeting ethereal pop in a world of decay, pain and seemingly endless reverb. The tracks do sound kinda similar however in a bizarre twist this only seems to cement the record together as a solid whole, rather than drive boredom into the heart…

I guess this is probably one thing you wouldn’t have expected me to cover, but I was chatting recently with LIW regular contributor Burra on many things musical, and somehow, somewhere along the highway HIM came up. Burra raised the quite valid point that Razorblade Romance was a solid album in any respect, and I had to agree with him, regardless of the band that released it, or what they would become. It is eternally…

It’s been a while since the last Gwen Stefani solo album, and being a No Doubt fan and enjoying the bands last release (Push and Shove), I was interested to hear how this new solo effort would sound, and mainly the vibe it’d have this time around. Opening track “Misery” is a great introduction to the album; and in regards to the route the album goes down, this album is an awful lot less R’n’B/hip…

As debut albums go this one is certainly one Pvris can be proud of – what a remarkably strong album that could easily be a greatest hits album rather than that of a debut release, and from such a young band. Opening track “Smoke” is an incredibly good opener and one that shines through as a live set opener for the band too (which I can confirm after being lucky enough to catch them live)….

What a trip! What a dream! I was busting to write about this a few months ago – on my first listen I absolutely fell in love with this smorgasbord of musical tomfoolery, but after every subsequent listen I’ve not been able to replicate my interest for it. That was until I realised that you have to give this album your complete attention; it works as background music but to truly appreciate what it is…

It’s not that often that I usually listen to shit like this, but I burned this album when it first came out and it’s just one of those things that’s been stuck in my car since. My stereo broke a few months ago when I tried to spin a leaked copy of Swans’ To Be Kind (that’s what I get for pirating music, folks!*) but when my car went in recently to get a new…

I would probably have never listened to Portishead if it wasn’t for the fact that their first two albums were already on my old computer when I bought it, back in 2009. They always seemed like something my mother would listen to, what with their shit band name and music video circulations on the Sky ClassicFM music channel. It wasn’t until my appreciation for electronic music developed to such a degree that I could hear…

Unfortunately, Can’t Find My Way Home is one of the weaker tracks off the somewhat-hated The Burning World album (and a cover song to boot), so this single doesn’t really do anything for me in that respect. It is merely a completists item for me, as I go on to collect at least one version of every release Swans have put out. I have the 7″ version here, although there is a 12″ version of…

Where Björk’s Debut record gets off to a confusing yet almost “cute” start, her follow-up record Post really starts to push the boat out. Holy mother of fuck what is going on here? One has to simply compare album covers to get an idea of the difference. Debut was different in so many ways, but seemed to have one guiding theme. Post, on the other hand, seems to have not been planned out in any…

This is probably the one release in Swans history that is looked down upon the most. As with The Burning World, Gira has retrospectively scorned this release, and insists that the cover was a mistake. Think what you will, but I think it’s pretty good. I’m not too fussed on the black version (sung by Jarboe) but the red version with Gira on vocals is a great cover of a fantastic song. I’m still gonna…

Björk has always been one of those artists I’ve always been interested in but never got around to properly checking out. With my recent upgrade to Spotify Premium, I now have easy access to thousands of records I would otherwise overlook. Sure, I’ve always downloaded music, but typing “Björk” into Spotify and pressing play is easier than researching a band and then finding links to the “best” record, downloading the .rar, importing into iTunes, yadda…

(2020 edit: It’s worth mentioning that in the last 8 years since this review was written, I have grown up considerably, and now appreciate The Burning World for what it is. Either way, here’s the 2012 review in its original format, some of which is also a bit factually inaccurate, so please take it with a pinch of salt.) Hmmm, this is going to be a controversial one for me. I don’t know how I…

Here’s a release that’s a bit unusual for my tastes; The Big Pink’s slightly well received single “Dominos”. Some of you may remember it from Xbox 360 adverts a few years back? Anyways, this 7″ was put out by 4AD in 2009. I can’t find any pressing information, but seeing as The Big Pink appealed to a lot of people I would assume that there was a lot made. After seeing these support Muse in…