Review: Warning - the title of this album is flagrant false advertising. Brooklyn based Cameron Winter (of indie art-punk darlings Geese) has opted to go solo with his debut full-length Heavy Metal and while it's an eclectic, sporadic affair, it is devoid of essentially any sonics that could in any way be referred to as "heavy metal". It's a move based around the fact that, according to the 22-year-old himself - "barely anybody knows who my band is, I'm young and not afraid of living with my parents and I'm free to chase whatever ideas I want." Apparently drawing on a Craigslist-sourced who's who of guerilla backing band members including a disinherited cousin of John Lennon ("he was a real good sport"), a five-year-old bassist ("these kids, you know, they get raised on their iPads but they're far more precocious than any generation"), and a Boston steel worker-cum-cellist ("Honestly, it's crazy, the talent that can be found on Craigslist. We got a couch, too"), while supposedly being recorded in piecemeal fashion from locations such as hotel room closets to multiple Guitar Centres where he has now received a lifetime ban, there's an undeniable sense of absurdity and line-blurring between fact and fiction that goes hand-in-hand with his low-drawled, too much life experience and awareness in a young body malaise that underpins this razor sharp, insightful, ludicrous jaunt through young New Yorker life.
Review: Chapman's magnetic voice and stark storytelling create an atmosphere both intimate and politically charged on this, her 1988 self-titled debut, made famous by hit single 'Fast Car', but ultimately a far deeper affair. Songs like 'Talkin' Bout a Revolution' channel the protest spirit of folk legends like Woody Guthrie, delivering an anthem for those marginalised by economic inequality. Her blend of folk, blues and rock feels timeless, with lyrics that still moves listeners today. The haunting 'Behind the Wall', can move one to tears for its raw portrayal of domestic violence and the systemic failure of the police to intervene. Chapman's trembling contralto gives life to the repeated line 'Last night I heard the screaming', transforming it into a powerful condemnation of indifference. In contrast, 'If Not Now...' is a personal perspective, urging listeners to live and love in the present with its delicate acoustic arrangement. Chapman's storytelling is a triumph of nuance, balancing bleakness with hope. Decades later, Tracy Chapman remains a powerhouse in songwriting, deserving renewed attention. It is not just an album of its time but a work of enduring relevance, offering a poignant reminder that music can still be a catalyst for change.
Review: Los Jaivas' Alturas de Macchu Picchu arrives newly remastered and reissued by state51 on heavyweight wax, and it remains a landmark of South American music. Its blurring of psychedelic rock, Andean folk and Pablo Neruda's poetic power makes the album, which was recorded in exile during Chile's Pinochet era, an evocation of both the spirit and struggle of Latin America. Tracks like 'La Poderosa Muerte' and 'Sube a Nacer Conmigo Hermano' swirl with emotion and complexity to deliver a cinematic spiritual experience. Inspired by Incan ruins and resistance, Alturas is more than music-it's a cultural beacon that invites you into a timeless soundscape.
Review: New York indie-folk four-piece' Florist's second album is a hypnotic, psychedelic album that is the musical equivalent of an out of body experience. Single 'Have Heaven' is so elegant that you imagine singer Emily Sprague as someone who is deeply in tune with nature and the cosmos, careful as not tread too heavily incase she disturbs the flowers. It's timeless but also quite unusual in terms of the mix because although there's aspects of folk classics like Joni Mitchell, some of the flourish with pedals and effects brings to mind more modern influences, like Superorganism. But it's more a peppering of that side so as to not overwhelm. Another single from the album, 'This Was A Gift' is pure beauty that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Some singers are just born for the role of troubadour and Sprague is one of them. Long may Florist keep capturing songs this magical.
COB (Clive's Original Band) - "Eleven Willows" (4:06)
Comus - "The Herald" (4:17)
Review: Way back in 2004, Sanctuary Records commissioned pre-Britpop pop hipsters St Etienne member and serial compilation curator Bob Stanley to put together a collection celebrating the British 'acid folk' movement of the late 1980s and early 1970s. Long deleted, the previously CD only compilation is finally returning on vinyl - this time in expanded form, with the inclusion of additional tracks and a few picks from its (also unavailable) sequel. It's a superb set all told and one that showcases a take on folk heavy on effects, unusual rhythms, sweet vocals, horror-adjacent sounds and pastoral but otherworldly instrumentation. A few well-known names aside, it's a genuinely deep dive too - as you'd expect from someone of Stanley's knowledge and experience.
Review: William Tyler stands as one of the most influential solo American guitarists of this century. Having played with Silver Jews and Lambchop, he's carved out a singular space for himself, with albums weaving country roots and classical influences with postmodern experimentation; he melds field recordings and static drifts for a sense of imminent boundlessness, recoverable just over the hill. Drawing on inspirations from Chet Atkins to Gavin Bryars, from electroacoustic abstraction to hypnotic boogie, Time Indefinite - his first solo album in five years - hears Tyler reimmerse himself in said sound, reflecting on the hiss, distortion, and rawness of a turbulent era. With eerie loops and luminous melodies, Time Indefinite is an essential soundtrack for fostering resilience.
Letter From An Unknown Girlfriend (feat Fiona Apple)
Rock Bottom
I Don't Know How I Made It (feat Taylor Goldsmith)
Frank (Let's F*ck)
Katherine (feat Anana Kaye)
Everybody Loves Dennis Hopper
Golf, They Say
Venice. California (Victoria) / The Passing Of Hopper
Aftermath
Review: Brit folk rock troubadours The Waterboys have put together an evocative exploration of life's complexities with this, their 16th album, all while being inspired by actor Dennis Hopper's defiant spirit. The album blends folk-rock, Americana and poetic lyrics into an introspective look at mortality, legacy and transformation. With Mike Scott's distinctive voice and emotive songwriting, the tracks balance philosophical musings with gritty realism and so embody Hopper's famously raw and rebellious energy, the sort that made him such a star of the silver screen and movies like Easy Rider. The album's atmospheric instrumentation includes sweeping strings and soaring guitars that enhance its reflective nature. Life Death & Dennis Hopper is an ambitious record but one that resonates with depth.
Review: After 2015, Bon Iver began to fuse ambient glitch with folk, a style which now reaches a head on his latest LP. It expands on 2024's taster EP 'SABLE' in the form of an 11-track sonic parable: waxing introspective on difficult themes such as memory and identity, 'THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS' and 'S P E Y S I D E' indulge typographic play and fragmental lyrics, the latter especially paradigm-shifting in lyrical perspective. 'Awards Season', also, deals in the problematics of recognition, peeking behind and thus part-dissolving the veil of success in public life. With signature passion yet quarrelsomeness, Justin Vernon has crafted yet another glistening, glitching folk odyssey for us to enjoy.
Review: To say there's a meditative quality to Golem Mecanique's third album would be like saying air is something we breathe. The nom de plume of French multi-instrumental Karen Jebane, the album title directly quotes the final comments made by Pier Paolo Pasolini in his last ever interview, given just days before his body was found on an Italian beach after being brutally murdered. "We are all in danger", he quipped. From what, or who, we are still trying to figure out, 50 years on. Siamo Tutti In Pericolo doesn't look to answer the great mystery of what happened to the great filmmaker and auteur. But it does look to feelings of tension, quiet unease, and opaque mystery for its incredibly atmospheric tomes. This is deep dive stuff, reliant on a combination of refrained notes, echoes, and sombre, spiritual voices inviting us to push through into some other state of consciousness. Whether that will shed any light on anything is, of course, the real question we need to answer.
Review: This timely reissue features a curated selection of standout tracks from Seu Jorge's acclaimed 2002 debut album Carolina (which was originally titled Samba Esporte Fino). The release marked the beginning of Jorge's international fame and was quickly followed by acting roles in City of God and Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic where his Portuguese covers of the late great David Bowie became iconic. The record was co-produced by Mario Caldato of the Beastie Boys association and mixes up samba, funk and jazz into a timeless sound full of colour and soul for the warmer months of the year. Tracks like the anthemic title song, the funk-tinged 'Mangueira' and the infectious 'Tu Queria' remain essential showcases Seu Jorge's effortless musical charisma.
Review: Quade's second album is steeped in the isolation and raw beauty of its birthplace: a crumbling Welsh barn surrounded by moors. The Bristol four-piece i Barney Matthews, Leo Fini, Matt Griffiths and Tom Connolly i channel this wild setting into a sound that's both fragile and immense, blurring ambient-dub textures with ghostly folk melodies and the drifting crescendos of post-rock. The Foel Tower feels like it was pulled from misty hillsides and long, firelit nights, an album of quiet intensity: tender one moment, potent the next, yet always emotionally direct. Tracks unfold patiently, as if shaped by the slow grind of weather over stone. There's a strong undercurrent of personal grief and resilience here too. The band's longtime friendship and collective hardships add a tangible intimacy, turning these atmospheric compositions into acts of quiet survival. The Foel Tower transcends as it is stark, gorgeous and deeply human. This is music for the in-between moments: dusk turning to night, silence folding into sound.
Review: BC, NR are now onto their third album. The Ninja Tune-signees gained attention for not posing as if they're in a band, but looking like an ordinary group of students, or twentysomethings house-sharing. Their bold look, where they're smiling in the press pics, as opposed to donning a moody pout, has thankfully been backed up with some terrific music. Their debut, For The First Time, earned them favourable comparisons to post-rock trailblazers Slint and their second album Ants From Up There is the Gen-z equivalent of Arcade Fire's Funeral, thanks to its grandiose anthemics. Famously, singer and lyricist Isaac Wood left the band on the even of the release of their second album, which sparked outcry and paranoia from their ever-growing army of fans about what that might mean for their future. But the band have kept at it and the remaining six members have chosen to share frontperson duties, thus relieving the added pressure that comes with being a designated frontperson. This third album - and first post Isaac Wood - is proving to be a striking new chapter, with the lead single, 'Besties', an immediately likeable way of introducing it to the world. Georgia Ellery, also of Jockstrap, takes lead vocals here and offers an unforgettable off-kilter indie pop cut reminiscent of Aldous Harding. Zutons-y sax stabs scattered in make for a beautiful touch and leave us feeling that this is the album that's going to send BC, NR onto a stratospheric level, where they're spoken about in the same breath as Radiohead as one of Britain's finest bands.
Review: Recorded in 2021, The Road to Tibooburra marks The Winged Heels’ second album: an eclectic, inspired collection of Steve Kilbey’s songs, loosely converging in the middle of outback Australia. Originally conceived as a musical during Kilbey’s journey through the backblocks, four intense days in the studio later conceived an album as the mode of choice, whereafter the band would commit their signature fusion of pop-rock to ancient, medieval, and classical troubadour influences. Kilbey’s 12-string and vocals form the album’s core, with additional bass and electric guitar on select tracks; Gareth anchors much of the bass work, alongside classical and resonator guitar, while Roger provides keyboards and cello.
Review: Originally recorded in 1966 during his remarkable comeback - he'd been playing since the 20s but was rediscovered by various musicologists and found a new audience at Newport and Philadelphia's folk festivals in 1963 - this album demonstrates why he became a beloved mainstay of the folk revival. Unlike traditional bluesmen, Hurt's style is rooted in melody and intricate fingerpicking, making him a profound influence on the folk musicians of the 60s. His dexterous guitar work, often feeling as if multiple players are involved, pairs seamlessly with his soothing, almost meditative voice. Tracks like 'Pay Day', 'Louis Collins', 'Spike Driver's Blues', and 'Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor' showcase his ability to transform folk and blues traditions into something uniquely personal. He even delivers a rare but successful slide guitar performance on 'Talking Casey'. A particularly stunning moment comes in 'Beulah Land', where his intricate cross-rhythms add new emotional depth to a traditional song. Every track exudes a gentle, comforting presence, as if Hurt himself is sitting beside the listener, easing their troubles. His voice, often described as a balm for the soul, remains as rich and warm as ever, untouched by time. A beautiful, healing and profoundly moving experience that continues to impress more than half a century later.
Goin' To Sit Down On The Banks Of The River (2:37)
Tryin' To Get Home (3:03)
Lo, I Be With You Always (0:41)
I Am The Light Of This World (4:10)
Lord, I Feel Like Just Goin' On (4:37)
Devil's Dream (bonus track) (4:13)
Review: The 1960 Harlem Street Singer LP by South Carolinian blues and gospel singer Blind Gary Davis comes reissued by Concord Jazz. Met with critical acclaim at the moment of its release, this forty-minute window into Davis' lonesome world is perhaps best known for its prime haunter, 'Death Don't Have No Mercy', a great, morbid song, and Davis' most popular. "He'll come to your house and he won't stay long / he'll look in your bed and somebody'll be gone / death don't have no mercy..." Such moribund topics never did deter the best of Blues artists, and of course, Davis might be said to have had "seen death" or at least known death personally, having been blind since infancy. Further raw and rusty blues numbers like 'Tryin' To Get Home' and 'Great Change' further extend Davis' image as a Harlem veteran crooner, who's seen a lot and knows many people - pitiless scythed spectres included.
Review: Hailing from Italy, Opez are specialists in a particularly dusky, understated brand of instrumental melancholia that they style themselves as 'Latin Desert and Funeral Party Music'. Whilst some listeners may be reminded of the likes of Ry Cooder's 'Paris Texas' soundtrack and Calexico, the truth is that the inspiration for 'Dead Dance' comes mostly from this duo's heartland home. With '50s tinges resonating alongside a richly orchestrated yet entirely acoustic palette, 'Dead Dance' is twilight music replete with style and grace Regardless of this outfit's origins, fans of Los Lobos, Cowboy Junkies and Angelo Badalementi will find themselves every much at home here.
Mychael Danna & Rob Simonsen - "A Story Of Boy Meets Girl" (1:35)
Regina Spektor - "Us" (4:50)
The Smiths - "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (4:01)
Black Lips - "Bad Kids" (2:09)
The Smiths - "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" (1:50)
Doves - "There Goes The Fear" (6:56)
Hall & Oates - "You Make My Dreams" (3:04)
The Temper Trap - "Sweet Disposition" (3:54)
Carla Bruni - "Quelqu'un M'a Dit" (2:44)
Feist - "Mushaboom" (3:42)
Regina Spektor - "Hero" (3:27)
Simon & Garfunkle - "Bookends" (1:19)
Wolfmother - "Vagabond" (3:37)
Mumm Ra - "She's Got You High" (3:26)
Meaghan Smith - "Here Comes Your Man" (3:13)
She & Him - "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" (2:11)
Review: The 500 Days of Summer soundtrack is a timeless blend of indie and alternative anthems that perfectly capture the film’s blend of romantic highs and disillusioned lows. Curated to reflect the journey of Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel), the music serves as a character in itself, embodying the emotional stages of love and heartache. From the start, Regina Spektor’s 'Us' sets a hopeful yet ironic tone, foreshadowing a love story that isn't quite what it seems. The Smiths’ 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out' becomes the shared heartbeat of Tom and Summer, sparking their connection over a mutual love for melancholic pop. Daryl Hall & John Oates’ 'You Make My Dreams' injects infectious joy into Tom’s post-date bliss, creating one of the film’s most iconic scenes, full of choreographed optimism. The soundtrack doesn’t shy away from melancholy, as Simon & Garfunkel’s 'Bookends' hauntingly underscores the pivotal shift in their relationship, reflecting Tom’s heartbreak. Each song, from Feist's whimsical 'Mushaboom' to Doves' reflective 'There Goes The Fear'. deepens the narrative. In blending '80s pop hits with indie gems, the soundtrack remains a perfect encapsulation of love’s bittersweet nature, marking the film’s lasting impact on fans and romantics alike.
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