Our smashers for this week open with the 40th(!) studio album of Van Morrison’s storied career. The modestly titled The Prophet Speaks features 6 brand-new Van compositions amongst the 14 songs. Van himself said: “It was important for me to get back to recording new music as well as doing some of the blues material…
We have some lovely new releases to tell you about, kicking off with What Is Love, the new album from Clean Bandit, about which the band say: “The album looks at many different kinds and stages of love. We’ve been making it over three years, during which time we’ve all experienced love in our lives…
Reasons To Stay Alive, its title boldly acknowledging the themes and influence of best-selling author Matt Haig’s 2015 autobiographical book, is a unique project: a rich, colourful suite of gutsy, classic songwriting. Full of shades of Elton John, Supertramp and Queen, and with an emotional undercurrent that could not be more relevant in today’s world.…
With the excitement around Black Friday there are very few records being released on 23 November, but there’s one that we really must tell you about. Love & Work: The Lioness Sessions will serve as the seminal log of the era when Songs: Ohia turned fully away from the battlefield folk and deconstructed Americana of…
The Delines are finally back with a new album. The band had only been together a week when they went into the studio and cut their debut album, Colfax, which surprised and delighted fans and critics alike. Uncut gave it 9/10 stars and praised its “widescreen romanticism”, calling it “the richest collection of songs Willy…
The first of our recommended releases this week comes from The Smashing Pumpkins. 4 years after Monuments To An Elegy, Billy Corgan has gathered together three quarters of the original line-up and Shiny And Oh So Bright is the exciting and fascinating result. Mumford & Sons release their fourth album, Delta, which features a return…
Springsteen On Broadway is the solo acoustic performance written and performed by Tony Award, Academy Award, and 20-time Grammy Award winner Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen On Broadway, based on his best-selling autobiography Born To Run, is a unique evening with The Boss, his guitar, a piano, and his very personal stories. In addition, the show features…