Celebrate The Rolling Stones’ 1976 album, Black and Blue, with a brand-new mix by Steven Wilson. This album marked a pivotal moment, as it was the first to feature Ronnie Wood as a full member, contributing his iconic guitar work. Acclaimed at the time by Billboard as being “one of their most purely enjoyable albums…
We kick off this week’s smashers with Richard Ashcroft’s seventh solo set, Lovin’ You – his first all-new album since 2018’s Natural Rebel. The opening track, ‘Lover’, interpolates Joan Armatrading’s classic ‘Love and Affection’ and sets the standard for a record that finds Richard at the peak of his powers. This set spans the many…
Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, really needs no introduction. This is Swift’s first new album since announcing that she bought back her masters, giving her complete ownership of her musical catalogue and effectively rendering her ‘Taylor’s Version’ project moot. The album’s cover art was inspired by her behind-the-scenes experience of…
First of this week’s mighty eight is The Virgin Suicides Redux, a 25th anniversary release of Air’s evocative soundtrack to Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut. A brand-new analogue mix deepens and updates the haunting and beautiful soundscapes that have only grown in stature over the years, much like the cult classic film it accompanies. Grammy-winning singer,…
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Pink Floyd’s iconic album Wish You Were Here is being reissued in various formats. Featuring ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’, the hypnotic ‘Welcome to the Machine’, the scathing ‘Have a Cigar’ and the essential title track, this is undoubtedly one of the most important albums in the history of…
First out of the starting blocks this week is Dim Probs, which echoes the warmth and closeness of Gruff Rhys’s career-defining first solo album (2005’s Yr Atal Genhedlaeth) and the stargazing melancholy of 2021’s Seeking New Gods. Written and performed entirely in Welsh/Cymraeg, featuring fellow Welsh artists Cate Le Bon and H. Hawkline on backing…
The Anthology Collection (2025 Edition) set includes the three groundbreaking Anthology albums from the mid-1990s, remastered in 2025 by Giles Martin, plus a new compilation, Anthology 4. Containing 191 tracks, the collection’s studio out-takes, live performances, broadcasts and demos reveal the musical development of The Beatles from 1958 to the final single ‘Now And…