New releases for 7 December 2018

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…

New releases for 30 November 2018

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…

Pre-sale of the week: Andy Burrows & Matt Haig – Reasons To Stay Alive, out 1 February

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.…

New releases for 23 November 2018

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…

New releases for 16 November 2018

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…

Pre-sale of the week: Bruce Springsteen – On Broadway, out 14 December

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…

Pre-sale of the week: The Good, The Bad & The Queen – Merrie Land, out 16 November

British rock supergroup The Good, The Bad & The Queen – Blur’s Damon Albarn, The Clash’s Paul Simonon, The Verve’s Simon Tong, Afrobeat legend Tony Allen and producer Danger Mouse – have announced Merrie Land, their first new album in more than a decade. The album is described as “a series of observations and reflections…