THE PLAIN TRUTH== we drifted through it, arguing. every day a new war crime, every day a flower bloom. we sat down together and wrote it in one room, and then sat down in a different room, recording. NO TITLE= what gestures make sense while tiny bodies fall? what context? what broken melody? and…
The run-down of this week’s six best releases starts with Someday, Now, on which the signature acoustic-led, sweetly-voiced singer-songwriter fare of Katy J Pearson’s albums Return and Sound of the Morning is transmuted through the desk of electronic producer Nathan Jenkins aka Bullion. After a period of burnout, self-enforced exile from music-making and solo travel,…
The first of this week’s gems comes from the iconic Nick Lowe, who returns with his first studio album in over a decade. On Indoor Safari, backed on every track by his trusted collaborators Los Straitjackets, Nick exhibits his razor-sharp songwriting ability through a multitude of sonic environments. With his signature wit on display for…
Cutouts features 10 brand-new tracks from The Smile. It’s the band’s third studio album following Wall of Eyes, released in January, and the trio’s 2022 debut album A Light For Attracting Attention. Cutouts was produced by Sam Petts-Davies and recorded in Oxford and at Abbey Road Studios during the same period of time as Wall…
We open our run-down of this week’s finest releases with Luck and Strange, the brand-new album by David Gilmour and his first album of new material in nine years, which was recorded over five months in Brighton. The record was produced by David and Charlie Andrew, best known for his work with Alt-J and Marika…
Empathy can sometimes be a superhuman power; it can connect you so deeply with people, and that bond brings an acute level of trust and love that can sometimes be unparalleled. However, with the energy and emotion transferred into that moment, that feeling can come with a fragility that walks a tightrope. When you can…
The first of this week’s smashers comes from Wunderhorse, who “want it to feel like you’re right there in the room with us.” And in 10 songs and 40 minutes, they capture the raw power and energy that has set them apart as one of the most formidable live acts of recent years. With rugged…
The first of this week’s bangers is Whirlwind, a daringly honest look into multi-platinum Grammy award-winning artist Lainey Wilson’s life and journey through Nashville. The 14-track album, which was produced by Jay Joyce, follows on the heels of seven Country Music Association awards, including Entertainer of The Year, six Academy of Country Music awards and…
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit follow up 2018’s Live from the Ryman with a second volume of live recordings from their annual residency at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Live from the Ryman Vol. 2 features 15 live versions of songs from ‘Weathervanes’ and ‘Reunions’, including as stunning rendition of ‘The Last Song…
Our first pick of the best releases for the next two weeks comes from Morgan Wade, who was feeling the urge to simplify after a period of relentless touring and intense media scrutiny during the last couple of years. Every time she sat down with her guitar, new songs just started pouring out. “They were…