Album Reviews

2018 really has been the year for Jazz treasure hunters, with the release of not one, but two, previously unreleased recordings from jazz’s most influential artists – John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. Back in June we saw the release of Coltrane’s Both Direction at Once: The Lost Album; and now we have Mønk – a…

Sydney electronic pop trio Glades are releasing their long awaited debut album, To Love You. Featuring singles “Eyes Wide Shut”, “Not About You”, “Drive” and “Do Right”, the album is out this Friday. With a remarkable 150 million streams under their belt already, this trio clearly aren’t messing around. To Love You opens with a track called “Nervous…

Crack open the Mezcal and the Tequila! There’s a new supergroup on the scene, Glorietta, and they’re delivering some top shelf Alt-rock Americana.  Glorietta is the brainchild of Delta Spirit/Middle Brother’s Matthew Logan Vasquez. Their self-titled record is a collection of songs written and recorded by Vasquez, and his friends over five days in a…

I remember driving to work when I first got the chance to listen to Gang of Youths’ second album, Go Farther In Lightness. As I weaved through Western Sydney, there was a noticeable difference between GFIL and its predecessor, The Positions. Even from its first listen, GFIL felt like it was built for bigger things,…

If, after hearing their first singles, you were left thinking Melbourne’s newest alt-rock trio LOSER sound crazily professional and experienced for a new band, you my friend, would be correct. The trio is the love child of Australian rock icons, with Tim Maxwell (Apart From This/Grim Rhythm) Chris Cowburn (The Smith Street Band) and Craig Selak…

Over the years, The Pierce Brothers have become a centrepiece of Blues, Folk and Roots within the Australian music-scape. From their start as Melbourne street buskers, the brothers’ relentless push to hone their own talents and musical abilities have driven them overseas, with landmark tours around the Europe and UK. This has also coincided with…

Canberra alt-rockers Moaning Lisa are back with Do You Know Enough?, a collection of love, heartbreak and reinvention that explores the journey of a queer girl manoeuvring her way through the ups and downs of her early twenties. The product of four music graduates, Moaning Lisa found their purpose in making loud noises together, operating on the…

If you aren’t already listening to Total Giovanni, you definitely should be. Following the release of their recent single “Comes in Waves”, the Melbourne group are finally releasing their debut album Euphoria, on Friday. With their music described as “Paradise Garage meets Madchester on the shores of the Mediterranean,” Euphoria is bound to take Australia by storm. Emerging out…

Topping the US Rock Charts for not one, but five consecutive weeks, opening for Bob Seger, winning the Loudwire music awards, playing sold out shows across the globe and gaining acclaim from namely artists like Elton John before even releasing an album. May I introduce Greta Van Fleet, the Michigan Rock outfit that mixed up…

British pop sensation Jess Glynne has dropped her second studio album after teasing it on the airways with her singles “I’ll Be There” and “All I Am”. If you are a fan of those tunes, I can assure you you’ll be a fan of this album, Always In Between. I say this because the production of the…

Bootleg Rascal have done it again, releasing a phenomenal album, worth wasting away the hours relaxing too. Anónimo, their second LP, continues the band’s growth, keeping the signature sounds, covering a range of genres whilst also adding in some subtle new sounds to keep it as fresh as their vibes require. The ten song album covers everything…

When I first sat down to listen to Kurt Vile’s new release, Bottle It In, I did not know what to expect. 75 minutes later, I still could not place what I had heard. It was after a good two hours and a half that the LP finally started growing on me. Don’t expect a…

Within the last few months, Sheck Wes’ meteoric rise to acclaim has imbued him with all of the qualities of a future star, turning attention to his first project. The proliferation of his most well known single ‘Mo Bamba’ has been astounding, allowing Wes to gather hordes of fans in a very short period of…

Experimental metallers The Dillinger Escape Plan rarely ventured below a heart-attack inducing pace. During their 20 year reign, the band played intricate and frantic shredding while unhinged frontman Greg Puciato shredded his throat screaming threats. Infinite Games is Puciato’s second album with The Black Queen and first release since Dillinger split up, and it’s a…

Tommy and the Commies are a punk band from Ontario, Canada, and have just delivered their debut project Here Come. Even as most punk releases go, this project is quite short, weighing in at just 16 minutes. But it  makes up for its brevity with some excellent pacing, writing, and instrumental work. The project starts…

C’est La Vie may be American musician Phospherescent’s seventh studio album, but it is probably his first blatantly optimistic ode to love, life, and everything in it. The first release, “New Birth in New England,” was released a few months ago, and indeed hinted at a friendly, easy return after a five-year hiatus. A time during…

Father, the ringleader of cutting-edge Atlanta multimedia label Awful Records, has returned with a new album in collaboration with Adult Swim – a DIY label and a DIY network coming together to craft something truly unique. Father’s style is one that many try to replicate and often struggle to do so – his odd delivery,…

If you haven’t heard any of Kira Puru‘s music, exactly how big is that rock you’re hiding under? Her single “Molotov” has had a lot of airplay on Triple J, and her undeniably cool ‘Like A Version’ performance of Katy Perry‘s “Last Friday Night” is what dreams are made of. Her debut self-titled EP contains the…

Debut albums play an important role in the life of an artist. They are generally full of emotion, heartfelt messages, life experiences and the artist’s passion for their craft. After three years of hard work, Cloves’ debut, One Big Nothing fulfils these expectations grandly, guiding the listener through a journey of Cloves’ blossoming music career,…

milo has been active for some years now, releasing music both under his own name and his alias, Scallops Hotel – as well as his Nostrum Grocers collaboration with Elucid. His output is consistently high, releasing 2 projects in 2018 alone before the unveiling of his 4th studio album Budding Ornothologists are Weary of Tired…

Noname (FKA: Noname Gypsy) is a central figure within the underground Chicago rap scene. Her debut album Telefone was an incredible, melancholic project – dealing with sexism, introspection, and wider racial and social issues, all delivered in her trademark wispy yet warm delivery. Following the great reception this project received, the level of anticipation for her…

When the opportunity to review the new album from Australian legend John Williamson came up, I jumped at it. I listen to his singles more than what’s probably healthy, so much so that he’s listed as one of my ‘top artists’ on my Bumble profile. I have vivid memories of myself and a friend requesting…

Over the last 12 months the Australian hip hop scene has seen an overhaul of the last era of popular artists like Seth Sentry and Bliss n Eso, handing over the baton to fresh new talent like Baker Boy and Kwame. Recently embarking on their 10 year anniversary tour “Dekade of the Thunderkat” and now releasing…

Canadian rock band Metric have returned with their seventh full length project. Following the slick and electronic-influenced Pagans in Vegas, the band have shifted towards more driving instrumentation and brighter vocal melodies. Sitting at just under an hour, on Art of Doubt the band have opted for slightly longer-form songs, allowing the instrumentals to breathe and…

The stellar year for music that has been 2018 delivers once again with the new release from Chicago rapper Joey Purp. Off the strength of previous project iiiDrops (featuring the bouncy hit ‘Girls @‘ featuring Chance the Rapper) he’s released QUARTERTHING, a new album that shows incredible progression for the rising star. A member of the…

Cairns-born singer/songwriter Emma Louise is unrecognisable on her third album, Lilac Everything. Fans expecting the delicate soprano heard on “Talk Baby Talk” and “Jungle” will be shocked to hear the digitally-manipulated low pitch she adopts across the entire album. That voice booms over the soft piano of opener “Wish You Well”. As the song continues,…

The Canadian electronic duo Bob Moses, consisting of Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance have returned with their sophomore album Battle Lines. The pair have great different musical backgrounds that shine through; Howie has a strong rock and vocal basis, whereas Vallance has trance and electronic roots, with releases on labels such as Ultra Records. These two…

Emotion is often at the centerpoint of many artists works, with Lakyn’s upcoming EP & Pains drawing heavily on his feelings and experiences, causing the listener to be enraptured by Lakyn’s sound throughout six delicately cultivated tracks. Lakyn has been in and around the industry for some time, but his powerful songs have helped him open…

With the journey his new release takes, Troye Sivan’s sophomore album Bloom comes to encapsulate and define a new age of dark pop. Released last week, the 10 track record creates a more danceable and synth driven atmosphere with tracks like “Bloom” and “Dance To This” featuring Ariana Grande. But the album does take its moments…

Since breaking out in 2013, Skegss have been on the long path to their debut album. In the time since, the trio from Byron have released a swath of singles and multiple EPs, all growing on the previous release and helping the band evolve into something bigger. 2018 has been no different and Skegss have…