Album Reviews

The Last Martyr share a vision of the apocalypse with new EP Requiem

Naarm/Melbourne’s The Last Martyr have just dropped EP Requiem, packed with soaring, soul-stirring metal. Mixed by Chris Lalic (Windwaker, Days Like These), it’s an explosive collection, an apocalyptic exploration of what happens when we disrespect and disregard Mother Nature. Frontwoman Monica Strut explains: “The Requiem EP is about the human species’ journey towards, throughout and…

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Alt-emo duo Those Who Dream release new EP Therapy Machine

Alternative-emo outfit Those Who Dream (siblings Josh and Hazel Meyer) have just dropped their latest EP, Therapy Machine. Mixed in house by vocalist Josh, whose past credits include The Amity Affliction, AViVA, and Chez), and mastered by Ted Jensen (Green Day, Deftness, and Post Malone), Therapy Machine is exactly what we’ve come to expect from…

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Phantogram’s Memory Of A Day is a dreamy blend of electronic-pop and cinematic soundscapes

Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter met way back in preschool with their paths crossing again in 2007, when the two joined forces and started making music under the name Charlie Everywhere. In 2009, they found their own unique sound- a mix of electronic rock and dream pop, blending gritty beats with atmospheric melodies, and changed…

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Album Review: Porridge Radio – Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me (2024 LP)

Two years after their last release, the UK’s own Porridge Radio return with Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me; an introspective and emotionally charged offering that demonstrates the band’s growth both lyrically and sonically. The album, out this Friday, is as much a testament to Dana Margolin’s evolution as a songwriter…

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Album Review: Touché Amoré – Spiral In A Straight Line (2024 LP)

With Lament crowned Pitchfork’s Best New Album in 2020, Touché Amoré set the bar high for their upcoming release, Spiral in a Straight Line. Forming in 2007, the post-hardcore group has consistently made waves in the scene, earning critical acclaim for each of their four previous studio albums. While they re-recorded and re-released their debut…

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Kasey Chambers

Track by Track Review: Kasey Chambers – Backbone (2024 LP)

Like most, I was introduced to Kasey Chambers through her breakthrough second album Barricades and Brickwalls and the inescapable single of 2001, “Not Pretty Enough.” Fast forward nearly two decades, and Chambers stands atop a mountain of achievements: five number-one albums on the ARIA Albums Chart, 14 ARIA Music Awards (including nine for Best Country…

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Album Review: Belle Haven Return Transfigured with New EP something new

Change is both uncomfortable and necessary, which is why it’s such a touchy but relatable subject in contemporary music. There comes a point in every band’s career where they must decide whether to continue doing what they know and their fans enjoy, or instead follow their instincts and pursue their own style. Naarm/Melbourne-based alt-rock act…

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CERES

Ceres are back after five years, with Magic Mountain (1996-2022) and it’s a work of art

After five years, Ceres have made a triumphant return with the release of their sixth studio album, Magic Mountain (1996-2022). Although it appeared the band had taken a hiatus, they were, in fact, working on this double album in various forms over the past five years. Spanning a massive twenty-five tracks, this record is a…

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Drug Church’s fifth studio album PRUDE is 28 minutes of post-hardcore bliss

Post-hardcore band Drug Church drop their fifth studio album today. PRUDE is an electrifying 28-minute record full of bangers, with a blend of punk rock, post-hardcore and alternative rock. It’s short and sweet, with each track packing a punch. Drug Church’s sound has evolved over the last thirteen years, and I’m confident that PRUDE is…

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The Rions have your summer playlist sorted with new EP Happiness in a Place it Shouldn’t Be

This past week, Australian indie-pop/rock sensations The Rions dropped their much-anticipated second EP, Happiness in a Place It Shouldn’t Be. The six-track offering arrives just in time for summer, destined to carry on the breeze and dominate airwaves all season long. It’s an energetic, heart-filled collection of groovers, set to become the soundtrack of festivals…

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Maximo Park’s Stream of Life delivers an oxymoron of fresh nostalgia and high-art pop rock goodness

This week English alternative rock stalwarts Maxïmo Park release their eighth studio album Stream of Life via Lower Third Records. Despite logging 20 years in the industry and an impressive eight album discography, Maxïmo Park have crafted a release still brimming with energy. Rooted firmly in the sounds of the late ’90s and early 2000s,…

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Track by Track Review: Elana Stone – Married to the Sound (2024 LP)

Elana Stone has been a professional musician for over 20 years, with the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter’s résumé suggesting she’s vying for the top spot as Australia’s busiest musician. When she isn’t winning ARIA Awards with All Our Exes Live in Texas, lending her talent to Missy Higgins’ touring band, producing, podcasting, writing a musical, or…

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Track by Track Review: Bright Eyes – Five Dice, All Threes (2024 LP)

As I dive into Bright Eyes’ latest offering Five Dice, All Threes released this week, I must admit the band — and its frontman, Conor Oberst — has long eluded my musical radar. Picking up a Bright Eyes album does feel like starting at the end of a long-running series, three decades in the making….

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Review: St South charges ahead with her introspective, soul bearing EP Big Sads

Following her acclaimed 2020 album Get Well Soon, Perth-based singer-songwriter St South (Olivia Gavranich) returns with an introspective, soul bearing five-track EP Big Sads. Known for her more sleek bedroom pop sound, Gavranich’s previous releases blended moments of shimmering, danceable pop with the occasional heartbreaker. With Big Sads, she’s peeled back the layers producing something…

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Album Review: GIFT – Illuminator (2024 LP)

With the release of their sophomore album Illuminator, American psychedelic rock quintet GIFT showcases a bold evolution in their sound and direction. The band brings together nostalgic electronic pop-rock elements with expansive, synth-heavy production, resulting in a sound that feels drawn from the wells of bygone eras but equally modern and current. Following their 2020…

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Album Review: Rex Orange County – The Alexander Technique (2024 LP)

The music of English singer-songwriter Alexander James O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, has always felt like a taste test: love at first listen or not for you at all. The 26-year-old musician’s indefinable genre fusion, best described by Google as jazz, hip hop, bedroom pop, indie rock and lo-fi soft rock is arguably…

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Boston Manor

Boston Manor outdo themselves with their latest release Sundiver

Boston Manor‘s fifth studio album, Sundiver drops this Friday, September 6th and serves as the follow-up to their 2022 release, Datura. Sundiver, produced by Larry Hibbitt and engineer Alex O’Donovan, represents a clear departure from its predecessor, with a refreshing evolution in sound and style. “Datura (Dawn)” opens the album with a serene ambiance, featuring…

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Album Review: Enumclaw – Home In Another Life (2024 LP)

This week, American indie rockers Enumclaw released their second full-length album, Home In Another Life. Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, the band’s name references the small town of 12,000 people located about 45 minutes east of Tacoma. But beyond the census details of small-town America, “Enumclaw” is a Native American word meaning “thundering noise,” a fitting…

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Album Review: Teenage Dads – MajorDomo (2024 LP)

Since their debut EP Wett Weather in 2017, Teenage Dads have been captivating audiences far and wide. Their 2018 debut album, Potpourri Lake, quickly established the Victorian quartet as a force to be reckoned with, delivering an iconic sound that truly sets them apart in the indie music scene. Not ones to rest on their…

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Album Review: Yours Truly – TOXIC (2024 LP)

There’s no gentle easing into the second studio album from Sydney pop punk trio, Yours Truly. TOXIC bursts forth from the speakers, delivering a swift smack in the ears with opener “Back 2 U”, and then it’s full speed ahead for the rest of the album. Strap yourselves in, kids. Given this is a new line-up,…

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JPEGMAFIA

Album Review: JPEGMAFIA opens new conversations on I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU

There has been a long and keen wait for JPEGMAFIA’s latest album. Currently, he is at his peak of popularity following 2023’s SCARING THE HOES a collab album with Danny Brown. Fans have known that this album was coming and each of its many delays have only intensified the desire to hear it. With each…

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Album Review: Fanning Dempsey National Park The Deluge (2024 LP)

What do you get when you combine two iconic, era-defining front men who together account for nine number-one albums, millions of record sales and a staggering 38 songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100? Well, mostly the answer is a question: Why didn’t this happen sooner? The real answer to that question though, is Fanning Dempsey…

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Album Review: John Carter Cash – Pilgrimage to Rising Fawn (2024 LP)

From unflattering comparisons, unassailable legacies and assumptions of unearned success, following in the footsteps of a famous parent likely requires a little bit of masochism. No doubt the privilege, access, and prestige of being the offspring of a Beatle like Julian Lennon or Zak Starkey makes things easier, but the bravery to follow in those…

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Album Review: Revoid shine bright with their fierce new EP Evergrey

It’s no debate that there is an abundance of exciting heavy bands simmering in the Brisbane scene, but few tick as many boxes as Revoid. Today, the alt-metal quartet share their highly anticipated new EP Evergrey. Featuring the singles “Everything” and “Never Mind”, this six-track project is their most refined yet. Since their 2022 debut…

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The Buoys

Album Review: The Buoys – Lustre (2024 LP)

There’s a certain level of magic in guitar, bass and drum bands. In a world where this set up ever so slowly fades into extinction, The Buoys and their debut album Lustre feel like it could be the catalyst for the recommencement and reemergence of classic, solid and bloody fantastic guitar rock. The Buoys’ debut…

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Album Review: Windwaker broaden horizons with vibrant new album HYPERVIOLENCE

It’s fair to say that Windwaker have become one of the most exciting and beloved heavy exports of late. The Melbourne metalcore favourites have today unveiled their highly anticipated album HYPERVIOLENCE via Cooking Vinyl Australia and Fearless Records. Featuring the singles “SIRENS”, “Fractured State of Mind” and “The Wall”, the 13-track project is the band’s…

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Album Review: In Hearts Wake’s INCARNATION is expertly crafted (2024 LP)

In Hearts Wake‘s latest album, INCARNATION, marks a triumphant return for the Byron Bay natives, who first burst onto the scene with their debut album, DIVINATION, in 2012. This sixth studio album, released on July 12th, arrives in the wake of the announcement of the upcoming departure of long-time vocalist and bassist Kyle Erich. Vocalist…

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Album Review: Kasabian – Happenings (2024 LP)

Late last week saw Kasabian drop their eighth studio album, Happenings.  It does feel like it’s been on the horizon for sometime, though, as the first single, “Algorithms” was released over a year ago, back in June 2023. As a Kasabian fan, I have to be honest and say that I’m still adjusting to the…

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Album Review: Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code (2024 LP)

Three years after the breakthrough release of Mood Valiant in 2021, Melbourne’s own Hiatus Kaiyote return with an 11-track, genre-bending album, Love Heart Cheat Code, out now via Brainfeeder Records. Continuing their inimitable blend of neo-soul, funky jazz and psychedelia, this latest release firmly establishes the quartet as one of the most exciting, entertaining, and…

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Album Review: Omar Apollo’s God Said No (2024 LP) offers the world a deeply personal journey

From humble beginnings uploading songs to SoundCloud while working at McDonald’s, Omar Apollo’s rise to fame has seen the artist swapping drive-throughs and bedroom demos for the Billboard charts and Grammy nominations. With the release of his sophomore album, God Said No, Apollo has put together his most cohesive and complete offering so far. With a…

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