Album Reviews

You’ve heard it before but Andrew Hozier-Byrne, better known as Hozier, is more than just the compulsory indie rock artist that somehow made to Top 40 radio. His debut single ‘Take Me To Church‘ took the world by storm last year, but the Irish singer-songwriter has clearly established himself more than just a one-hit wonder with his 2014…

A lot has changed for Canadian Claire Boucher, or Grimes, in three years. As she describes it, Art Angels is built on colour in comparison to the “black and white” sound palette of previous album Visions. It’s easy to see what she means; her sound has catapulted from dreamy-synth-pop into a hard-hitting amalgamation of hip-hop,…

I confess, somewhat shamefully, that Mutemath have only ever existed for me on the peripheral of my musical consciousness. I’ve known about them, primarily, through a friend who has raved about them for years, but I’ve never managed to sit down and actively listen to anything they’ve released. Listening to their new album, Vitals, I…

Brisbane’s WAAX have been building up a strong live reputation ever since their first two songs – “I for an Eye” and “Wisdom Teeth” – were released. The band hit the studio earlier this year, and back in October, the band released a surprise EP, titled Holy Sick, containing these two songs and two new tracks….

Earlier today, US rock group Foo Fighters released a free, out-of-the-blue EP entitled Saint Cecilia. The release is their first since their well received concept LP Sonic Highways, which co-incided with the band’s 20th anniversary and led into what became “The Broken Leg Tour”, following Dave Grohl’s infamous on-stage accident. For those who missed the memo, in…

Wow, just wow. Man, Australian music is so on point at the moment, it’s hard to think there was or ever will be a time in which Australian music wasn’t a world leader. It is ridiculously stellar at the moment. It seems with every week there’s a new artist ready to take control of the…

The Cutting Edge, the latest release in Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series, is well named – it covers material recorded in 1965-6, when Dylan was at the forefront of rock and roll, and it also describes his songwriting at the time, which was so sharp and on point as to be cutting. The Bootleg Series was…

Coming into summer in Australia means barbecues, beers, sunny afternoons and of course your favourite iPod mix. Playing throughout your mates backyard, river campsite or wherever you’ve decided to set up should be Palms’ new album Crazy Rack. This feel good summer vibe album was only dropped a bit over a week ago by Sydney’s…

Blake Mills is enigmatic. Crossing genre boundaries with grace and confidence, his sound is extraordinarily difficult to pigeon hole. Yet, it seems that’s the way he likes it. In the course of twelve songs, the full gamut of guitar based music is covered. From country to blues to folk to rock and back again twice….

You could be forgiven for dismissing King Gizzard and The Lizard Wizard as a novelty. Their name alone sounds like it was created using some kind of random name generator, they have enough band members to field a football team and they seem to release something new every time the seasons change, but as always…

Music has all different kind of purposes. To entertain, to dance and to sing; but the real purpose, for any music lover, is to feel a connection with it. American emo/punk rock band, Pentimento, recently released their sophomore record, I, No Longer and it’s absolutely stunning. Through heart-wrenching lyrics and grounded punk/emo music, the four-piece…

Recorded at their own studio in Wellington, New Zealand, and self-released on The Drop, the label they own and operate, BAYS is the fourth studio album by internationally acclaimed, yet intrinsically Kiwi, Fat Freddy’s Drop. BAYS is the 7-piece’s follow up album to 2013’s Blackbird. Having previously lived in Wellington for ten years, Fat Freddy’s…

Nowadays there seems to be a lot of acts falling into what I call ‘dada punk’. In essence dada punk is just that, Dadaist teachings and themes put into punk music. It’s no wonder why this marriage has come about, after all Dadaism was created when the artists felt that there was nowhere to go…

Home is masterful in its ability to seep into your very core. Seven ethereal tracks have the potency to achieve an eternal and total state of calm. Repeated references to nature establish a lyrical motif that effectively communicates the complexity and volatility of the human heart. Increased layers of instrumental create a sophisticated sound that…

Man, the Irish have something good going on. They’ve always seemed to be the little red engine that could; the little guy that produces quality goods for the rest. From Guinness, to Jameson Whiskey, to U2 and Ronan Keating, the country has always been on the money with what they do. And going by The…

Canadian alt-folk band Half Moon Run released their sophomore album last week. After critical acclaim on their first LP Dark Eyes it seems Sun Leads Me On has searched for a lighter, brighter direction. Dabbling in synths, finger plucking and everything in between the 13-track album creates a diverse and wonderfully lyrical experience for fans…

It’s been out for a while, but alternative rock outfit The Owls have managed to deliver a solid, bass-heavy and majorly rockin’ EP that will have you wanting to head bang or show of your killer air guitar skills, whatever you fancy. Own The Streets features 6 songs, delivering the perfect recipe of a well-rounded,…

Bursting with the nostalgic pop-punk vibes of the early 2000s, where bands like The Starting Line and New Found Glory ruled, Seaway are a new fresh face to the pop-punk scene. Since signing with Pure Noise Records, they have been exposed to the same community of people who listen to the likes of State Champs,…

Transvaal Diamond Syndicate (TDS) have dropped an EP you definitely need in your life. The Shadow is a 6 track blues / roots album that is channeling some 70’s Deep Purple vibes. If you haven’t heard TDS before you are going to get a pleasant surprise with a release full of riffs that are going to…

Melbourne, Florida finds Dick Diver facing up to an unenviable predicament – their last album, Calendar Days, was released to such critical applause that their follow up release automatically has a huge (and some would say unfair) hurdle to overcome – is it better than the last LP? And the answer is….. maybe. Melbourne, Florida…

Pennywise will never be accused of reinventing the wheel; and when you’ve been producing durable punk rock albums for 27 years like they have, you don’t generally backslide. You stick to the formula – and that’s exactly what they’ve done with their latest offering Yesterdays. This album smacks of songs that were born of an…

It’s April 2011 and I’m on holiday in Sydney. I’m roaming the streets with a Starbucks latte in hand and my digital SLR camera around my neck. I’m feeling sufficiently hip. Then, as I turn the corner onto Pitt Street, the mall directly behind me, my gait is arrested by the sounds of something majestic…

It takes a total of about two seconds to recognise the work of Melbourne-based Kiwis Shihad in the opening track of their latest offering, FVEY. A better hit than a double-shot mocha-choca-latte with added rocket fuel, it bursts forth with their familiar intense sound, waking every cell in your being. FVEY, pronounced Five Eyes, refers…

Dallas Green is a man of great talents. Since the days of Alexisonfire, Green has been setting himself up by putting together music that is emotive, intricate and personal. There’s no denying that what he writes lyrically empowers many others too. With Green’s latest offering, If I Should Go Before You, we see him experiment…

Into the Dirt is the brand new EP from dynamic duo, the Pierce Brothers. Having gained a stellar reputation through busking on Melbourne’s streets, the multi-instrumentalists have taken to the world stage with passion and ferocity. Earthy acoustics are skillfully executed, their DIY approach oozing with folk. Lyrical narratives are delivered with sincerity and grit, tranquil…

2015 has been a great year for music. While it was almost universally agreed that 2014 was pretty light on ground-breaking releases and tactfully glorious tunes, 2015 has gone in the complete opposite direction and released banger after absolute banger; masterpiece after masterpiece. And Little May’s For The Company is another one you can add…

Singer, performer, television presenter and all around nice guy – is there anything David Campbell can’t do? David returns with his tenth (can you believe it?!) album The Essential – and it’s just that. I’m always curious as to who these kinds of albums are supposed to be marketed at. Are they made for the…

The Weeknd are probably one of my favourite artists of all time, and their new album has totally blown me away. With its pure creative lyricism and catchy hooks coupled with dance beats, if you haven’t heard this album you’re missing out. Click through for my full review of The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind the Madness….

If there’s one thing that has remained consistent with State Champs it’s their drive for making pop punk sound fresh and charming. With their sophomore release, Around The World and Back, the five-piece have proven once again that pop punk is alive and evolving for generations to come. After several listens of this record, the…

Boy & Bear are river-boat slow, that kind of deceptively smooth-flowing pace that looks calm and languid on the surface but is moving quite fast underneath. The Sydney folk-rock quintet’s third album Limit Of Love cruises along easily, keeping a lively enough pace that it doesn’t sink into the doldrums. It is, in short, a…