Album Reviews

With every new release, there stands the universal question “Will it be as good as their last?”. This is often the biggest hurdle faced when producing a sophomore album, even more so for bands such as Alt-J who broke the scene with their debut An Awesome Wave. Two years later and without the presence of…

With their expertise in the pop punk genre, the men of New Found Glory have taken themselves to another level with their eighth full-length record Resurrection, delivering an album of high energy, creativity, fluidity and edge. The album is a must-have for lovers of pop-punk or adventurous listeners who desire a much-needed soundtrack to their summer days. Unlike Radiosurgery,…

With a beautiful catalogue of cover songs, Oz, represents the talent across many Australian musicians and bands and it’s safe to say that Missy Higgins approaches each song with such clarity, grace and passion. An underrated musician in many respects, Missy crafts each song to perfection by showcasing her soothing vocals, adding an atmosphere of peaceful serenity with…

Alexander Wolfe is not a household name here in Australia however in his native England, he’s already beginning to build a bit of an underground following. Even now thinking back on it, how I came to discover him as an artist was tenuous at best, courtesy of the theme song he supplied for a quirky BBC…

Through Art We Are All Equals, is post-hardcore/experimental rock band Slaves‘ debut record. The group have created a shapeshifting record that has a soulful edge. Although some songs feel out of place and don’t fulfil their potential, Jonny Craig (formerly of Emarosa, Dance Gavin Dance and Isles & Glaciers) worshippers will nonetheless enjoy this album. As you would from a guy with…

In my books, Spencer Chamberlain is rookie of the year. Since his last musical project, Underoath, he’s back with the charm of Sleepwave, touching base on the genres of alternative rock with a mixture of post-hardcore elements. With this wholehearted effort of releasing, Broken Compass, it can be justified that people will come across this album as a starting point…

One word I can think of when listening to this EP is ‘Wow’. Hands Like Houses have definitely stepped up a notch with their reimagine EP and it’s obvious that the boys have worked extremely hard on this and it is without fail one of the most beautiful releases you can ever come across this year. The success they…

It’s a weird feeling looking up interviews that were made over a decade ago. Back in 2001, Something For Kate were just ramping up their successful music career, with Beautiful Sharks already considered a huge achievement and their 2001 release Echolalia the album that confirmed them as one of our finest talents – here to stay, no less. Being their third…

Well, I get it now. Having missed the boat at SXSW but nonetheless seen his name dripping around the interwebs – including our own website – in the last few months, I had somehow managed to get away with not listening to Benjamin Booker on record until this past week. The debut, self-titled record, from…

Going by the moniker of Fractures, Mark Zito has released a stunning self titled debut with the Fractures EP. Full of subtle harmonies, gentle brooding and haunting vocals and lyricism, Zito has put together an enlightening experience. Immersing the listener in an ethereal orchestra of soulful sounds Fractures is an introspective compilation following the themes…

I’ve had a hard time starting this album review, maybe because Anberlin are one of my favourite bands and the last thing I want to do is write something that isn’t at all interesting. For all you dedicated Anberlin fans out there, as you know, they will be disbanding towards the end of the year and being…

It is a true fact that all musicians strive for perfection and when it comes to this nature, it is almost a necessity for all of them to be driven and motivated in order to create exceptional tracks .With her success in Speak For Yourself and Ellipse, Imogen Heap dazzles the world again with her newest album, Sparks. The electro-pop queen…

Before even reaching the one minute mark of the first track on Alison Wonderland’s debut EP Calm Down you know this is the one you have been waiting for. Wonderland has packed everything that makes her live shows instant sell out’s into five incredible songs. Powerful bass, stunning vocals and exciting samples, if you’ve enjoyed…

Their first since 2011’s Endgame, Rise Against are back in style with The Black Market, released in Australia earlier this month. Needless to say, the punk rockers of Chicago, Illinois have clearly shown their compatibility towards sheer greatness when it comes to releasing new music and with their consistent efforts as a band, it’s not a surprise that their…

With their upcoming release of Savages, Canadian band, Theory of a Deadman bring to the table a mixture of post-grunge elements with an edgy, alternative rock style in this anticipated album. It’s safe to say that they have become much more creative and have taken a number of musical risks, exploring further into their unique genre of rock….

D at Sea is a musician with a natural talent. With his clever acoustic covers of various metalcore bands, it’s safe to say that he’s someone that wants to stand out from the crowd with his amazing vocals. When I first came across his cover of a track by Bring Me The Horizon, I immediately fell in…

This is certainly a swinging album of hot gypsy jazz of the 1930’s. Featuring some of the most influential musicians of the time – Django Reinhardt, Stephane Grappelli, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday to name but a few. Although title Swing Noir this is certainly more of an example of the hot club jazz style…

The art of executing a perfect compilation of songs for a film is like making a perfect mixtape for your soulmate. Everything about this soundtrack makes my knees weak and my hopes for this film are soaring so high right now. My gut feeling tells me that it will be as good as the book…

With his breakthrough track, “Trouble”, off the album of the same name, Ray LaMontagne made a distinctive name for himself in the music industry as a unique, soulful singer/songwriter with an acoustic and raw sound. But it has been more than 10 years since the cult favourite of folk, roots and classic rock fans released…

Sydney outfit The Great Conjunction are fairly new onto the scene with their cavernous alternative indie-rock sounds. They write music that’s deeply intricate on so many layers, think like Arcade Fire or The New Pornographers or The Dears, that it can take quite a few listens to really appreciate it. I’ll openly admit it took me some proper spins to get the…

Like stepping in from the cold to find a warm fireplace and your favourite blanket. The new album, Shine On, by Sarah McLachlan is the musical equivalent of getting re-acquainted with an old friend. Filled with her distinctive and glistening vocals that have been off the airways for far too long. In fact this album…

For any nostalgia driven Hollywood movie buffs, and lovers of the grand music scores from classic movies, this album is a little slice of heaven. Each track transports the listener to another time and place, swept away in magnificent and timeless orchestrations, with the only down-side of leaving you a little jarred upon returning to…

Music is honestly the best gift in the entire world and if I had the choice of losing my hearing or eyesight forever, I’d choose my eyesight because without my hearing, music would cease to exist in my life and the thought of that makes me want to cry. If you’re looking for a quick…

From taking a one way flight to Melbourne eight years ago to touring internationally with headline shows, the Kiwi lads from Bonjah have put a lot of hard work into their sound which is clearly evident in their third studio release, Beautiful Wild. Every track exudes that bluesy rock fuelled confidence, with frontman Glen Mossop’s…

Paolo Nutini got a lucky break when David Sneddon was delayed at the start of a performance in 2003 and Nutini won a spot to sing a few numbers. His ongoing success, however, is not just dumb luck, but is a result of his enduring and ever-growing talent. After five years of touring, writing, collaborating,…

To be honest, I did judge a book by its cover when it came to listening to Foster the People’s sophomore album. While I loved their catchy hooks and sing-a-long creations in Torches, what led me to pay particular attention to this release was the psychedelic touch on the album art, injected with colour, and…

It’s been a rollercoaster year for Sharon Jones, the corrections officer turned soul queen. Her fifth album with the imitable Dap Kings, Give the People What They Want was shelved and touring halted so Jones could turn her attention to battling and ultimately beating cancer which threatened to bring her fairy-tale career to a halt….

Ladies and gentlemen, I have some good news for you: Sydney’s Sally Seltmann is back after four years with her latest solo full length album, Hey Daydreamer and boy, is it a treasure, stuffed full of indie pop gems. In all honesty (and without sounding too gushy), I have never before listened to an album…

It seems that Katy Perry hasn’t been off our airwaves at all, with consistently timed album releases and perfectly polished pop gems that have made her a mainstay on radio and music video channels. Prism is Perry’s fourth official release and it manages to retain her pop-dance sensibilities whilst feeling somewhat more mature, edgier and texturally more complex.

It’s been two years since we last heard from Perth lads Eskimo Joe, and they’re back with a brand new crowd-funded album titled Wastelands that takes their sound in a vastly different direction from their previous records.