Wet Leg - "moisturizer" (2025)

Wet Leg felt like a a breath of fresh air in late 2021 when they broke onto the scene with the silly and irreverent Chaise Long. UK indie rock was very much in one of its worshipping the post-punk classics phases and as great as some of those bands are, the scene as a whole was seriously lacking a sense of fun. Chaise Long and by extension the band's debut record had it in droves, which is why I was really quite surprised by the lead single for their follow-up. Titled catch these fists, it is everything that the first album stood out from: bog standard angular post-punk guitar lines, a repetitive chorus and standoff-ish, riot girl-lite lyrics about annoying men in nightclubs. It felt very run of the mill and unoriginal, and doesn't play into the bands appeal in the slightest. The second single, CPR, is an improvement on catch these fists. The lyrics about crushing on someone so hard that you need CPR is much more fun than 'men suck' and Rhian Teasdale puts on some fun vocal inflections throughout the track. However it still sticks with the more aggressive post-punk instrumentation which I just don't think fits the band's writing style and overall vibe.

Luckily, when diving into the album as a whole, some of the deeper cuts do retain the sense of silliness and whimsy that made the debut so great. The third single, davina mccall, is a dreamy lovesong with some goofy pop-culture references (the title and opening line is a reference to Davina McCall's catchphrase on Big Brother from 20 years ago now). jennifer's body is obviously a reference to the film and has a driving rhythm section that propulses the song forward. pokemon, similarly, is a slinky and groovy synth driven cut that has some really cute lovestruck lyrics about escape and running away with your love. The best of the bunch is by far mangetout, and is the only track that captures the pure catchiness and simplicity of the debut. The snarky hook of "get lost forever" and jokes about magic beans feels like a much more 'Wet Leg' approach to annoying advances from men than the kind of sour and bitter vibe of catch these fists.

There are also two songs on the back end that I find quite interesting, don't speak and the closer, u and me at home. They go for that woozey, shoegaze-y guitar tone that's reminiscent of my bloody valentine. Combining that with poppy hooks and vocals that are actually intelligible, it feels like an alternate universe where mbv were actually interested in making indie pop songs. I wouldn't say they're the best of the bunch on the record as they are definitely carried by their vibe rather than the tunes at the core of them - but they're certainly an interesting diversion.

Unfortunately the record really struggles with consistency. pillow talk is another heavy track for the band, and while it is more interesting than the singles; at less than 3 minutes it feels like a non-committal half step into hard rock that ends before it can progress into anything more than just heavy riffs and aggressive vocals. pond song and 11:21 are unremarkable, meandering, slower paced tracks that go nowhere and don't have memorable hooks.

I feel like moisturizer fits the cliche of 'difficult second album' pretty well. You can tell the band are trying to shake off the accusations of industry plants and being a gimmick band by deliberately avoiding making the same album again and trying on new sonic (and visual) pallets. However, I can't help but feel like a lot of the personality that made them unique has been lost in the transition. There's some good songs on here but it doesn't come together to form much of a whole.

Top Tracks: davina mccall, jenifer's body, mangetout, pokemon

6/10

Little Simz - "Lotus" (2025)

Simz' rise to one of the UK's biggest rappers is one of the most inspiring success stories for independent artists (and just life in general) as she is one of the few I can think of that has done it pretty much entirely on her own. Performing in a prime Glastonbury slot just under the headliner (Coldplay) in 2024 is pretty insane for an artist that has never signed to a major label. Simz' career really began to take off following 2019's GREY Area, where she hooked up with producer and childhood friend Inflo. The two had an amazing creative chemistry that resulted in three excellent records that were layered in rich and dramatic funk, soul and orchestral instrumentation that matched Simz' intensely personal and heavy lyrics and themes.

During the rollout of the Lotus' singles, it hit the press that Simz' was suing Inflo following an unpaid loan she gave him during 2024 to help fund the first (and at the time only) live show for his project SAULT (which Simz was a frequent collaborator); which left her unable to complete her tax return for last year. With this news coming out, it was evident that Inflo would not be producing this new record and furthermore Cleo Sol, who is married to Inflo and provided vocals to many of Simz' tracks including her biggest hits, would not be featuring. So this is a massive shake up for Simz, creating a record for the first time in a long time without two of her closest collaborators (and friends).

Miles Clinton James has been picked by Simz for production duties this time around, and looking into his work he did some additional production on 2021's Sometimes I Might Be Introvert as well as some credits with Micheal Kiwanuka and on Foal's last album. This sets the record apart from the Inflo trilogy, as while it is still sounds distinctively Simz, a lot of the extravagant orchestral instrumentation has been replaced with a grittier, darker sound reminiscent of UK post-punk. This pretty aptly compliments the main lyrical themes of the record, the majority of which is pretty explicitly about Inflo and the breakdown of their relationship.

The opening track, Theif, comes in with a rumbling bassline and eerie twangs of guitar before Simz' effects-laden vocals swoop in like a phantom from above. The multi-tracked and echo-y hook of "You're a theif!" definitely gives off the intention of Simz presenting herself as a spectre haunting Inflo's conscience. This leads straight into the lead single, Flood, which features some intense tribal drumming and mantra-like lyrics where Simz recites to her self her methods of how she's going to get through this traumatic time and how she's not going to let this happen again. Obongjayar and Moonchild Sanelly are featured on the chorus and absolutely kill it.

The other two songs released as singles are Young and Free. Young is a very interesting and unique song for Simz, being a kind of Britpop-y, post-punk-y, pop rap tune with its Kinks-ian baseline and faux-posh accent that Simz is putting on. The song is clearly a piss-take of something, but I haven't quite figured out what. I like the song, but it does feel very out of place on an album that's otherwise so serious. Free is a neo-soul jam about being kind-hearted and taking life at your own pace; and is a style of song that Simz can write in her sleep to be honest. It's a good song, but does it really do anything to stand out from the several similar songs in Simz' back catalogue? Not really. I feel like Only, which sits inbetween the two tracks on the record, is a more interesting exploration of that style. Jungle's Lydia Kitto takes on the chorus vocals and does a great job. The sauntering, jazzy beat and self assured lyrics about slowly falling in love with no hang-ups or need to rush just oozes cool.

The first half closes out with Peace and Hollow. For me Peace is the weakest song on the record and probably the only one where it feels like Inflo's presence is noticeably missing. The instrumental feels pretty undercooked with a repetitive guitar line that doesn't change or progress throughout the four and half minute runtime, and Mira May's hook of "I need to find some peace of mind" remains identical from the first chorus to the last. Hollow on the other hand, is captivating in it's starkness and simplicity. Simz' spoken word vocals are set against a string quartet and it's the first point in the record where she really starts to dig into the breakdown in her and Inflo's relationship. After a first half that somewhat struggled to find its groove, it really sets the record up for a frankly phenomenal second half.

And that second half opens up with a bang that is the Obongjayar assisted afro-beat jam, Lion. The song just makes you want to move. The chanted outro "We don't care for what they say, that's my superpower" is just so self affirming and uplifting. This leads straight into Enough, which is basically a dance punk song has similar themes about being enough for yourself and knowing that you can succeed. This whole stretch of the record gives off massive main character energy but it just works - I guarantee you that these songs will make you feel good.

Following on from this brief respite, the album takes a turn into some really dark territory in the final four tracks. Blood is essentially an argument between siblings put to music. Wretch 32 plays the role of Simz' brother in a fictional scenario where both siblings have become successful rappers, but the distance and success has only heightened the unresolved trauma in the family. The song is insanely written and delicately balances being hard-hitting and shocking while still being an enjoyable listen. The title track is definitely the elaborate focal point of the album, being a six and half minute, multi part behemoth of a song that sees Simz go to her darkest place and then back out again. The second verse is a long, spiralling rant about the expectations she feels as a public figure and the pressure to be perfect and a 'prodigy'. The track reaches rock bottom, before church bells and choral backing vocals seep into the mix and Simz drags herself out of the depths to begin rebuilding. Micheal Kiwanika provides a cathartic respite on the choruses to prevent the song feeling too nihilistic.

The final two songs are very lowkey, as if Simz has exhausted herself out with the intensity of Lotus, and is now faced with the reality that she has to confront. Lonely is about exactly that, that Simz feels lonley and isolated; and not sure how to proceed with her music career without her key collaborators. It is very raw, and without a lot of the instrumental flourishes that the rest of the album has, which allows for every word to sink in. Blue closes the record out as a very gentle tune that ties up the records themes well. Sampha's soothing vocals provide a sense of relief, as if the pain is coming to the end and Simz is slowly moving forward.

Lotus is a really great record, and proves her talent can withstand even the most traumatic of shake-ups in the artistic process. It's a shame that the first half is just a little bit wobbly (not even inconsistent, just the flow isn't quite there), because the back end is just as good as GREY Area and SIMBI. It's very rare for an artist to go an 4 album streak of work of this level of quality, and it doesn't seem like that streak is going to end anytime soon.

Top Tracks: Theif, Flood, Only, Hollow, Lion, Enough, Blood, Lotus, Lonely, Blue

9/10

Squid - "Cowards" (2025)

 

Squid are back with their 3rd LP, Cowards. Following on from their excellent 2023 record, O Monolith, Cowards delves deeper into the band's more experimental and post-rock tendencies. The whole album revolves around the central theme of evil, and while Olly Judge's lyrics and vocal approach regularly dipped into manic and unhinged territory on their past material, the themes and narratives of these songs are way more upfront and explicit.

The opening cut Crispy Skin, for example, is quite obviously from the perspective of a cannibal who is having a moral crisis over their actions, flitting between questioning their decisions and a sort of psychosis where their brain is trying to force them to forget that they actually have done that. Musically, it feels like a bridge between the more wiry post-punk grooves of the debut (Bright Green Field) and the linear Krautrockian song progressions from O Monolith. Blood on the Boulders is this creeping post-rock slow burn and is much more stark and simple than anything Squid usually creates. The track has a hot desert-ish atmosphere that compliments the cultish lyrics detailing a murder under the California sun and the obsessiveness of true crime fanatics wanting to know every last detail. The track slowly unravels from this slow and plodding pace into a typical noisy Squid climax, with the contrast really paying off. Fieldworks II similarly has the atmosphere of a slasher flick, referencing broken bones and wiping blood from ones face against a backdrop of chiming guitars and cinematic strings. The closing line "I don't look in the lake." is particularly chilling.

The other tracks in the first leg of the record aren't quite as interesting, which leaves it feeling a little lopsided. Building 650 is essentially a musical retelling of the Japanese crime novel In the Miso Soup, which is about a serial killer, with none of the deeper commentary or weirdness that other moments on the record have. The track is also musically the most bog-standard Squid. It's not bad (there are definitely songs off BGF that are weaker), but it lacks the unique bells and whistles that most Squid songs have. Fieldworks I acts more as an interlude at the mid-point of the record than as a lead into Fieldworks II but also doesn't really stand on its own, so does just feel a bit odd and unfinished.

The second half of the record is where it really gets into its groove, starting with Cro-Magnon Man. Similarly to Building 650, it's stylistically quite classic Squid, but the weird as hell lyrics about the odd-ball, vintage horror film-esque titular character and frenetic keyboards really draw me in. The title track is a slow jazzy post-rock piece that reminds me of a cross between Kid A era Radiohead and the quieter moments on Black Country, New Road's debut. Showtime! really is the albums piece de resistance, going through multiple phases - starting as a erratic, scratchy post-punk track before moving into an expansive space rock section that then settles into a driving krautrock finale. The closer, Well Met (Fingers Through The Fence) is drawn out and patient, building up the tension through its claustrophobic first half which is then let out in the spacious and ascending second half.

Cowards is another good (and sometimes great) album from Squid. It's not quite as consistent as O Monolith and I think I prefer the quite alien and otherworldly atmosphere of that record to the more gritty and down to earth approach taken to the songwriting here. It's still very inventive and engaging and well worth checking out if you like this kind of neurotic experimental rock.

Top Tracks: Crispy Skin, Blood on the Boulders, Fieldworks II, Cro-Magnon Man, Showtime!, Well Met (Fingers Through The Fence)

7/10

The Smile - "Cutouts" (2024)

As I mentioned in the last post about Wall Of Eyes, The Smile went on to release a second album in 2024, being this one, Cutouts. Partially recorded in the same sessions as WOE, the band insist that it is not just a leftovers record; but honestly it does kind of feel like it is. Some of the tracks here fit the much more low key, ambient soundscapes of WOE and others are more reminiscent of the more energetic post-punk and krautrock tracks on the debut. It makes the record feel lacking in identity when compared to either - sort of caught in the middle.

This feeling of inconsequentiality is further felt by the general quality of the songs as well. The record kicks things off with the very low key and not particularly interesting Foreign Spies and Instant Psalm. These songs don't really go anywhere and lack the space and texture that made the slow moments on WOE so enveloping. The record then kicks into gear with frankly the two best songs on the record, Zero Sum and Colours Fly. Zero Sum takes the rhythmic post-punk of the debut and turns it up a notch into full blown math rock. Colours Fly is an atmospheric slow burn that slowly builds into a dramatic climax. The jazzy drum patterns and the dynamic guitars and strings that rise and fall in the mix create such a sense of unease. It would have fit snugly on WOE and I wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the tracks recorded from those sessions. 

The weakest track is definitely Don't Get Me Started, which is built around a very repetitive dirge-like electronic beat. Musically the song isn't very interesting, which is then compounded by the way Thom's lyrics read. The come across as very non-specific "You've got me wrong / You don't understand me" pity party, which to anyone in the know about the heat Thom and Johnny have received about their somewhat flimsy stance on the Israel / Palestine this year conflict comes across in such a bad way. The lyrics are, in typical Thom fashion, vague and non-specific; so if it is supposed to be a comment on the criticism they've faced - at least have the balls to say it. And if it's not, surely they knew how it would read.

Nothing else on the album stoops so low, and is the expected baseline of quality for these guys. Eyes & Mouth is a nice middle ground between the the band's two lanes, with groovy lead guitars but a lot of additional layers and flourishes. Tiptoe is a nice bit of ambient piano music, and The Slip is a groovy mix of electronic beats, jazzy drumming and angular guitars. No Words is that driving krautrock jam that Thom and Johnny do so well, but it does feel at this point that we've heard it several times before on previous projects. Bodies Laughing closes out the record in a spooky and unsettling way, with its odd mix of a bossa nova groove and quite eerie and uneasy synths. It's a fine song but pretty underwhelming as a closer in all honesty.

Cutouts is by no means a bad record, and does have a couple of great moments - but it certainly lacks the attention to detail and flow of the previous records. It feels somewhat redundant and lacking in much of its own identity. It's solid enough and enjoyable if you're in the mood for this brand of Radiohead-adjacent music but it definitely has nothing on the first two records from The Smile.

Top Tracks: Zero Sum, Colours Fly, Eyes & Mouth, The Slip

6/10

Fontaines D.C. - "Romance" (2024)

Fontaines D.C.'s popularity has exploded since the release of their third record, 2022's Skinty Fia, mainly off the back of that album's stellar singles. While I was initially not as hot on it as I was it's predecessor, A Hero's Death, I have grown to love the heavy, thick atmosphere of those songs and it is certainly the group's deepest and most thought out work on the lyrical front. So the pressure has been on the band to follow it up with something monumental.

And the lead single to this record, Starburster, is exactly that. It is a volatile cocktail of a clattering, industrial drumbeat, piercing trip-hoppy synth stabs, a crunchy and meaty guitar line and Grain Chatten's hypnotic, unnearving semi-rapped vocals. The whole track is captivatingly unhinged with breathy vocal inflections and guttural gag noises interspersing each line of the chorus. The band have been selling the record as something forward looking and futuristic, and Starburster certainly is that. It's so rare to hear a song that is so fresh and edgy, yet so catchy and sticky. Radio 1 have been playing it loads since its release, and I don't recall ever hearing a Fontaines track on there before.

Unfortunately the rest of Romance doesn't really match the band's description of it. Rather than a bold new step into the unknown, it's more a pivot from the post-punk and gothic rock of the past three records into more commercial 90's and early 00's alt rock and indie rock. Not that the album is by any means bad, but I do feel slightly disappointed after the promise and hype of Starburster. The second single and closer, Favourite, epitomises this. The song is a beautiful jangle pop tune, reminiscent of pop-era Cure, James, The La's ect. The song is cathartically bittersweet, and hits that nostalgic vibe perfectly, but forward looking it is not.

The following singles released have double down on the more commercial-friendly stylings and songwriting. I like the scratchy and noisy grunge aesthetics of Here's The Thing, but it is definitely the most direct chorus the group has ever written. The way it also launches straight into the first chorus makes it feel like the track has been chopped up and arranged for American rock radio and to trend on Tik Tok. Similarly, In The Modern World comes across as very run of the mill string-laden alt rock ballad to me. It's perfectly acceptable but feels very done before, and its themes of social disconnect and lack of sense of belonging feel quite basic and thinly sketched compared to when the band has tackled these ideas in the past. These two songs aren't bad, but you can feel the band shifting their focus from people listening to and contemplating their ideas in private to crowds at festivals and arenas (and if that is the case, it has certainly worked - I saw the band live at a release show and these two songs got a great reaction from the crowd).

There is one other moment that feels tailored for festival fields, and that is the midpoint track, Bug. The song has these hollow, jangly guitars and driving rhythm section that gives the song a very Britpop feel to it, alongside a great set of lyrics about a mismatched relationship where Grian can't seem to fully commit to or take responsibility for himself in. However, the song features literally only two simple vocal melodies for it's entire runtime - one for the verse and one for the chorus. The sheer melodic simplicity and repetitiveness drags down a song that I otherwise really like from an arrangement and production side of things.

Luckily the rest of the album feels like more or less classic Fontaines (if yet again not the revolution of rock promised by Starburster). The opening title track feels like an evolution of the gothic rock of AHD and Skinty Fia, with the drama amped up with these eerie, plinky-plonky mellotron lines and stabs of thunderous bass. Desire is the same kind of string laded alt-rock slow burn as In The Modern World, but has a much more interesting set of lyrics and progression to it. The song slowly flourishes from this bare, skeletal form into a lush, dramatic piece. Motorcycle Boy and Horseness Is The Whatness feel the most in keeping with the band's past output. Motorcycle Boy is a solid post-punk slowburn, if somewhat redundant after 3 albums of the band playing in that space. Horseness Is The Whatness is this record's simple stripped back ballad akin to the likes of Sunny and Couple Across The Way ect. However, this time the format is mixed up by this clattering percussion that is initially set way off in the back of the mix and is super quiet; but slowly grows to encompass and overwhelm the tune by the end. It creates such a tense and eerie atmosphere that I really like.

That leaves Sundowner and Death Kink as the two tracks I've yet to mention, and I think they're two of the best tracks on the record. Sundowner features guitarist Conor Curley on vocals and is an atmospheric and hazy dream pop tune. The song is straight up Slowdive worship, but I don't mind as I think the band really pull it off and is a good tune at the core of it. Death Kink brings back the grunge aesthetics of Here's The Thing and matches it with the deranged, batshit energy of Starburster. Grain seems to be playing the character of a dangerous, damaged person who knows he's going to end up hurting his partner and is so just so brazen in admitting it. The vocal performance is so commanding and punches through the mix with lines like "Shit shit shit, Battered!" It's the only other track on the album that comes close to the in your face edginess of Starburster.

As mainstream leaning, modern rock albums go, Romance is still really good, but I can't help but feel like it is a bit of a victim of its own hype. It's not this futuristic shot in the arm for the genre the band was promising us, it is a 37 minute record of mostly accessible interpretations of the styles they are drawing influence from. It is also the least cohesive and has the least to say out of all of the bands records. That being said, some of the band's best material is on here and Starburster is probably going to be my favourite song of the year (pardon the pun!).

Top Tracks: Romance, Starburster, Desire, Sundowner, Horesness Is The Whatness, Death Kink, Favourite

7/10

Squid - "O Monolith" (2023)

With life becoming busier and busier post-pandemic and post-uni, the blog has become more and more of me just trying to keep up with new releases from artists I already follow, and less about new discoveries. I do want to change that in 2024, and get back to going through that 100 albums poster and also the David Bowie chronology I started doing in 2020 - but one record from 2023 that I really do want to cover is this, Squid's second album, O Monolith. Squid broke through in 2021 with their debut record, Bright Green Field - an experimental post-punk record which drew comparisons to black midi and Black Country, New Road and kind of made them the third part of the triarchy of the then still emerging post-Brexit / experimental post-punk scene. I didn't get around to talking about it here, but it was a good record with some great tracks, although a little bloated and not quite at the same level as the comparisons to bm and BC, NR would suggest.

O Monolith takes everything that worked about the debut and pumps it up to a new level; its' tighter, less derivative, more inventive and experimental, and certainly more wild. The band incorporate a more hypnotic and krautrock-ian sense of rhythm that draws you into this otherworldly place in which the album sits. There is something unhuman and unhinged about it, which to compare the band to their contemporaries once again, reminds me of black midi's debut, Schlagenheim. While that album achieves this feeling through pure shock value, O Monolith gains it through the atmosphere and tension it builds. At a tight 8 tracks and a sharp 42 minutes, it reminds me of some of the post-punk classics from the vinyl age where every track was vital and there was no superfluous fluff.

Swing (In A Dream) opens up the record with twinkling synths and repetitive chiming rhythm guitar, which sets you straight up to fall into this groovy but sinister record. Ollie Judge's vocals command you to "Live inside the frame, Forget everything, Swing inside a dream" like some evil hypnotist. The track breaks down into a flamenco style sax solo towards the second half before the rest of the instruments come crashing back in with a super thick and meaty bass guitar added to the mix. It's disorientating, chaotic, and disarming. This is followed up by Devil's Den, which starts off much more low-key. The track begins as a quiet swaying tune built around delicate flutes, but in the second half it is flipped on it's head, Ollie starts screaming, the discordant guitars come crashing in and the whole track descends into complete chaos.

Siphon Song really slows it down, bringing OK Computer style robotic vocals set against a slow building post-rock-y rhythm section. The track linearly builds to something louder and more dramatic, but nothing as chaotic and mental as the first couple of songs on the record. It really gives off that late 90s early 2000s art rock vibe. Stick this on a Radiohead or an early Elbow album and I wouldn't have batted an eyelid. Undergrowth returns to the off-kilter grooviness of Swing (In A Dream), complete with a bigger part from the horn section. The horns provide the pulsating beat to the song as Judge sings "I'd rather melt, melt, melt, away". The whole track feels creepy and deranged.

The Blades kicks off the second half and is perhaps my favourite track on the record (and maybe my favourite Squid track overall). The song is built of this descending, spiralling guitar rhythm, and spiky accentuating lead guitar parts. The song is so dynamic, rising up and then slowing down, and then rising back up again. The sinister paranoia of the song is also very much to my taste, as the song slowly morphs from the half way point, becoming more and more tense as Ollie's vocals become more and more insane. The horns sound more and more like sirens and the rhythm section becomes am overwhelming wall of sound, before it all just cuts back to a restrained outro featuring just a chiming guitar and quiet, restrain vocals.

After the madness of The Blades, After The Flash is at a much more plodding march-like pace. But it is equally as sinister, feeling like a march of the undead or some other kind of possessed figure. Like Siphon Song its a much needed breather in the pace of the record. The song progresses in its second half from something sinister to something more heavenly, as the riff ascends upwards - as if the protagonist of the album is attempting to escape whatever trance they are in. This clearly ultimately fails, as the deranged horn section comes slowly back in and descends back down towards the very end of the song, transitioning into Green Light, which is the most has the most intensely repetitive and aggressive groove of the album thus far.

The album closes out with If You Had Seen The Bull's Swimming Attempts You Would Have Stayed Away (what a title I know...). The song was written by the band's guitarist Anton Pearson, and while I do enjoy it to an extent, it does feel a little disconnected from the rest of the record. It's nowhere near as wild as the rest of the album and feels a little out of place because of it. The last minute of the song does build to an intense climax but as a whole the song would've fit much better on Bright Green Field than here.

O Monolith is a great development for Squid and really sets them up as something special, not just another band in the scene. It's intense and atmospheric, and also challenging and chaotic. For me, it has pushed them past black midi as scene leaders (alongside Black Country, New Road), as while bm are still just trying to shock you 3 albums in, Squid are trying to build something greater and more atmospheric (not to knock black midi, I still think Cavalcade is great). If your a fan of the scene, please check it out.

Top Tracks : Swing (In A Dream), Devil's Den, Siphon Song, Undergrowth, The Blades

8/10

Slowdive - "everything is alive" (2023)

As I mentioned when I reviewed loveless way back when, Slowdive's Souvlaki was my introduction to shoegaze proper, after years of loving artists that draw a lot of inspiration from the genre. I never got around to talking about that record, but it very much deserves its cult classic status. Its such a moody and atmospheric piece that you can really loose yourself in. I remember following this I checked out their 2017 comeback album, and it didn't really grab me in the same way. It felt quite blown out and maximalist compared to the subtlety and patience of Souvlaki. It was still a very moody and atmospheric record, but it came across like it was built for arenas rather than headphones.

everything is alive follows this up with a much more low-key vibe, and I've found myself putting it on a fair amount since its release despite it not being particularly innovative or ground-breaking record in the band's discography or genre as a whole. It is very dreary and greyscale compared to the hazy dreamlike nature of Souvlaki, even bordering on gothic rock in places. The tracks swell up around you, but lack much vibrancy, feeling very wintery and sparse - which has been perfect for the early morning train rides I have been having to take for work. 

The record opens with shanty, which is driven by swells of monotonous synths, as the feedback laden guitars fill up the lower mix, evoking feelings of looking out of the window on a grey rainy day. This is followed up by prayer remembered, where the slow plodding bass and drums and lack of any vocals make it feel like it wouldn't be out of place in The Cure's early goth period. alife picks things up a bit with spiralling, jangly guitars, a more notable melody and up-tempo pace.

I'd say the second half of the record isn't quite as slow and greyscale as the first, which is a good thing as I think a whole record that dour and bereft could get a bit tiring by the end. kisses is probably the catchiest song on the record, the vocals are the clearest and the song is structured as a simple new wave pop song, just with more atmospheric dynamics and effects. It really picks the record up after how slow and downtempo andalucia plays leaves the first half. skin in the game also has a memorable hook, although I don't quite vibe as much with it as kisses or alife. It's a tad slower and doesn't really have the melodic guitar parts those two songs did, but it's also not slow and airy enough to loose myself in like prayer remembered.

chained to a cloud is built around an ascending synth part, which like the title suggests feels like ascending up into the atmosphere. While quite a novel change of pace for the record (which up to this point has not sounded at all heavenly and ethereal), it's probably the weakest song on the album. It feels pretty underdeveloped, and the repeating synth loop is warn into the ground fairly quickly. This leaves the closer, the slab, left - which is by far the strongest song on the album. It's a monolithic piece, aiming for the wall of sound approach rather than the softer dynamics the rest of the album as played with leading up to it. The chugging, mechanical drums, ringing keyboards and feedback drenched guitars overwhelm you as you feel like your approaching some kind of impassable wall or structure. Where the rest of the album is bleak, the slab is sinister and imposing.

everything is alive would be a more notable album if it had more moments like the slab that made you feel a variety of emotions, but as it is, it is a pretty consistent if unsurprising release that's got enough highlights for me to come back to it when I'm in the mood for something bleak and moody.

Top Tracks: alife, kisses, the slab

7/10

Paramore - "This Is Why" (2023)

Paramore's previous record, 2017's After Laughter, was my entry point to the band, as they pivoted into catchy synth pop and new wave from their staple pop punk sound (and a genre that really does nothing for me). It's a really tight and superbly written album that I have slowly fallen in love with other the years due to the comforting themes of moving on and letting go when life gets tough, all packed into some of the catchiest pop songs of the 2010s. I was super excited to see where the band would go with the follow-up after Hayley Williams brought groovier art rock elements to the new wave sounds in her subsequent solo records. What results is This Is Why, which delves deep into post-punk revival and dance punk, indebted to the likes of Talking Heads and Bloc Party, with a smidge of the artier Radiohead-esque stuff on Haley's solo output, a handful of heavier 00s alt rock elements and a teeny bit of their emo leaning roots to boot.

Much like Wet Leg's debut from last year, it doesn't reinvent the genre's wheels, but it's an absolute blast while it's on and is not afraid to have fun in a genre which quite regularly gets its head stuck up its own arse. All is evident from the opening title track. The song is reminiscent of Talking Head's Burning Down The House with its shouty, stomping chorus set against quieter, groovier verses. It wears its influences on its sleeve and is an absolute earworm. The antisocial, paranoid lyrics about minding your own business in a world of shitty chronically online takes means it slides so easily into an indie disco playlist next to the self aware cultural commentary of the likes of All My Friends and Time To Pretend.

The much heavier, grittier The News follows. The sinister, angular guitars and Hayley's manic vocals expressing the personal derangement of down the global news rabbit hole evoke the heavier, darker side of the genre. The track is a full on rager with a killer chorus and bridge, something that is a common theme throughout the record. C'est Comme Ça is one of the weaker cuts here, being a pretty by the numbers and repetitive 2000's style dance punk song, but is absolutely saved by it's powerful and high tension bridge section. Sandwiched in between these two is the absolute gem Running Out Of Time. The track is a super catchy Bloc Party-esque dance punk song absolutely crammed full of hooks. The groove of the track makes you want to get up and move as Hayley goes on these ear-wormy vocal runs. "She's always running out of tiiimee" she sings as she despairs at her constant guilt for not being a perfect person who got everything under control and on time. The track has a tongue in cheek self-awareness to it that like the title track brings a smile to my face every time.

Big Man, Little Dignity is the first time the record slows it down, and is a track I feel quite conflicted on. Instrumentally, it evokes slower post-punk ballads with its gentle strumming guitars and lowkey rhythm section, and Hayley's vocal performance is great. However, what holds the track back for me is the lyrics. The song is a fairly weak willed take down of men in positions of power who take advantage of others. It just comes off so limp for a writer who is normally not afraid to go straight for the jugular, which is something Hayley proves right away on the next track - You First. You First is a complete indulgence into petty revenge. Hayley outright states on the bridge "I never said I wasn't petty". The cathartic lyrics feel so great to belt along to, and you can just feel the anger seething off Haley's voice. The line "Who invited you?" in particular is just so cutting. The heavy, angular rhythm guitars and chiming post-chorus lead guitar elevate the song to a really massive sounding tune. The band then goes and one-ups the intensity on Figure 8, where the aggressiveness and intensity of the instrumental is more alt-rock than post-punk, and Hayley's absolutely soaring vocals reminiscent of the band's more emo roots. The song plays on the idea of going round in circles (or figure eights), and how Hayley never seems to escape her bad habits and vices.

These two songs work as the intense, powerful belters at the centre of the album, with the back end slowing down and becoming more moody and subtle. Liar is a slow arty ballad reminiscent of some of the quieter moments from Hayley's solo records. It's patient and mature, but it doesn't quite have that draw for me that most the track's on the record do. Following this is Crave, which has a very retro post-punk feel to it with its rumbling bassline and chiming lead guitars. Just like the rest of the record, the chorus of the song hits hard and sticks in your head. Closing out the record is the bluesy Thick Skull, which encapsulates the themes of the record really well. The track details how Hayley seems to always attract people who are no good for her and how she becomes invested in the fruitless task of trying to 'fix' them, leaving her worse off for it, blaming her 'thick skull' for these repeated cycles in her life. The track has an off-kilter swagger to it, and linearly builds up the instrumentation to raucous climax.

This Is Why is a really great time, and injecting some fun into a genre that I feel is currently in one of its 'white guys trying a little too hard to sound like The Fall' slumps. It's well written and meaningful without being pretentious or morose. While I'll say the slight bumps in quality mean its not quite on After Laughter's level (and that After Laughter as a whole feels a bit more in depth and tighter in its core themes), its still a damn good time that I'll definitely be playing all year.

Top tracks: This Is Why, The News, Running Out Of Time, You First, Figure 8, Crave, Thick Skull

8/10

The Smile - "A Light For Attracting Attention" (2022)

The Smile is the latest in the long line of Radiohead side projects, consisting of the band's Thom Yorke, Johnny Greenwood alongside drummer Tom Skinner from the jazz band Sons of Kemet. The unveiling of the band and the release of this debut album has been a unique one for the wider Radiohead associated canon, with the band making their debut performance at last years Glastonbury Pilton-party livestream before going quiet for 6 months until the start this year where singles from the record would drop every couple of weeks until the full album released last month. This is in stark contrast to the last few Radiohead albums which would have a pretty quick turn-around between announcement and release, with only one or two singles (or maybe even none) released beforehand. And as each of the six singles released, I found myself thinking with each one, "This sounds just like a Radiohead song, why is it coming from a new side project just to sound like the main band?"

But after hearing the record in full, I think that's kind of the point. Each Radiohead record over the past 25 years has been something new from the last, whereas A Light For Attracting Attention feels like a conglomeration of a lot of the sounds and styles that were new and novel on those records. Besides from not featuring half the members, if this was labelled a Radiohead record, I feel it would be considered a disappointment for not being something wholly new and fresh. Not to say that the album cover any new territory of its own, because it certainly does. The record has a straightforwardness to it, lyrically and in terms of song structure, which brings out a post-punk energy to the thing that most Radiohead albums don't really veer into. However, it still retains its artiness with the record being the most indebted to krautrock and jazz since Amnesiac.

The record opens with the pulsating electronics of The Same, a slowly building linear tune where Thom Yorke proclaims "We all want the same". This is the first introduction to the major theme of the record, blunt political venting. The lyrics on the album are pretty easy to follow, compared to Thom's usual cryptic, word-salad approach to lyrics. This track is immediately followed by The Opposite, a tune built around a jangly, repetitive guitar groove and features lyrics juxtaposing the universalism of the opener, drawing lines in the sand between the people and "the opposite" (i.e. the ruling classes). This leads into the first single and real highlight of the record, the noisy and scrappy You Will Never Work In Television Again which tears down gross men in positions in power - making specific reference to Harvey Weinstein and Berlusconi.

Pana-vision is the first of the jazz infused cuts on the album, building tension through its ascending piano line which doesn't quite resolve. The horn and sting sections on the track sound emasculate and Thom's vocal performance is stunning. The Smoke is an interesting fusion of a simple post-punk guitar loop and jazz instrumentation. While the upper layers of the track sound great, the base loop is a little too repetitive and simple for me, meaning the song only really gets interesting when the jazz elements come in. However they don't progress into much, leaving the song feeling a little flat.

Thin Thing is a hypnotic and raucous krautrock jam that throws tightness to the wind, making the song feel really chaotic as Greenwood's heavily distorted guitar winds round and round and the layers and effects build up in the track. It might be my favourite of the record. It feels like being caught up in a random storm that has appeared out of nowhere and you are entirely disorientated. We Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings has a similar bite to it, although sounding more straightforward and direct. It feels like the little brother to In Rainbows' Bodysnatchers with its crunchy guitars and snarled vocals. A Hairdryer is a twangy and groovy song that has a great moment where the track builds and builds to a climax that doesn't actually come, instead moving into a much more restrained lengthy outro, which I think is quite a creative and subversive bit of song writing.

Two ballads sit at the centre of the record, being Open The Floodgates and Free In the Knowledge. The former features Thom crooning about fame and the expectations of live shows, where fans only want to see the singles and not the slow deep cuts and heart wrenching moments. The song is pretty beautiful with the twinkling electronics and piano chords. Free In The Knowledge is a more traditional acoustic rock ballad about hoping for better days and the concepts of 'the truth will come out' and free speech. Its perfectly serviceable, however doesn't quite do it for me. It just feels a little impersonal for a slow acoustic ballad. There is also a moment on the song which Thom sounds like Chris Martin, which exemplifies the sort of nearly-radio 2 listener appropriate the song comes across.

The record closes with Skrting On the Surface, which brings back the jazz elements from earlier on in the record and has existed as a half finished Radiohead song for years (occasionally being played at live shows). Much like The Smoke, the jazz instrumentation lifts this song up considerably, with the base song kind of feeling like it never ended up on a project before now for a reason. Its just okay, not awful but not remarkable either. The swells of saxophone also feel sort of bolted onto the track to give it some weight and intensity to end the album on and don't really gel all that well with the core song here.

ALFAA is a good album, Thom and Johnny are insanely talented songwriters and there are some great moments on here. However it does feel a little unremarkable considering it sounds so similar to a main Radiohead album and doesn't do that much that we haven't already heard from them. There's no serious dips in quality here or weird diversions into completely different styles, so as an album in itself it flows really well and is easy to listen to. It's basically more Radiohead if you like Radiohead.

Top Tracks: You Will Never Work In Television Again, Pana-vision, Thin Thing, Open The Floodgates, A Hairdryer, We Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings

7/10

Fontaines D.C. - "Skinty Fia" (2022)

Fontaines D.C. have come back quickly with their third album, and following the singles released beforehand I have been very exited for it. The band has delved further into the gothic rock sounds of A Hero's Death, creating a record even darker and gloomier than that one. The tone and atmosphere is also more grimier and grittier than the last album's dejectedness, there's a bit more angst and bite showing through. This is exemplified by the lead single, Jackie Down The Line. The song sounds like a gnarled, bastardised version of Bigmouth Strikes Again with its jangly riff and lyrics characterising the self-sabotaging and self-doubting side of ourselves that we all have as this omnipresent and sinister character of Jackie.

This sinister underbelly is carried through the next couple of singles, I Love You and the title track. I Love You initially calls back to The Cure's Lovesong in both its memorable guitar line and lyrics about complete devotion to someone (or something). While initially appearing as a more standard love song, the track is about the band's love for their home country, Ireland, despite acknowledging all of its faults. These themes rear their head in the second half where the track flips on its head and frontman Grian Chatten doesn't shy away from any topic, from the country's economic struggles, to high male suicide rate, to the influence and atrocities of the Catholic Church. It is such an effective communication of the duality of national pride and national shame. Skinty Fia also has strong connection to Irish heritage. The name translates to 'The damnation of the deer' in English, and is an old Irish saying referencing the prehistoric Irish elk, who's extinction is traditionally attributed to it's oversized antlers becoming a hindrance rather than benefit - once again fitting in with the themes of misplaced national pride, and the preference of cultural tradition over social progress. The track is accompanied by this semi-industrial, trip hoppy beat that is a real change of pace for the band (who thus far have very much operated within the standard post-punk guitar, bass and drums wheelhouse) and is actually a really good fit for them.

The record opens on a similar note, with the tense and brooding In ár gCroíthe go deo. The title is a Gaelic saying which translates to "in our hearts forever". The phrase was requested by an old Irish lady in England to be on her gravestone, but the church of England refused unless there was an English translation also inscribed. This mix of grief and anger is really effectively conveyed by the meaty and rumbling rhythm guitar and pulsating electronics. It really personifies the feeling of complete injustice and prejudice her family must've been feeling. This rumbling anger is turned into a complete rage for the closer, Nabokov. The track follows the feelings of bitterness and self-deprecation someone can feel when devoted to someone, with the guitars are distorted and roaring and Chatten basically shouting to reflect this.

While a really like everything I have mentioned so far, the record does fall back in a couple of places. Big Shot and How Cold Love Is are pretty run of the mill post-punk that don't really do much unique; although I do enjoy the Interpol-esque interplay between the chiming lead guitar and Chatten's vocals on the latter. It just doesn't quite have the hook to get it over the line and make it something special. Bloomsday and Roman Holiday on the other hand are two really good songs that are a bit marred by their production. Both songs are layered up with loads of layer of reverb and just end up feeling kind of smudgy. This is really disappointing in the case of Roman Holiday because the song at the core of it is perhaps one of the best the band has ever written, and I find myself singing it to myself; but whenever I actually listen to it I can't help but think it would sound much better if it wasn't quite so washed out. The Couple Across The Way is a stripped back ballad featuring only Grian Chatten and an accordion. It's a decent song, although doesn't really get me like the ballads from A Hero's Death (Sunny and No). It also feels kind of jarring in its placement in the record, being straight between the much more heavily produced Roman Holiday and Skinty Fia.

The best of Skinty Fia is the best material Fontaines D.C. have produced so far, and the lyrical content is certainly the meatiest of the three records. However, the slight inconsistencies mean that it hasn't quite reached the level of A Hero's Death in terms of enjoyment over the entire runtime. It's still a really good record though and I'm excited for where the band are going with the more heady and cerebral themes.

Top Tracks: In ár gCroíthe go deo, Jackie Down The Line, Skinty Fia, I Love You, Nabokov,

7/10

Wet Leg - "Wet Leg" (2022)

With the return of all things 2000s over the past couple of years, including pop punk and nu-disco dance pop, it's no surprise that Wet Leg have been hyped up as the harbingers of the return of 2000's indie rock. Breaking through with the internet hit Chaise Longue last year, a cheeky and irreverent post-punk tune with a sense of fun that the genre has seriously been lacking for the past half a decade. (As great as bands like IDLES and Fontaines D.C are, they're hardly what you'd call fun). This attitude has been carried out through the rest of the singles the band dropped and now their debut record as well.

The record also smartly avoids the trappings that sank the genre back in the late noughties, being a collection of tightly written songs that don't outstay their welcome - as opposed to the repetitive 'laddish' anthems desperate for teenage guys with dark fruits to overplay at festival campsites. The songs are produced much more in the less-is-more approach of the trailblazers of the genre like The Strokes, rather than the overly compressed, everything and the kitchen sink mess that so much 2000s rock became. Rhian Teesdale's vocals also set her apart from many of the acts the band are calling back to, dynamically shifting from a nonchalant drawl akin to Julian Casablancas to a Kate Bush-esque yelp, to spoken word, to riot grrl sarcasm and aggression. 

The opener Being In Love exemplifies this clever simplicity well, being a song about all the cliché negative feelings associated with romance - e.g. feeling sick and lethargic. But instead of comparing love to these things, the theme is inverted and Rhian lists these feelings and concludes to them feeling like being in love. Combined with the swirling, detuned guitar lines; it makes the track a whole lot of fun. The irreverence of Chaise Longue is carried through the other singles with Angelica being about shit parties in your mid-20s where no-one knows whether to go wild like they used to or to act like sophisticated adults and bring some lasagne. The track has this thick and noisy post chorus instrumentation that is surprisingly heavy. Wet Dream sees Teesdale imagine what a certain guy's fantasies may be, with ridiculous scenarios described over a catchy dance-punk groove. Ur Mum, much like Chaise Longue, is a simple post-punk tune with some glorious lyrics tearing into an ex-lover who just lazes around smoking weed all day. "I feel sorry for your mum" is as about as blunt as it can get. The song closes out with Rhian proclaiming to give her longest and loudest scream, before going ahead and showing us. All of these songs are just so fun and catchy.

The slower tracks also hold up pretty well too, leaning into the more neo-psych territory. I Don't Wanna Go Out ebbs and flows through its lose and swirling structure. The track is about growing out of party culture and feels like the hazy hangover that becomes more frequent as you get older. Loving You and Piece Of Shit are cathartically bitter ballads about shitty guys, matched to lethargic and hazy guitars. The closer Too Late Now is also a bit more of a slow builder, despite in actuality being about the same length as all the other songs. The song is about the uncertainty and pressures of young adult life, and how sometimes you only need simple pleasures despite what is told to us. The track builds in pace from a sluggish first verse, into a tense spoken word middle section, before exploding for the remainder of the tune.

There are a couple of moments where the record feels a little derivative, primarily the repetitive 2 chord garage rock riff of Oh No (despite some great lyrics and vocal moments from Teesdale) and the underwritten Supermarket. Supermarket really feels like filler to be honest, it's repetitive and not all that catchy or unique - especially compared to some of the earworm singles earlier on in the record.

Wet Leg is just a fun, well written indie rock album. What it does might not be the most revolutionary thing, but it does it well. I just can't imagine anyone listening to a track like Angelica or Ur Mum and not having a smile on their face. I know it'll be in my rotation for the whole summer at the very least.

Top Tracks: Being In Love, Chaise Longue, Angelica, I Don't Wanna Go Out, Wet Dream, Loving You, Ur Mum, Piece Of Shit, Too Late Now

8/10

IDLES - "CRAWLER" (2021)

New Year, last years albums! After a hectic 2021, hopefully 2022 will have a little more time for the blog. I'm aiming for posting roughly once a week-ish, so we'll see whether I'll keep it up. Anyway, IDLES came around with their fourth record, CRAWLER, at the back end of last year, and has come across to the slightly more critical reception of their last album, Ultra Mono. I really liked it, being my first proper introduction to the band. However, a lot of fans / critics felt the band were becoming caricature of themselves - the hardcore punk sound played out and the sloganistic lyrics too on the nose and shallow. CRAWLER, on the other hand, takes the band further into their more cerebral post-punk tendencies, with a greater emphasis on subtler guitar and electronic textures and more personal, reflective lyrics.

The bulk of CRAWLER revolves around singer Joe Talbot's journey out of substance abuse, making the record a much more sombre and moody one than Ultra Mono. This is exemplified by the opener, MTT 420 RR, where slow fizzling synths lead into Talbot's detached vocals. "It was February, It was cold and I was high" he sings over and over. The song is about a car accident he had while under the influence, and features some truly violent, horrific imagery. Obviously exaggerated (as he is still alive), but Talbot sings about seeing his own spinal chord. It's the bleakest moment on the album and very much a tone setter.

However the tone is a bit all over the place, which is this records biggest problem. The following track, The Wheel, follows in this dark path lyrically, detailing Talbots struggles pre-IDLES with finding a job and looking after his chronically ill mother when everyone around him had turned their back - besides his drug dealer, keeping him in 'the wheel'. However, the song musically is very much standard IDLES, and really doesn't convey the weight and trauma of the situation effectively. This tonal whiplash is at it's worst at the back end of the record. Progress is a fairly uneventful, low-key, electronic mood piece which is then followed by the 30 second thrash-punk of Wizz and then the most run of the mill IDLES sounding song on the album, King Snake. I get the thematic journey of the sequence, being that progress is about recovering from addiction, Wizz is the short high during a relapse and King Snake details the comedown and feelings of failure and depression that follow. However, Wizz is gone in a flash and King Snake doesn't sound like the themes it is trying to convey - it sounds like usual IDLES.

Not to say that the album is a swing and miss, because it very much isn't. It feels like more of a half step than a full embrace of a new sonic path. There are songs that marry IDLES' older style with these new themes quite well. Stockholm Syndrome and Meds are more righteous in there approach, calling out people who judge addicts and Talbot calling out his past self for all the damage his addiction caused, which suits the bands blaring guitars and thunderous drums more than some of the more harrowing moments on the album. However the best songs on the album (alongside MTT 420 RR) are the two most left field (also the two singles surprisingly). Car Crash builds on the hints of electro-industrial and noise rock from Ultra Mono and chugs away and builds with so much momentum, until the inevitable release where Talbot realises he is a 'car crash'. The Beachland Ballroom, on the other hand, is the grounding weight and heart of the album. It is a punked up soul tune with so much passion and expression in Talbots voice. It's the moment of connection and humanity that keeps the album from being too sour and depressing. The record also closes well, with Talbot coming out the other end on The End, singing the mantra "In spite of it all, life is beautiful". It gives the record a full, satisfying arc and progression.

While the lyrics and themes on the record are really detailed, interesting and well constructed; the album as a whole feels more like a half step into a new sound - leaving it a bit caught in no mans land. It's unsure whether to be sombre and dejected, or angular and abrasive, or loud and righteous. It lacks the energy and fire of Ultra Mono, but doesn't go all in on anything to replace it. There are still some top notch tunes on the album, and it's greater depth is probably going to win back a lot of people that thought Ultra Mono was a little too lightweight.

Top Tracks: MTT 420 RR, Car Crash, Stockholm Syndrome, The Beachland Ballroom, Meds, The End

6/10

black midi - "Cavalcade" (2021)

 

black midi burst onto the scene in 2019 with Schlagenheim, a mesmerising collision of post-punk, noise rock and experimental rock that was attention grabbing if a little too over the top and headache inducing. They have returned with their sophomore record, Cavalcade, which while retaining the core of the band's identity also takes some drastic sonic changes which I personally think have really paid off.

Gone are most of the harshest post-hardcore and noise rock tendancies, instead the band opt to incorporate orchestral and jazz instrumentation to fill out the cacophonous walls of sound that is characteristic of their style. What results is a record that can be equally as loud as Schlagenheim, but nowhere near as draining due to the sheer colour and verity of not just tracks, but individual sections of tracks also. The dynamics of these songs also feel far more loose and natural than on the debut, swelling into climaxes and ebbing back into spaces to catch your breath, as opposed to the whiplash nature of the first record.

Furthermore, Cavalcade feels like a tighter, more structured album. The sequencing gives each of the 8 tracks a sense of place and purpose. The first half matches the louder, more intense moments with ones that let you catch your breath; and the second half progresses from the gentle and serene post-rock of Diamond Stuff, through the progressively louder Dethroned into Hogwash and Balderdash which is as loud and colourful as the first few tracks. All of this leads into the final track, Ascending Forth, which is a grand theatrical finish for the record. It has a more intentional structure and flow the Schlagenheim which only adds to it's listenability.

The record opens with John L, which is probably the most brash and in your face song on the record. It feels very much like a mission statement, as if black midi are announcing their new sound. It comes crashing in with a complex, jarring rhythm and syncopated strings that produce so much tension. It then judders and rolls into the first section of vocals on the record; which Geordie Greep has taken a different approach than on the first album. While still bizarre and detached, they're not quite as intensely insane as the first record, which I think I prefer. He sounds more like some kind of profit of the apocalypse rather than a madman on here. The track then switches between this initial rhythmic section and a couple of quieter jazz and post-rock inspired sections that constantly mixes things up. The following track, Marlene Dietrich, couldn't be further from this. It's a loose and classical inspired art rock tune that's fairly straightforward in the grand scheme of the album.

Chondromalacia Patella is returns to the complex grooves of John L, but instead of throwing it all in our faces at once, it slowly builds and builds to a complete cacophony of sound and noise that somewhat comically ends in the sound of a whistling bomb. The slow linear build of the song allows for time to appreciate all of its elements and makes it probably my favourite of the entire record. Slow doubles down on the hypnotic grooves and jazzier elements, being subtler and more reserved than the tracks that come before it while still being quite frantic and manic.

The multi song build from Diamond Stuff through Hogwash and Balderdash is really great sequencing in my opinion that reinforces each of the tracks qualities. Diamond Stuff is beautiful and meditative while still being quite eerie and off-putting, and is a perfect moment to reset in the middle of the album after the manic first half. It slowly gains more traction as it progresses, blossoming into this really ethereal groove that sounds like some sort of awakening for the character of the track. This is quickly shifted up a gear by Dethroned, the most straightfoward post-punk the record gets. It grows noisier and messier as it goes and is the closest thing to Schlagenheim on the album. It works as a breath of fresh air from the more technical, proggier stuff that makes up everything else here. The chaotic and complex rhythms return with Hogwash and Balderdash, looping it back round to the start of the record before the big finale. 

Ascending Forth works as a big theatrical closer, but I haven't really been able to connect with it. I think it's due to the track coming across like a bit of an in joke within the scene, much like some of the moments on the Black Country, New Road record I reviewed earlier this year. Greep repeatedly sings "everybody loves ascending fourths", taking the piss out of the common music trope while also conveying the idea of some sort of heavenly ascension with the synonym in the title. Unfortunately it doesn't really land for me.

Aside from a couple of moments, this record builds on Schlagenheim in every way. It's better constructed, impressively technical and feels like it has more heart to it, being less reliant on attention grabbing gimmicks. The collision of Jazz and Classical with post-punk and progressive rock is really impressive. However I do feel that black midi are still a band that I admire rather than love, and for a lot of people I know the lack of any relatability will be a huge turn off. But for anyone already onboard, Cavalcade shows the band growing into something really quite special.

Top Tracks: John L, Chondromalacia Patella, Slow, Diamond Stuff, Dethroned, Hogwash and Balderdash

8/10

Black Country, New Road - "For the first time" (2021)

 

Hailing from the same scene that launched black midi into the music-nerd sphere, Black Country, New Road have been gaining a lot of hype for their debut record For the first time. I put it on for the first time a few weeks ago and I am totally on board with the praise the album has been getting. Much like black midi, the group is broadly categorised as experimental post-punk but that label doesn't really express the shear amount of genres the band seamlessly encompasses into each of the 6 tracks here. Elements of post-rock and progressive rock are effortlessly woven with jazz and jazz-rock, and the group even heavily incorporates klezmer (a type of Eastern European Jewish folk music) into the first and last tracks. It is so dense with each new moment brimming with new ideas and approaches.

At 40 minutes and only 6 tracks, each track is long and given time and space to grow and permutate into completely different forms. Everything also sounds so clear, it's not experimental in it's production techniques, allowing for the tightness of the compositions and performances to really shine. The record feels very segmented, with each song feeling very separate and compartmentalised from each other; but because the band commits to this it works. It feels like a series of 6 vignettes than one feature film. However, they all follow similar themes and concepts with frontman Isaac Wood's eclectic lyrics detailing stories about characters that are seemingly experiencing complete mental dysfunction and breakdowns. These first person perspective tracks go into such excruciating detail about minute and mundane things that it almost comes across as comic at some points. And I believe that it's intentional, these characters are losing their minds, it is supposed to sound hysterical.

The record opens with the introductory Instrumental. This track starts with a simple math rock groove before being quickly smothered by the Klezmer instrumentation of woodwind and trumpets. The track builds and builds to this super kinetic climax and breakdown. The descending melodies just make you want to move and gets the adrenaline pumping hard. Athens, France couldn't be more different. Starting of as a post-punk song, the track then shifts to film noir reminiscent jazz with a recurring James Bond-esque swell, before settling out into a serene chiming guitar led outro. It's dynamic but also quite gentle, which is in contrast Isaac's disturbed lyrics which seem to reference the demise of the group's predecessor, Nervous Condition, which disbanded due to sexual harassment claims against that group's lead singer. It comes across as almost a severe sense of shame that the band has inherited NC's members (bar the vocalist), musical style and potentially legacy. It's a complex emotion and masked under layers of subversion and diverting lines referencing speakers and Phoebe Bridgers.

The next two tracks are the most deranged on the record and the most reminiscent of their scene contemporaries, black midi. Science Fair unravels as this song that is about the protagonist's obsession with a woman that he meets in multiple situations, the titular science fair and then the Cirque du Soleil, or at least he thinks he meets her, he's that obsessed. It implies that maybe he's attacked her (or who he thinks is her) by the end of the song and runs off into the distance, but the details are murky and vague like some sort of fever dream. Musically, this is paired with a noisy and discordant combination of distorted guitars and wild horns and sax. Sunglasses, similarly tells the story of a 20-something that feels so lost and worthless that he's verging on a breakdown. Until he puts on a pair of sunglasses, in an effort to hide his vulnerability from the world. However this clearly isn't working as Isaac screams "I'm more than adequate, leave your Sertraline in the cabinet", as if he's trying to convince himself that he's okay and doesn't need the antidepressants that have been proscribed to him.

The only drawbacks the album has is that is so lyrically intense and somewhat pretentious that not every moment or lyric lands for me. The album feels like it's stuffed full of in-jokes and winks and nods to people involved with the scene, and when the band tries to go for something more relatable and straight up on Track X, it doesn't come across like they really are. The track just feels like it has dialled back on the eccentricity and insanity. However the record does end on a strong point, bringing back the Klezmer and combining it more with post-punk and experimental rock instrumentation and structures.

For the first time is certainly not a record for everyone, it's obnoxious and fairly pretentious, but it is so well composed and performed with really unique song structures and topics that never gets old. It has so many twists and turns and is nothing but exhilarating.

Top Tracks: Instrumental, Athens, France, Science Fair, Sunglasses, Opus

8/10

Talking Heads - "Talking Heads: 77" (1977)

2021 has been the year I've really got into Talking Heads. I've known some of their biggest singles since childhood, and I've absolutely adored their magnum opus 1980's Remain In Light for a few years now; but this year has been the first time I've properly given the time to listen to their other records. Furthermore, I was gifted a record player for my birthday this year alongside this record so I feel like I should talk about it on the blog.

Talking Heads: 77 is the band's first record and is very much a skeletal blueprint of genre-melting fusion of post-punk, new wave, funk and dance music that the group would go onto produce on their later records. It's very simple and straight to the point, the tracks presented in this very raw, direct and intentional way. It's an album not bothered by pretence or concept, and I feel it makes it an incredibly replayable record because of it. It's 11 short, punchy, well written and interesting songs. Some might view the simplicity of this album as it being short on ideas, but it's got oodles of creativity and individuality, just presented in this really no-nonsense way.

The core of these songs is front man David Byrne's enigmatic and charismatic performance and his interplay with the simple and funky musical backing provided by the rest of the band. Byrne sings in this awkward, nasal and rhythmic way, shifting his tone and emphasis with each syllable of each word. At points it sounds like he's using his voice as an additional percussive instrument rather than singing in a traditional smooth, soulful way. Not that it isn't an emotional performance, as Byrne sounds really passionate, just not in a traditional way. This is matched by equally awkward and detached lyrics, where Byrne discusses a very literal interpretation of the world around him. He is baffled by how other people approach the problems in his life and they're emotional engagement in things beyond there control. One of the best tracks on the record, No Compassion, features the particular lyric "Talk to your analysist, isn't that what they're payed for" in reference to his complete disinterest in other people's benign struggles. He even presents love in this straightforward, matter of fact way; stripping it of all its mystic and glamour.

The tracks are also musically full of ideas, and are really dynamic and kinetic. Each song is built from a simple drum beat and a funky, dancy bass riff with whatever guitar lick, vocal inflection Byrne feels like doing, and additional instrumentation on top. The opener, Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town is one of the simplest tunes on the record, being this kind of stripped back disco meets post-punk song, but the simplicity makes room for one of the more exuberant Byrne performances on the record. Who Is It? is the shortest and one of the most whacky cuts with chunky, funky guitars and Byrne chanting "Who is it?" over and over. No Compassion builds and grows more aggressive as Byrne becomes more and more frustrated with other peoples problems. The now iconic single, Psycho Killer, features really tense post-punk instrumentation and harsh staccato vocals from Byrne. First Week / Last Week... Carefree has these calypso-style sax breaks and Tentative Decisions has this dance breakdown in it which sounds like something you'd find in an alt dance or Italo-house song from the early 90s. The closer Pulled Up is particularly memorable with the chorus constantly ascending the scales and this vibrant and dramatic way.

TH:77 is a great record, but for me somewhat will always stand in the shadow of the phenomenal music the would make further into their career. However, these are still really well written post-punk and new wave tunes that are effortlessly replayable. For some people, this record might be easier to get into than some of their later releases due to it's simplicity and catchiness.

Top Tracks: Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town, Tentative Decisions, Who Is It?, No Compassion, First Week / Last Week.. Carefree, Psycho Killer, Pulled Up

8/10

IDLES - "Ultra Mono"

Let's get on the IDLES hype train. I've been aware of IDLES for a couple of years, due to the critical acclaim their second record received, but didn't actually ever listen to them until Ultra Mono came out last month. So as a newcomer to the band, Ultra Mono has really impressed me as a really intense, ferocious punk album with thick, gritty instrumentation that incorporates ambitious post-punk and noise rock elements; and angry, politically disenfranchised sloganeering from frontman Joe Talbot.

The basis of every track here is the loud, pummelling drums and gnarled and grizzly bass riffs that just propel each song along with so much energy and aggression. Layered on top is the relentless lead guitars and Talbots sung / shouted vocals that sound somewhere between jaded sarcasm and complete fury. Despite the sheer intensity and volume of these songs, they're actually constructed in quite a delicate way to accentuate the bouncy grooves or the more post-punky elements such as the electronic and industrial parts of  the tracks Grounds and Reigns. Anxiety slowly gains tempo and becomes more chaotic and noisy as the track progresses, reflecting the themes within the song. The lyrics of the album are as equally relentless as the instrumentation, raging over one socio-political grievance after another. The aforementioned Anxiety addresses the complete lack of control over ones life someone can feel in current society and how it can feel overwhelming to simply exist sometimes. Reigns and Carcinogenic slam down on class inequality and War is aggressively anti-war. Joe essentially declares war on war with the opening line, "THIS MEANS WAR".

Some of the tracks take themselves slightly less seriously, and are probably the most straightforward punk on the album. However they don't feel as consistently impactful as the more aggressive and serious songs. Model Village is excellent, and something I can relate to well, growing up in a village filled with stuck up gammons like the ones described in the song. The surf-rock guitar solo is also a load of fun too. Mr. Motivator and Ne Touche Pas Moi aren't quite as impactful though. Mr. Motivator takes the piss out of the idea that you have to always be motivated and productive, and is a fun song, but lacks depth of some of the other tracks on the album. Ne Touche Pas Moi is a track about toxic masculinity and how women are often treated in public from the perspective of a women. You can tell from the performances that the band are leaning into the irony that they're a bunch of middle-class white guys singing the song from the perspective of a marginalised person, and Jenny Beth from Savages does provide backing vocals; but something about the song that just feels a little off. It's like the message of the song feels slightly forced, compared to some of the other statements on the record.

The only real slowdown on the record is the penultimate song, A Hymn. This track is a moody and atmospheric post-punk slow burn, which builds in intensity as Talbot repeatedly sings "I wanna be loved, everybody does". It's about as personal and emotional as the record goes, and does a great job functioning as a bridge between the political rage of the other tracks and genuine human emotion outside of that bubble. This leads into the loud and thunderous closer, Danke, which returns to the choppy and raw post-hardcore instrumentation, but sticks with the emotional themes of A Hymn, with Joe declaring "True love will find you in the end". Its a hopeful way to end a record that's for the most part very angry and discontent.

Ultra Mono is a brutal 40 minutes of ferocious but carefully constructed rage, and I think its great. I've heard that the record hasn't been met with quite the same level of praise that the band's first two albums were, so I'm really intrigued about how good those albums must be if Ultra Mono is considered a bit weaker.

Top Tracks: Grounds, Anxiety, Model Village, Carcinogenic, Reigns, The Lover, A Hymn

8/10

Fontaines D.C. - "A Hero's Death" (2020)

I was turned onto Fontaines D.C. by my dad just before the release of this record, saying they sounded somewhere between Joy Division and Arctic Monkeys. And their debut very much fit that description, a moody but breakneck selection of straight to the point post-punk songs. A Hero's Death, on the other hand, delves deeper into the slower, darker and more intense side of post-punk. Keeping with the Joy Division comparisons, its very much more Closer than Unknown Pleasures. The songs are slower and more drawn out, being slow burns that let you sink into the atmospheric bass grooves and Grian Chatten's repetitive, mantra-esque lyrics.

Lyrically, the album starts sad and stays there for its 46 minute runtime. Focusing on the complete social and political disenfranchisement that can lead to the feelings of depression and emptiness. These tracks are so desolate and defeated that even the repeated mantras that Chatten sings sound almost half hearted like he doesn't even really believe them. "Love is the main thing" he repeatedly sings on the second track, but it doesn't sound like he feels any love, it sounds like him clinging to the idea of love to give life some meaning and purpose. It's bleak stuff.

The album also hits the post-punk sweet spot musically, opening with the foggy and slow duo of I Don't Belong and Love Is The Main Thing. The gnarled but restrained rhythm sections sound near enough gothic, interlocking with the twangy but low in the mix lead guitar. These tracks sound like a wet and cold November evening. Especially Love Is The Main Thing with its vibrato effected guitar and references to rain in the lyrics. Televised Mind picks up the tempo for the first time in the record, as everything becomes heavier and the vocal delivery more twisted and cynical. The pummelling bass sounds like some rage filled late night drive, with a whining lead guitar solo just to add to the intensity. A Lucid Dream sounds exactly like its title suggests, a delusional nightmare that's completely disorienting. The back half just descends into noisy madness.

The only time the record tries to dig itself out of the depths is on the title track, a song built around a slightly less bitter and sad guitar line and "ooh ooh" backing vocals, where Chatten repeats the mantra of "Life ain't always empty" over, and lists off ways to make yourself feel happier and more fulfilled in life. It's the kind of track that could come of cringy and overly sentimental, but the band pull it off very well. I Was Not Born is also more uptempo, but its more of an angry anti-capitalist anthem than a 'things can get better' song. The Closer, No, is also a real gem. It's a slow, drawn out ballad that's tinged with hope, but ultimately gets bogged back down in despair, which is a perfect representation of the album as a whole, and the view of life it's trying to present. It is darkly bittersweet.

A Hero's Death is a really solid post-punk record. It just does everything a record like this should to a T. Some might feel that this makes it an inferior imitation of the classics, but for me it just hits the right buttons just like they do. It's another record to add to the list of what to listen to when I'm in the mood for depressing post-punk.

Top Tracks: I Don't Belong, Love Is The Main Thing, Televised Mind, A Lucid Dream, A Hero's Death, No

8/10

black midi - "Schlagenheim" (2019)

I've been intending to talk about black midi's debut record, Schlagenheim, since last year. However, it's the kind of record that I have to be in a very specific mood for, as it is a very loud, erratic and abrasive album. When I am in the right mood for it, I have a really enjoyable time - but that isn't all that often. Schlagenheim mixes hypnotic math rock grooves with post-hardcore and noise rock instrumentation so loud and abrasive it feels like your ears are about explode; alongside experimental song structures with multiple passages and a positively deranged vocal delivery from frontman Geordie Greep.

The first thing which greets you in the opening track, 953, is a super noisy thrashing on all the instruments before the song settles into a very minimal and restrained section with the first bit of vocals on the album. Greep sounds like some sort of weird, twisted preacher talking about condemnation and sins. The loud thrashing then return momentarily before the second verse follows the first in a more restrained style. The track closes out with an even more manic instrumental section featuring erratic piano notes. The following track, Speedway, couldn't be more different. It features this really tight math rock groove that sounds really clean and hypnotic, with vocals from bassist Cameron Picton rambling about houses and building codes. It makes the track sound sort of Talking Heads-y to an extent.

This erratic nature is carried throughout the entire album, with the short, linear, pummelling nature of Reggae and Near DT, MI followed by the 8-minute multi-section Western. The gentle parts of this song are definitely the most serene the album gets, and the louder sections sound oddly triumphant. I think this is due to Greep's extremely eccentric delivery combined with the electronic swells in the background. The back half of the track gains some grit as the groove speeds up and up, before blindsiding you with a sudden switch back to the gentle first part of the song.

I do find that the album does get a bit much in the second half, with Greep's vocals becoming consistently more deranged and possessed, and the harsh, distorted loudness more persistent. The vocals on bmbmbm (yes that is the title of the track...) are something that has really stuck with me because of how insane (and frankly pretty offputting) they are. Greep repeats the line "she moves with a purpose" over and over like some sort of lunatic stalker over an incredibly tense and harsh repeated bassline. The screams and laughs at the back of the mix only add to the insanity of the track.

The closer, Ducter, is one of the most restrained and sane tracks on the album, and its one of my favourites. The track is built off this chiming, repeated guitar pattern and a rising and falling bass. Greep's vocals are a step down from the relentless insanity and are pretty intelligible. The track slowly builds up to its climax, with each element introduced one at a time; with the track never being overcome by the noise. Greep sing's "You will not break me" with the same sort of eccentric triumphance as he does on Western.

This album is certainly not for everyone, and I have to be in the right mood to enjoy it. But there is a sense of virtuosity and daringness to just how unique it is that I really respect. However I think it is just too standoff-ish and challenging for me to ever really love. To be honest, a lot of my appreciation for individual tracks on the record has been through them coming up on shuffle, where I can move onto something else afterwards so the relentless noise doesn't drain me.

Top Tracks: 953, Speedway, Reggae, Western, Ducter

7/10