Ed O'Brien - "Blue Morpho" (2026)

For those who don't know, Ed O'Brien is Radiohead's lesser well known guitarist after Jonny Greenwood. Unlike Greenwood (and most other members of the band), he never really engaged in any side projects outside of the band. That all changed in 2020 when O'Brien released his first solo record, Earth, under the moniker EOB. While an enjoyable album, it felt a little tepid and unsure of itself. It had its foot in a handful of genres, but never went all in on any. The whole context around the album does point to some clues: Ed's choice to go by a moniker, the fact that it was pieced together on-and-off for the majority of the 2010s, and he even at one point considered to get Thom Yorke to do the vocals as he didn't feel comfortable being front and centre.

It's taken long enough for a follow up that I thought that maybe it was a once and done thing for Ed. Admittedly the pandemic scuppered touring plans for Earth and Radiohead finally returned from their touring hiatus in 2025, but 6 years is still a long time. It's been a long time for Ed as well, who has been quite candid in the promo for this release that in the intervening time he became quite depressed, feeling like he was both over being in Radiohead and not knowing who he should be outside of it. Similarly to the driving themes behind Earth, he took solace in being in nature and recording music by himself, at his own pace. Thankfully, Ed has come out of this dark period and has resulted in him being more confident and secure in his own artistic abilities and work. What has resulted is him ditching the EOB moniker and creating an album that is a much more confident and creatively daring (and overall better). 

Blue Morpho follows on from the folkier side of Earth, but mixes in a lot of post-rock and early Pink Floyd-esque psych rock, which results in quite a chill and formless record that effortlessly ebbs and flows between its moods and moments. Some of the tracks even veer into ambient territory. The nearly 8 minute opener, Incantations, gently eases you into the record with gentle chiming guitars and subtle effects, before slowly building over the course of its run. First comes in Ed's soothing, hypnotic vocals; then the drums and bass, and ultimately layering up the mix into something that feels both grand and understated at the same time. It progresses through a couple of stages where the song is stripped back to various different instrumental sections then built all the way back up again. It's a great opener and tone setter for the rest of the record. The 6 minute title track follows with much more ornate and pretty chamber folk instrumentation. The strummed guitar is matched with swooning strings and field recordings of chirping birds. It has a cinematic quality to it. I could see it fitting in perfectly alongside the transition to an exotic location in a Bond film, for example. 

The middle of the record pairs back the expansive song lengths somewhat, but the tracks still have a lot to offer with plenty of intricate moments. Sweet Spot starts as a gentle acoustic strummed tune, but the layers once again build up and a subtle samba rhythm emerges from the beat. Teachers is easily the most 'rockiest' and Radiohead-y of the songs here, sounding like a looser and less neurotic version of the kinetic grooves present on National Anthem, complete with spooky and disorientating effects and processed, distant vocals. However, where National Anthem descends into pure madness, Teachers pulls itself out with a triumphant guitar line and soaring vocals.

Solfeggio and Thin Places are essentially short ambient interlude tracks that give a little breathing room between Teachers and the closer, Obrigado. Solfeggio feels straight out of David Bowie's Low (I will finish the David Bowie reviews, I promise) with its subtle pulsating electronic bassline and fuzzy lead synths. Thin Places, on the other hand feels way more organic, as the main instrument in the mix is a super reverby and layered up panpipe. Obrigado then comes swinging in as the cool, confident closer; as Ed sings "Sunny days, sunny days awaiting me" against a bossa nova rhythm and jazzy keys and bluesy guitars. It's a song about coming through trouble to sunny days ahead and feels so triumphant and joyous. Much like the opening tracks, it's long and expansive (10 minutes in this case), and at the half way point it goes full prog rock and transitions into a second section that includes a super expressive guitar solo that is given full breathing room to warm up and slowly progress into an dramatic climax to close out the album.

I've been itching to talk about Blue Morpho since my first listen, but I've been too busy this summer to get round to it. And I'm actually glad about that, as it has only grown on me as I have spent more time with it. It has been the perfect soundtrack to these endless heatwaves, and has really seeped into my life. I'm sure it will be in my rotation for many summers to come, a feat the Earth sadly didn't manage. If you're a fan of Radiohead or just looking for something relaxing to stick on while you're enjoying yourself in the sun, I'd really recommend checking this out.

Top Tracks: Incantations, Blue Morpho, Teachers, Solfeggio, Obrigado

8/10

Queens of the Stone Age - "In Times New Roman..." (2023)

It's been 6 years since the last QOTSA record, Villains, in which a lot has happened in the world and in Josh Homme's life personally. Grieving the deaths of several friends and battling cancer himself (which he has since recovered from), all while undergoing a messy divorce; Homme was simply not in the mood to make music. The last point I want to dig into a little further, as it's important not to gloss over difficult topics and 'separate the art from the artist', particularly when this album is clearly shaped by the divorce. Josh's ex-wife Brody Dalle (frontwoman of punk band The Distillers) filed for divorce citing Homme's drug and alcohol usage. During the divorce proceedings she accused Josh of violence towards their children and filed a restraining order on their behalf them, which was subsequently overturned. Josh has now sole custardy of the children and it has been reported that Dalle's current boyfriend forged the restraining orders, however Josh has a history of violent and aggressive behaviour while under the influence so it wouldn't be the hardest thing to imagine - it might just be the case that Josh is the more famous of the two and can afford the better lawyers. I doubt we will ever get the full story, but it's certainly not happy families.

In Times New Roman... follows this turbulent period and is evidently shaped by it, being quite a brooding and jaded record following up on the themes of the impermanence of the world and the people in it established on 2013's stellar ...Like Clockwork. The record as a whole feels much like an amalgamation of Queen's work since Lullabies To Paralyse. It has the sinister and creepy atmosphere from that album, Era Vulgaris' wonkey and weird production, the themes and art rock elements from ...Like Clockwork, and even incorporates some of the glam rock camp from Villains.

Obscenery sets the scene with scrappy guitar led verses leading into cinematic string-laden choruses. The chunky, lopsided production of the song leads you into the albums uneasy and distrustful world, always keeping you just a little bit on edge. This leads into the thrashing rager of Paper Machete. The track is the simplest on the record, being a straightforward alt rock banger akin to some of the bands big hits from the naughties. Time & Place plays with dual time signatures and results in a super groovy and driving tune that spirals into a hypnotic trance. Carnavoyeur is the big cinematic centrepiece of the record, with spooky synths, dramatic vocals and soaring strings. What The Peephole Say is the most tongue in cheek song on the record. It's a cheesy glam throwback song and is just an absolute blast. It would probably fit more at home on Villains with how much lighter it is compared to the rest of the album, but its just so much fun. The record cumulates with its 9-minute behemoth closer, Straight Jacket Fitting. The song encapsulates the albums atmosphere perfectly, progressing through a messy and stumbling first section into a swaggering blues rock second part which slowly phases into a dramatic and anthemic string-backed third portion before circling back to the wonky and uneasy first part, before a final moody acoustic guitar passage closes the album out.

Even the weaker tracks on here have some really interesting ideas and moments that I love, even if the whole tracks don't fully come together. Negative Space has a great chorus reminiscent of the ones on ..LC, as does the lead single Emotion Sickness. "People come and go on the breeze / For a whole life? Possibly..." is one of the best lines on the whole record. Sicily is an incredibly dynamic song with a really creepy atmosphere and only really needs a bit more of a memorable hook to draw me in. And finally, Made to Parade is quite a sluggish plodding song (clearly emulating a parade march) and doesn't do much for me, until about 2/3 of the way through it changes key into its climax, which hits like a truck and I absolutely love.

In Times New Roman... is another good record from Queens, who's releases never really dip too much in quality. Its broody and sinister, and a little bit cynical and definitely hits the mark for me as a whole package. Not every individual moment is the best the band has ever been (both Songs for the Deaf and ...Like Clockwork take a lot of beating), but is still a really solid record on the whole. And the circumstances surrounding the creation of the record are also worth discussing, as regardless of what the truth of what happened during the divorce, there is a longstanding culture of sweeping problematic issues under the rug, particularly involving established rockstars with a legacy and influence (Go look up the 70's LA "baby groupie" scene). Anyway, that's a bit of tangent - the QOTSA album is good.

Top Tracks: Obscenery, Paper Machete, Time & Place, Carnavoyeur, What The Peephole Say, Straight Jacket Fitting

7/10

Pink Floyd - "Dark Side of the Moon" (1973)

So last summer I started listening to Pink Floyd's discography properly, however I ended up only listening to the band's first two albums, and only ended up writing about the first. However a documentary I watched on concept records which featured The Dark Side of the Moon pretty prominently, and its (obvious) inclusion on my '100 Albums to listen to' poster has spurred me on into listening to the groups 8th studio record, regardless of my original intentions of listening along chronologically. I'm glad I did, because Dark Side is a fantastic album, and it is so obvious why it was such a game changing album when it released, and the influence it has had on some of my favourite artists and records is blatant.

Compared to the band's earlier releases, Dark Side is so much more accessible, musically and lyrically. None of the tracks here take the weird left field turns that the first few records do, and all follow the consistent theme of modern human life - from birth to death, and all the trials and tribulations people face along the way. Every track on the record transitions smoothly into the next song, aside from The Great Gig in the Sky and Money, being at the end of side 1 and the beginning of side 2 on the original vinyl format of the record. This lends the record an incredible flow, particularly in the first half, where the entire side feels like one long, multi-part song.

Part of why the first half of the record flows so well is that it follows a clear linear narrative. The intro, Speak to Me, is essentially the moment of birth; which leads into Breathe (in the Air), with lyrics that read like a parent setting up their child for adulthood. On the Run is a tense instrumental piece which reflects the frantic nature of adult life, before Time slows the album back down with lyrics dealing with all the dull, mind-numbing tasks you have to do to exist in society as an adult that you can't run away from. The half climaxes with soul inspired The Great Gig in the Sky, which represents death and ascending to some sort of afterlife.

Breathe is the first proper song on the record, and it sounds beyond phenomenal. The woozy, psychedelic guitar tones on the track sound so dreamlike and enveloping. The same sound and atmosphere runs through Radiohead's OK Computer, and listening to Dark Side, I can see how it Directly influenced Radiohead when making that album. Time opens with a disorienting barrage of sampled clocks ticking, chiming and alarms before settling into the same hazy atmosphere as Breathe (there's even a reprise of Breathe at the end of the track). The track slowly builds towards the introduction of vocals which build up the momentum in the song. David Gilmour sings "Ticking away the moments that make up the dull day" as the opening line and it sums up the mood of the songs perfectly; the unavoidable banality that soaks up all of your time for your whole life. The Great Gig in the Sky features no lyrics, just the emotional, soulful wails from singer Clare Torry. The track feels triumphant and ethereal, which is quite a positive spin for a track literally about dying.

The second half of the record follows less of a linear narrative, with subject matters that are more broad and grand than the experiences of just one person. Money opens the side with the iconic sounds of cash registers cashing and clicking. These layer up and morph into a mechanical drum beat as Rodger Water's bluesy bass riff combines and drives the song along. It's easily the most direct song on the record, with Gilmour's vocals howling about how money and greed drives all of society's ills. The guitar solo towards the end of the song just roars and wails. Us and Them, by contrast, is so dreamlike and foggy. A jazzy saxophone and echo-y vocal effects make you feel like you're walking around in the clouds. The nearly 8 minute song is also lyrically quite foggy and more abstract. The track revolves around the ideas of conflict and division, at the scales of interpersonal relationships, society, and at the global scale of wars between nations.

The last three tracks are a lot shorter, and flow together like a medley. Any Colour You Like is another instrumental, and features the return of the woozy guitars from Breathe and Time and represents the illusion of choice in society (the title is a reference to the Ford Model T, which only came in black to aid in mass production). Brain Damage, inspired by former member Syd Barett's drug abuse and resulting mental health issues, is about how the stresses and strains of life can be too much for some people and cause them to loose their minds. The track has a different atmosphere than the rest of the album, feeling more fairytale like reflecting the separation from reality that Syd and so many others appeared to feel. Eclipse is quite an anthemic closer, with very simple lyrics repeating "All that you... see/touch/feel/ect". It brings together all of the topics of the past 9 tracks under the final statement that 'this is life'. All of the good, all of the bad; and you can't avoid any of it.

Musically, this album is phenomenal, and sounds just as enveloping and rich as any album today. It doesn't sound like it has aged one bit. However, lyrically the record goes for a generalist approach which I find slightly stops me being completely absorbed by it. None of the tracks feel particularly personal, being sung in the second person and talking about very universal experiences. Take Brain Damage for example; the track is inspired by Syd Barett's declining mental state, but it's not about it specifically, it's about losing your mind just generally. This isn't a criticism really, just more personal preference.

The Dark Side of the Moon is a fantastic album still to this day, and it is blatant how game-changing it was when it was first released. It's so much more accessible than the band's earlier work, yet remains so inventive and incredibly well written and performed. It is such a complete experience back to front, and at only 43 mins it is really replay-able for how grandiose it is.

Top Tracks: Breathe (In the Air), On the Run, Time, The Great Gig in the Sky, Money, Any Colour You Like, Brain Damage, Eclipse

9/10

Tame Impala - "Tame Impala" (2008)

Since we're exactly 1 month out from Tame Impala's long awaited 4th album, The Slow Rush, I thought I'd go back to the only one of the bands releases I haven't covered yet, their 2008 self-titled debut EP. Here the band sounds like a work in progress, figuring out their sound and their influences more blatantly show.

These tracks are more roughly produced than the band's later work, giving the EP a low-fi, garage rock feel. They also veer consistently towards the band's blues and stoner rock side, making the release likely the groups heaviest. However the rougher production means that they never quite pack the same punch that the heavier tracks on Innerspeaker and Lonerism do. The opener, Desire Be Desire Go, demonstrates this. The song is essentially the same as the version that appears on Innerspeaker, except the rougher production makes the EP version feel less kinetic and driven.

Skeleton Tiger and Half Full Glass Of Wine have an undeniable Led Zeppelin influence, with the later literally sounding like the band's best attempt at a Led Zep cover (Complete with Kevin Parker doing a Robert Plant falsetto), but slowed down by a 1/3. The slowing also shifts the pitch down, giving the track this real sludgy stoner rock vibe. Skeleton Tiger initially sounds more Beatles indebted (with Kevin trying to sound like John Lennon as he so often did in the early days of the band), but then breaks down into a bridge that evokes Whole Lotta Love's quiet guitars and rumbling drums but with more effects. 41 Mosquitoes Flying In Formation is full on stoner rock. Kevin's vocals drone on over this heavy, sludgy groove, transforming into an hypnotic "oh-ah, ah-oh, oh-ah, ah-oh" at points in the track.

The intensity peaks at this point, with the last two tracks mellowing out slightly. Slide Through My Fingers lacks the intense groove of 41 Mosquitoes, but retains the mysteriousness with Arabic sounding guitar licks mixed to sound like they're right off in the distance. The Beatles influence once again raises its head on the closing track, Wander. Parts of this song remind me of what I'd imagine Tomorrow Never Knows would sound like if you replaced the sitars on that track with blaring guitars and drums.

Despite it's obvious influences, this EP is a fun and easy listen. It is obviously weaker when compared to the bands first two LPs, but shows a band in growth with some decent songs. I really wish there was a version of some of these tracks with better production, to really show off how immense they could sound. I wouldn't say the EP is a necessity (it's not like the band are ever going to play any of these songs live anymore), but its a really fun listen for fans waiting for LP number 4.

Top Tracks: Skeleton Tiger, Half Full Glass Of Wine, 41 Mosquitoes Flying In Formation, Slide Through My Fingers

7/10

Tame Impala - "InnerSpeaker" (2010)

After Currents, I moved back through Tame Impala's discography to their debut album, InnerSpeaker. This record is in the same wheelhouse as Lonerism, being a semi-throwback styled psychedelic rock album, as opposed to Currents' weird mix of psychedelic pop, art pop and disco. However their are distinct differences between this and what Kevin Parker would go on to create in Lonerism.

The biggest of these is the use of synths. Here they only play a small part, where they are a dominant force on Lonerism. In their place the guitars show up in full force, with plenty of driving bluesy riffs. These accompanied by some thunderous drumming give the tracks a sense of propulsiveness to them, and are more uptempo than the majority of the tracks on the groups following releases. The vocals are also more simple than on Lonerism. There aren't to many effects placed on them and they tend to sit in one place in the mix from track to track. Kevin Parker also sounds even more like John Lennon on this one.

These contribute to these tracks feeling a lot more straightforward and less dynamic than the groups later work. The tracks don't generally have as many parts to them, and don't radically change-up mid-song. I wouldn't say this a bad thing, however. It creates a different experience which helps the album stand on its own. Where Lonerism feels like an adventure when listening, InnerSpeaker feels like a drive through the countryside, with sunlight shining through the trees.

The lyrical content is also more contempt. Where Lonerism was longing and moody, and Currents' was down right self-pitying; here Kevin Parker seems comfortable being himself. The opening track, It Is Not Meant To Be, discusses this girl Kevin seems interested in but she's not interested in the kind of lifestyle he has, so he just shrugs and says 'it's not meant to be'. Solitude Is Bliss is literally a track about how he enjoys being alone.

While the more simple approach here makes some of the tracks feel a little redundant compared to the best on the record, those best moments are just so damn fun. The aforementioned Solitude Is Bliss is light and airy, and Desire Be Desire Go opens with a energetic guitar line with the main hook of the song following it. Jeremy's Storm is an entirely instrumental cut which ebs and flows just like a real storm and The Bold Arrow Of Time is this sluggish, sludgy, Led Zeppelin-esque riff-monster for one moment then a Pink Floyd infused space rock song the next.

This record is a lot of fun. Lonerism is certainly the more ambitious, more unique release of the two, but this one is just as entertaining in a different way. It's a loud, noisy, psyched out record which never lets you take a moment to breath. It just propels you forward from one track to the next.

Top Tracks: Desire Be, Desire Go, Lucidity, Solitude Is Bliss, Jeremy's Storm, The Bold Arrow Of Time, I Don't Really Mind

8/10

Pink Floyd - "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn" (1967)

There are so many classic artists which I really like their greatest hits but have never explored any of their discography beyond that: David Bowie, Depeche Mode, basically every britpop band. Pink Floyd are one such act, so I've finally started with their debut album. This album is unique in the groups discography, as it is the only one to feature founding front-man Syd Barrett on vocals (he contributed some guitar to the bands follow-up), as his declining mental state due to LSD use caused him to leave the band in 1968. At this point in the band's career, they were making pretty revolutionary psychedelic and experimental rock, and it shows. This album is absolutely nuts, almost too nuts! It's exiting to no end, but rather messy and scattershot in my opinion.

The album opens with Astronomy Domine, a spacey, psychedelic track with space-age beeps and tense guitar melodies which rise and fall. This is followed by Lucifer Sam, at track from what I can gather is about a cat. This track is much faster and has this cool spy film-esque guitar. These tracks are miles apart, sonically and thematically, and the album continues like this. Exploring one sound for a single track then dropping it for something entirely new.

Matilda Mother is dark and moody, like some weird, psychedelic folk tune, but then snaps into some expressive guitar solos that come out of nowhere. Pow R. Toc. H opens with odd percussion a the band making strange noises for 30 seconds but then settles into this groovy, piano-led tune. This is before the weirdness comes back for the middle portion of the song which builds into this guitar led outro. There are no lyrics in this song and it really builds this strange, alien atmosphere. The closer, Bike, is perhaps the silliest song here, with lyrics referencing lending someone a bike and having a mouse friend called Gerald. It is just so amusing and endearing with over the top instrumentation.

The centrepiece of the record is the almost 10 minute Interstellar Overdrive; a proggy, multi-phase song which opens on this heavy, bluesy riff before moving on into a noisy, psychodelic section. The track gets more intense as instruments are added in, and then strips back to this creepy section with dissonant sounding plucked guitars. After this follows a section of ambient instrumental swells which then finally releases the tension, returning to the guitar riff which opened the track.

This album is all over the place, and none of the tracks flow together in any cohesive way; yet it is so off the wall that it remains entertaining. The lack of any overarching idea, or theme does make it less enjoyable to sit down and listen to in one go, but the best tracks in isolation are weird and wacky and captivating.

Top Tracks: Astronomy Domine, Lucifer Sam, Pow R. Toc. H, Interstellar Overdrive, Bike

7/10

Tame Impala - "Lonerism" (2012)

Tame Impala is one of those critically acclaimed artists that I have never really listened to before, and with a new album on the horizon I thought I'd better check them out. Listening to both this and Currents, it was Lonerism which I gravitated to more. It's (slightly) less produced, more spacious sound reminded me more of the little I know of 60's psychedelia (basically studio years Beatles and early Pink Floyd, and that I don't know as well as I'd like).

Across these detailed but spacious tracks, different melodies and moments pop into the forefront and then fade back into the distance, leaving room for another idea to take its place. Kevin Parker's vocals sometimes glide above the tracks, and then without notice plunge deep into the mix buried in effects. I don't know if it is intentional, but his voice is incredibly reminiscent of the likes of John Lennon and Syd Barrett in places, which adds to the throwback aesthetic. The lyrics give off the general vibe of longing and loss, however they're never really the draw of this kind of music, and are here to serve the atmosphere rather than to be read into too deeply.

Be Above It sounds raw and primal with its repeated chanting, and all the opening of Music To Walk Home By for some reason gives me the feeling of diving headfirst into a swimming pool. The bridge on Why Won't They Talk To Me? also always grabs my attention as the track strips back leaving this groovy drum pattern and some very 60's sounding synths. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards catchy as anything despite all the psychedelia and lo-fi buzz on Keep On Lying's synths and guitars slowly mesh together, raising the intensity of the track over time. Elephant stands out from the rest of the tracklist as despite its psychedelic flourishes, it's very much a bluesy stoner-rock song at it's core with its chunky riff and thunderous drums. Unfortunately the last couple of tracks don't really stand out and just fade into the background, which is disappointing considering most of the tracks have something which grabs me and draws me in.

Psychedelia isn't for everyone, but if it is something you can dig, this is a great album to stick on in the background when doing something or just chilling out. The bright, summery atmosphere is perfect for this time of year (when the weather is nice, which isn't always the case).

Top Tracks: Be Above It, Endors Toi, Music To Walk Home By, Why Won't They Talk To Me?, Feels Like We Only Go Backwards, Keep On Lying, Elephant

8/10