Music Reviews

Steve Mason - About The Light Album Review

Steve Mason, along with producer Stephen Street, has given us his most 'open' and accessible album to date with 'About The Light'.

By Andrew Lockwood on 02 January 2019

Steve Mason

Manic Street Preachers - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (20 Years Collectors' Edition) Album Review

By 1998, Britpop bands were on the decline yet for the Manic Street Preachers, the creative juices seemed to flow stronger than ever.

By Mark Moore on 12 December 2018

Manic Street Preachers

The Pere Ubu Moon Unit - Ramsgate Music Hall 7.12.2018 Live Review

On Friday, avant-garde group The Pere Ubu Moon Unit, which was founded back in 1975 in Cleveland by David Thomas, took to the stage of the Ramsgate Music Hall.

By Andrew Lockwood on 10 December 2018

Ride - Dreamland, Margate 30.11.2018 Live Review

Celebrating thirty years of Ride with a special anniversary Unplugged tour, Oxfordshire's finest came to the seaside to play in the Ballroom.

By Andrew Lockwood on 04 December 2018

Ride

Reef - Dreamland, Margate 23.11.2018 Live Review

In the Hall By The Sea at Dreamland, Reef brought their Revelation tour to life as they delivered one of the best live sets I've had the privilege to witness this year.

By Andrew Lockwood on 26 November 2018

Reef

Mattiel - Patterns, Brighton 16.11.2018 Live Review

Mattiel Brown and her band put on an anything but plain performance at Patterns in Brighton.

By Andrew Lockwood on 19 November 2018

Crooked Man - Crooked House Album Review

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops, Crooked Man treats us to a fabulous slice of sun-soaked House, Disco and Electro.

By Andrew Lockwood on 12 November 2018

John Grant - Brighton Dome 29.10.2018 Live Review

With a fourth solo album having just dropped and his 50th birthday celebrations behind him, John Grant kicked off the UK leg of his latest tour in style at The Brighton Dome.

By Andrew Lockwood on 06 November 2018

John Grant

Marie Davidson - Working Class Woman Album Review

Marie Davidson's fourth album, 'Working Class Woman', in form reflects her history of work in projects at home and time spent in Berlin.

By Andy Peterson on 23 October 2018

John Grant - Love Is Magic Album Review

The quality of the back-catalogue of the once-upon-a-time Czar, John Grant, is building to be the one of the most impressive set of albums released in the recent past.

By Andrew Lockwood on 11 October 2018

John Grant

Anna Calvi - All Saints Church, Hove 5.10.2018 Live Review

With the recent release of her third, very well received album 'Hunter' just behind her, Anna had plenty of relatively new songs to showcase.

By Andrew Lockwood on 09 October 2018

Anna Calvi

Lydia Cole - Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate 20.09.2018 Live Review

Lydia Cole came to play at not only one of the smallest theatres in the UK, but also one of the smallest in the world.

By Andrew Lockwood on 26 September 2018

Maribou State - Kingdoms In Colour Album Review

People who tell you that electronicists are merely pretenders who could be bothered to sit through a few how to use Pro Tools tutorials will find a rebuttal in Maribou State.

By Andy Peterson on 21 September 2018

Black Honey - Black Honey Album Review

Black Honey's eponymous debut has been three years in the making and is the culmination of a lot of hard work and determination on their part.

By Andrew Lockwood on 20 September 2018

Wheels & Fins 2018 - Live Review

On a clifftop above a beautiful sandy beach, Wheels And Fins Festival sprang into life over the weekend

By Andrew Lockwood on 12 September 2018

The Libertines

Spiritualized - And Nothing Hurt Album Review

Spiritualized's eighth album comes twenty-six years after their first, and yet sounds as fresh and vibrant as if it were a debut.

By Andrew Lockwood on 07 September 2018

Spiritualized

Idles - Joy As An Act Of Resistance Album Review

You wait around for a feral, untethered, vital, challenging and dynamic record to shock your senses and then two come along in the space of eighteen months, and both are by the same band. Idles released their debut album 'Brutalism'...

By Andrew Lockwood on 29 August 2018

Idles

Roni Size - Dreamland, Margate 25.08.2018 Live Review

Roni Size brought his party to the Scenic Stage of Margate's Dreamland over the weekend.

By Andrew Lockwood on 28 August 2018

Roni Size

Wye Oak - The Booking Hall, Dover, Kent 14.08.2018 Live Review

From one important seaport to another, Wye Oak came across the pond from Baltimore to Dover as they played at The Booking Hall.

By Andrew Lockwood on 21 August 2018

Wye Oak

Ash - The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge 13.08.2018 Live Review

Tonight, Ash top off a perfect storm between band, audience and venue, resulting in a show which will live long in the memories of those in attendance.

By Alex Lai on 17 August 2018

Ash

Neverworld 2018 Live Review

Neverworld brought out the bright and the beautiful over a sun-drenched three days on John Darling's Farm in Kent.

By Andrew Lockwood on 08 August 2018

Bastille Clean Bandit

Gabe Gurnsey - Physical Album Review

Gabe's latest album is a solo release and as such features a wholly Gurnsey lead direction.

By Andrew Lockwood on 01 August 2018

Orbital - Dreamland, Margate, Kent 28.07.2018 Live Review

Orbital brought their spectacular show to the East Kent coast at the weekend to the delight of a variety of ravers.

By Andrew Lockwood on 31 July 2018

Orbital

Soulwax - Essential Album Review

Last year Soulwax were invited to deliver their Essential Mix and for it they provided entirely new music produced by themselves, the first act ever to do so.

By Andrew Lockwood on 22 June 2018

Soulwax

Field Division - Dark Matter Dreams Album Review

Field Division have journeyed far and wide to facilitate the release of their debut album, 'Dark Matter Dreams.

By Andrew Lockwood on 22 June 2018

Starcrawler - The Haunt, Brighton 19.06.18 Live Review

Seeing and hearing Starcrawler live is an experience that will leave you speechless and will enliven your senses.

By Andrew Lockwood on 21 June 2018

The Libertines - Meltdown Festival 2018 Live Review

Meltdown Festival is twenty-five this year and to celebrate its silver anniversary it is down to the one and only Robert Smith, of The Cure, to curate this year's event.

By Andrew Lockwood on 20 June 2018

The Libertines

Paloma Faith - Bedgebury Pinetum, Kent 15.06.18 Live Review

The Forest Live series of ongoing open air concerts played host to the effervescent and vivacious Paloma Faith on Friday night.

By Andrew Lockwood on 20 June 2018

Paloma Faith

Download Festival 2018 Live Review

Download Festival finally got the stunning weather it deserved, as over 100,000 fans descended with the likes of Guns N Roses, Ozzy Osbourne and Avenged Sevenfold.

By Adam Holden on 13 June 2018

Download Festival Guns N Roses

Angelique Kidjo - Remain In Light Album Review

Nearly forty years on, Angelique Kidjo re-works Talking Heads' 'Remain In Light' and sympathetically reflects it back on the sounds that gave rise to its inception.

By Andrew Lockwood on 06 June 2018

Angelique Kidjo

Ezra Furman - Brighton Dome 26.05.2018 Live Review

At the end of its near month-long festival, Brighton was lucky enough to play host to two extremely good acts: welcoming both Ezra Furman and Du Blonde.

By Andrew Lockwood on 29 May 2018

Ari Roar - Calm Down Album Review

Not yet a week since his Great Escape Festival performance in Brighton, Ari Roar is back on the Bella Union radar as he releases his debut album 'Calm Down'. Ari, real name Caleb Campbell, is, if you're not familiar, a...

By Andrew Lockwood on 24 May 2018

Ash - Islands Album Review

After twenty-six years and six previous albums, Ash return with a new, fresh, twelve-track album that fizzes with a vibrancy more readily associated with youthful exuberance.

By Andrew Lockwood on 21 May 2018

Ash

Artificial Pleasure - The Bitter End Album Review

When it comes to Artificial Pleasure you could be forgiven for thinking it sounds somewhat familiar but there is little else that's remotely like it around now.

By Andrew Lockwood on 21 May 2018

Poppy Ackroyd - Komedia, Brighton 01.05.2018 Live Review

If you live in Brighton I guess there's no finer place to start your current tour than Komedia. For her first solo gig in her adopted town, Poppy Ackroyd chose the venue to kick off her British and European jaunt....

By Andrew Lockwood on 08 May 2018

Manic Street Preachers - First Direct Arena, Leeds 02.05.2018 Live Review

On the road to promote their much-acclaimed 13th album, which was a place shy of topping the UK charts, Manic Street Preachers showed they are far from becoming a heritage act.

By Alex Lai on 03 May 2018

Manic Street Preachers

Joan As Police Woman - The Old Market, Brighton 23.04.2018 Live Review

Joan Wasser brought her very particular brand of soulful music to a quiet corner of Brighton as she neared the end of the current tour.

By Andrew Lockwood on 24 April 2018

Joan as Police Woman

Idles - Ramsgate Music Hall 12.04.2018 Live Review

Touted as an alternative to much that is wrong with the world, the antithesis of reality TV generated celebrity and the turgid, monotonous, boring and fake, Idles want to 'work hard' and give you an honest, no holds barred, heart...

By Andrew Lockwood on 17 April 2018

Idles

Manic Street Preachers - Resistance Is Futile Album Review

Just when you think they've about drifted away into the mist never to return, Manic Street Preachers kick back with another epic album. Unlucky for some, Manic Street Preachers release their thirteenth studio album today - rather appropriately, Friday the...

By Mark Moore on 13 April 2018

Manic Street Preachers

Thirty Seconds To Mars - America Album Review

It's been five years since Thirty Seconds To Mars released their last album; in the interim period, Jared Leto has seen his acting abilities recognised with an Academy Award, while also taking a turn at the iconic role of The...

By Alex Lai on 13 April 2018

30 Seconds to Mars