Tag: Indie

Album Review: Tracyanne & Danny – Tracyanne & Danny

On the title track to Camera Obscura’s masterpiece My Maudlin Career, Tracyanne Campbell sang ‘this maudlin career must come to an end / I don’t want to be sad again’, a line heavy in irony for a singer whose music had always captured a bittersweet Scottish melancholy. Their next album Desire Lines seemed to take this line to heart with its more upbeat pop feel on songs like Break it To You Gently and Do It Again. However the lighter sound hid a devastating reality: band member Carey Lander was suffering from cancer and tragically died in 2015. Since then the band have been on an indefinite hiatus, dealing with their loss.

Therefore this new collaborative project between Campbell and Danny Coughlan of Crybaby is a chance for a fresh start, a way to sing again without the memory of what has gone before weighing too heavily. Taking the controls for the album is producer Edwyn Collins, a man who understands much about overcoming adversity. Maybe what you need to get back on your feet is just a little help from your friends. Continue reading “Album Review: Tracyanne & Danny – Tracyanne & Danny” →

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Album Review: Erin Rae – Putting on Airs

The cover of Erin Rae’s new album is a painting by Nashville artist Harry Underwood, depicting a barroom scene – in it a woman puts a song on the jukebox, a man sits at the bar and the space between them is both small and vast at the same time. The painting, and the songs contained within, capture that sense of alienation and sadness which exist in everyday moments. ‘Putting on Airs’ is an album of breathtaking beauty, an intimate impression of American life. Continue reading “Album Review: Erin Rae – Putting on Airs” →

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Album Review: Shannon Shaw – Shannon In Nashville

Shannon Shaw and her band The Clams have been producing great garage rockabilly albums since their debut in 2009. Now stepping out on her own for this solo album, Shaw is embracing a more polished sound inspired by a mix of soul, classic girl groups and vintage pop. Produced by label boss Dan Auerbach ‘Shannon in Nashville’ is a dramatic and engaging collection of songs which display a real raw vocal talent. Continue reading “Album Review: Shannon Shaw – Shannon In Nashville” →

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Live Review: Belly @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth

The great thing about loving a band is that obsessive fandom gives you a nice excuse to travel to places you would never normally go. So when personal circumstances meant I was unable to attend the Belly gig in Glasgow this upcoming weekend I ended up buying tickets for the only other show I could attend, which was in Portsmouth – literally the furthest away gig from where I live. But hey when you’ve already waited so long to see your favourite band reunite then things like distance and cost no longer matter. Continue reading “Live Review: Belly @ The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth” →

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Album Review: Natalie Prass – The Future & The Past

On her debut album Natalie Prass embraced her feminine side, releasing music that was lush and syrupy in the best way. Some (male) critics compared the songs to Disney music as though that was a bad thing, but mostly the reviews were as sparkling as the sound. Only a few years have passed but the world has changed irrevocably – it feels like a darker place where harsh truths can no longer be sugar coated, for better and worse. Prass scrapped her original recordings for this album and started again in order that the music better reflect her feelings about this new reality. On the cover of The Future & The Past she has deliberately chosen to wear a suit and stand defiant, looking towards us with a serious stare. This album will say something about the world, and she will not be silenced. Continue reading “Album Review: Natalie Prass – The Future & The Past” →

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Album Review: Jennifer Castle – Angels of Death

Recorded in a church near Lake Eerie, Jennifer Castle’s new album Angels of Death certainly has the feel of a twilight evening by the water, where you sit on a porch swing and just watch the darkness descend. The infinite mysteries of nature are everywhere in Castle’s music, which is inspired by folk, country, the blues – music of the dirt rich earth and yet she sounds more like she belongs in the air, whispering her sweet melodies into the wind. Continue reading “Album Review: Jennifer Castle – Angels of Death” →

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Album Review: Belly – Dove

When Belly broke up over twenty years ago I took my broken heart and I buried it in the ground. No one was to blame for the premature split – things just fall apart sometimes. Their songs though refused to die, their power only burrowing deeper into my soul over time. And other fans will tell you the same thing. The roots our fandom grew may have been invisible to most but slowly they began to form life again. It may have taken twenty years but now with their reunion and the release of their third album Dove, a new tree has burst through the ground and is spinning high above our heads. It’s hard not just to stare in wonder at what beauty we’ve helped bring back to life. Continue reading “Album Review: Belly – Dove” →

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How She & Him, Kesha and Valerie June are Among Artists Helping To Spread Universal Love

This week She & Him released two new singles with little fanfare or publicity, matching the understated way Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward have gone about their musical pairing since the start. And despite their quiet nature these two songs deserve our attention for their groundbreaking approach to inclusive songwriting. Continue reading “How She & Him, Kesha and Valerie June are Among Artists Helping To Spread Universal Love” →

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