Album Review: Brittany Howard – Jaime

Brittany Howard has always had ambition to be known as more than just a vintage soul singer, as proven by the second Alabama Shakes album and her alter ego Thunderbitch. Her new solo album, Jaime, is named after her sister who died in childhood and takes musical inspiration from wildly diverse genres and styles. Jaime is a personal odyssey of discovery where in an attempt to deconstruct her past, musically and personally, she has created something thrillingly present. Continue reading “Album Review: Brittany Howard – Jaime” →

September 26, 2019 0

EP Review: Lola Kirke – Friends and Foes and Friends Again

I really loved Lola Kirke’s album Heart Head West, a real underrated gem which mixed some lovely Laurel Canyon inspired sounds with country music influences. Her new EP Friends and Foes and Friends Again builds on that promise and she delivers five songs of simple beauty that sound like a blast of fresh air. Continue reading “EP Review: Lola Kirke – Friends and Foes and Friends Again” →

September 21, 2019 0

Album Review: Esther Rose – You Made It This Far

Esther Rose is an singer songwriter based in New Orleans, whose new album You Made it This Far is fantastic mix of Americana, old time music and classic country influenced by the likes of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and Joni Mitchell. Continue reading “Album Review: Esther Rose – You Made It This Far” →

September 7, 2019 0

Album Review: Rachel Sermanni – So It Turns

Last month I was lucky enough to witness Rachel Sermanni launching her new album at a stunning gig in Edinburgh’s Summerhall. The songs from So It Turns are intricate and beautiful indie folk songs quietly humming with a darker undercurrent of uncertainty that perfectly reflects the world around us. Continue reading “Album Review: Rachel Sermanni – So It Turns” →

September 5, 2019 0

Album Review: Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!

I hadn’t listened much to Lana Del Rey before I began writing this blog. Sure I knew Summertime Sadness and Video Games but they didn’t encourage me to listen further. There was something about her sad-girl-loves-bad-boys image that made me think she was a construct, a record label fantasy surely created by a man. Her dead eye stare was as cold as the beats of her over produced music.

And, to be honest, I still don’t know if I’m entirely wrong about those initial assumptions. What I do know is that with Norman Fucking Rockwell! Lana Del Rey just released one of the best albums of 2019. Her quiet evolution into one of the most vital voices of this year has been quite stunning to witness. Continue reading “Album Review: Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!” →

September 1, 2019 0

Live Review: Rachel Sermanni @ Summerhall, Edinburgh

Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni launched her upcoming album So It Turns last night at Summerhall in Edinburgh, surrounded by a crowd of adoring fans and a supporting cast of impressively talented musicians who all made this evening a truly special treat. Continue reading “Live Review: Rachel Sermanni @ Summerhall, Edinburgh” →

August 11, 2019 0

Album Review: Iona Marshall – Higher Than The Leaves

Scottish singer Iona Marshall has entirely written, performed and self produced her new album Higher than The Leaves, released earlier this year. It almost defies categorisation, mixing folk and Celtic music with modern and experimental soundscapes to create a distinctive and unusual album. Continue reading “Album Review: Iona Marshall – Higher Than The Leaves” →

August 7, 2019 0

Live Review: Jenny Lewis @ The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh

Earlier this year Jenny Lewis released one of the best albums of 2019 and of her career. ‘On The Line’ told the story of her recent life, including bereavement and the end of her long term relationship. The music was unexpectedly uplifting, glorious even in the darkest moments. And so the sold out Saturday night crowd here in Edinburgh had come to celebrate and commiserate with her, and maybe even dance a little. Continue reading “Live Review: Jenny Lewis @ The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh” →

July 28, 2019 0

Album Review: Better Oblivion Community Center

When Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers released their Better Oblivion Community Center project at the start of the year it should have been the perfect album for me as I’m a Bright Eyes fanatic and someone who’d loved both of their recent solo work. Despite everyone on my timeline prompting me to listen, I kept avoiding it. Purposefully so, for a myriad of reasons which I only just recently began to really think about when I finally sat down with the album this past week. Continue reading “Album Review: Better Oblivion Community Center” →

June 23, 2019 0