THE LOUDER STUFF
ADMIRAL SIR CLOUDESLEY SHOVELL – The Trouble With The Shovell
Proto-metal revivalists from South England return with another solid disc of Budgie/Dust/Sir Lord Baltimore worship. It’s on Rise Above Records so it couldn’t be bad anyway. (7)
AT THE GATES – Ghost Of A Future Dead
By far their best post-reunion album proves once again that they were a cut above the rest of the Gothenburg melodeath bands. RIP Tomas. (8)
THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM – The Great Parrot-Ox And The Golden Egg Of Empathy
A totally bonkers anti-AI concept album which combines the playfulness and surrealism of Claypool’s Primus with the, well, Lennon-esque melodies of Sean Ono Lennon. (8)
FOO FIGHTERS – Your Favorite Toy
The previous album was one of their best, epic and cathartic, this one’s more of a “back to basics” thing. If you’re looking for confessionals about the tabloid scandals you’ll probably be disappointed, if you just want what the Foos are best at (i.e. catchy tunes sitting halfway between grunge and classic rock) you’ll be fine. (7)
PROSTITUTE – Attempted Martyr
I missed this both times it came out, first self-released in 2024, then re-released on Mute Records a few months ago: Top-notch political noise rock from a multicultural band, if you’re into the Amphetamine Reptile catalog you’ll love this! (8)
SOCIAL DISTORTION – Born To Kill
A 15-year gap since the last album but Social Distortion are still in good form, their usual punk-meets-rockabilly sound augmented by a couple of mellower moments including a decent cover of Chris Isaac’s “Wicked Game”. (8)
THE OTHER STUFF
THE BLACK KEYS – Peaches
It feels like I’m the only person on the planet who liked their previous album, which tanked so badly that just one year later they ditch the modern stuff and do a “back to roots” thing with a set of decent blues covers. (7)
BUTLER, BLAKE & GRANT – Murmurs
This supergroup’s debut album made the list last year with its wonderful Crosby Stills & Nash vibe. This follow-up is in a similar mood but rather than focusing on new material it revisits/reimagines older songs from the band members’ back catalogues. (7)
DALEK – Brilliance Of A Falling Moon
Further down this page I say that I’m not really a big hip hop/rap fan. Well, that’s not technically true, because when it comes specifically to rhymes over industrial/noise beats (Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy, Consolidated etc.) I think I own everything ever released, and Dalek probably sit on top of that pile. (8)
DIANA DARBY – Otterson
These songs are so quiet and eerie they make Leonard Cohen sound like The Ramones. (7)
GREAZY ALICE – As Time Goes By
New Orleans-based honky-tonk band attempts to revive the classic Gram Parsons-Emmylou Harris boy/girl dynamic, but their vocal harmonies are imperfect. (6)
HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER – I’m People
You cannot not like this guy – his sound is meat-and-potatoes heartland American rock, his albums are consistently good, and each one includes at least a couple of truly great songs, like “Last Orders” on this one for example. (8)
JESCA HOOP – Long Wave Home
As I’ve said before, she’s probably sick and tired of people mentioning the fact that she used to work as nanny to Tom Waits’ children instead of talking about her art but, remarkably, she sounds exactly like the nanny to Tom Waits’ children. (8)
ANTHONY JOSEPH – The Ark
Maybe it’s all the vintage Tom Waits and Beat Generation literature I consumed in my teens and 20’s, but I generally enjoy this kind of jazzy, funky Afrocentric spoken word/poetry much more than rap/hip-hop. Check it out if you like Gil Scott-Heron, The Last Poets, that sort of thing. (8)
THE LEMON TWIGS – Look For Your Mind!
This is it, they’ve finally nailed it, this is their masterpiece – a fantastic power pop album where Big Star/Byrds jangle meets 1967 Beatles melodies and Beach Boys harmonies. (9)
KACEY MUSGRAVES – Middle Of Nowhere
Her strongest album since breaking through with “Same Trailer Different Park”, probably the funniest too – it’s the kind of album that turned me on to country music in the first place. Dolly and Willie should be proud of Kacey continuing their legacy. (8)
VARIOUS ARTISTS – This Can't Be Today: A Trip Through The US Psychedelic Underground 1977-1988
These Cherry Red compilations are always fun, even if it’s impossible to make everyone happy (where’s Screaming Trees?). But when you have 3 CDs full of tracks by The Bangs/Bangles, Green On Red, Dream Syndicate, REM, Long Ryders, Rain Parade, Redd Kross, Meat Puppets, Husker Du, Flaming Lips, Thin White Rope, Camper Van Beethoven, Dead Moon, Cynics etc. you can’t complain. (8)
