2024 Music:
Too Close To Touch - For Keeps
Genre: Post-Hardcore
#GatewayTrack: Control
#SevenWordSummary: Soaring vocals, and a fitting send off
Listen to if you like: #Foxblood, #Normandie, #BadOmens
Rating: 8/10
The last ever 'Too Close To Touch' album, featuring a posthumous vocal performance from lead singer Keaton Pierce after he tragically passed away in March 2022. And an absolute showcase of his distinctive talents it is...
2024 Music:
Waxahatchee - Tigers Blood
Genre: Americana
#GatewayTrack: Crowbar
#SevenWordSummary: Competent, very listenable but maybe overly simple.
Listen to if you like: #SoccerMommy, #BoyGenius, #Haim
Rating: 6/10
#2024Music:
#Galleons - #ViolentDelights
Genre: Swancore
#GatewayTrack: Kismet
#SevenWordSummary: A pretty decent and fairly forgettable album
Listen to if you like: #Eidola, #Wolf&Bear, #Emarosa
Rating: 6/10
I've heard this album floated around as AOTY by several folks, and I've given it a good 6-7 listens, trying to figure out what I'm missing. Look, it's a decent album. But you can take any element of it and point to other bands doing it slightly better ...
2023 Music:
Janelle Monáe - The Age of Pleasure - June 2023
Genre: Afrobeat, Pop, R&B
#GatewayTrack: Know Better
#SevenWordSummary: A confident, decadent album full of joy
Listen to if you like: #Amaarae, #JanetJackson, #StVincent
Rating: 9/10 - review below
And there is musical talent there, buckets of it. You have to be in the right mood though.
Look, there's no point in trying to describe this album in words. Just jump straight into the #GatewayTrack, #WeLoveYou, and see what you think.
New Music:
Avenged Sevenfold - Life is But a Dream... - June 2023
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal
#GatewayTrack: We Love You
#SevenWordSummary: Either musical genius, or a hot mess
Listen to if you like: #RoloTomasi, #SystemOfADown, #SleepToken
Rating: 8/10 ... or maybe 3/10 ... depends
[see review below in the replies]
New Music:
Young Fathers - Heavy Heavy - February 2023
Genre: Art-Pop, Neo-Soul
#GatewayTrack: Drum
#SevenWordSummary: Compelling beats with an eclectic soul
Listen to if you like: #YoLaTengo, #LittleSimz, #slowthai
Rating: 8/10
Possibly stretching the definition of 'new' music here. But any Young Fathers album is going to take a while to get into. This one is sounding a lot better the second time around.
A great album, but Young Fathers are victims of ...
New Music:
Romy - Mid Air - September 2023
Genre: Dance-Pop
#GatewayTrack: Loveher
#SevenWordSummary: Where catchy pop meets the dance floor.
Listen to if you like: #EverythingButTheGirl, #DaftPunk, #Georgia
Rating: 7/10
Romy sets her stall out early on track 1, Loveher, which is a simple but infectious as hell love song. And that's the album. Simple, dancey, often euphoric, sometimes poignant, very listenable.
Hoctor