New album: Looking cool in shades, a 1960 photograph the father of frontman Bobby Gillespie decorates the band’s 12th LP, and their first for 8 years, serving very much as a inspiration with a Glaswegian phrase, but musically filled with 70s Philly soul and funk, and with the input of Belfast producer David Holmes, it’s one of PS’s most stylish for years
Read moreFavourite albums of 2023 Part 2: Anohni to Blur to Mitski, Ren to Sufjan Stevens
Welcome once again to the annual tradition of Song Bar’s favourite album releases of 2023. This is Part 2, and Part 1 was yesterday. There’s no such thing as a chart rundown or ‘best of’ here, and these come in no particular order …
Read moreDavid Holmes: Blind On A Galloping Horse (featuring Raven Violet)
New album: After many collaborative projects, a brilliant first full solo album by the Belfast producer and musician since 2008’s The Holy Pictures, here featuring the vocals of Raven Violet throughout, this passionate, powerful, often political noir-synth pop release charts the unravelling of British society over the past decade
Read moreUnloved: The Pink Album
New album: This third LP by trio behind the soundtrack to TV series Killing Eve, Belfast producer David Holmes alongside singer Jade Vincent and musician Keefus Ciancia, is a huge, sprawling cinematic 22-tracker filled with alluringly oddball, woozy, dark pop, electronica, 60s French noir and psychedelia
Read moreNew albums: Fontaines D.C., Beyoncé, Alanis Morissette, The Psychedelic Furs, Max Richter, Song Sung, Dominic Fike, Creeper, Romare
This week includes a strong second album by Fontaines D.C., comebacks by The Psychedelic Furs and Alanis Morissette, a Lion King-inspired film-album by Beyoncé, eclectic work by newcomber Dominic Fike and experiment by Max Richter
Read moreNew albums: Beirut, The Specials, Ian Brown, Rustin Man, Tiny Ruins, Unloved, The Cool Greenhouse, Angel Bat Dawid, Cherry Glazerr
Brass beauty from Beirut, a 40th anniversary album from The Specials. and a new solo album from the Stone Roses frontman are among this week’s roundup of releases that are various experimental, rock, electronica and more
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