New album: Clever, wry, humorous, refreshing, quirky, experimental pop and art rock from the Manchester-based singer and multi-instrumentalist Francesca Pidgeon and her revolving musical collective, a talented artist known also for playing in BC Camplight’s band
Read moreMogwai: The Bad Fire
Mogwai: The Bad Fire
New album: Glasgow’s finest experimental rockers return with their 11th studio album, another classic of dark-humoured, irreverent titles for their dynamic, quiet-to-stormy arpeggio-laden, always stirring songs and instrumentals
Read moreSonghoy Blues: Héritage
Songhoy Blues: Héritage
New album: The Malian band return with a vibrant fourth LP exploring their desert musical roots with more of an acoustic and intricately rhythmic sound than their previous more electrified, distinctive African blues-rock, and includes an appearance on vocals by Rokia Koné and other more traditional instrument guest musicians
Read moreCameron Winter: Heavy Metal
Cameron Winter: Heavy Metal
New album: Released last month, the Geese frontman’s solo LP is nothing like its title in genre, but a brilliantly eccentric, eclectic, inventive, surreal mosaic of dream-like DIY oddness – blues, folk, pop and psych rolled up in droll humour, existential dread and creative patchwork streams of the sub-conscious and non-sequitur
Read moreJasmine 4.t - You Are The Morning
Jasmine 4.t - You Are The Morning
New album: An outstanding folk/rock debut by the Manchester-based singer-songwriter Jasmine Cruickshank, whose moving songs tackle ambiguous relationships, identity, tangled joy, heartache, camaraderie and isolation of trans-feminine life in an LP produced by the Boygenius trio of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker
Read moreFranz Ferdinand: The Human Fear
Franz Ferdinand: The Human Fear
New album: After a greatest hits tour and two recently new band members, the Glasgow art-rockers fronted by the sharp-witted Alex Kapranos return with renewed vim and vigour, with an unashamed air of going full-tilt on classic FF in their sound and style perky, pacy, hooky indie-pop
Read moreFavourite Albums of 2024 - Part 2
The second part of our favourite albums of 2024
Favourite albums of 2024: Welcome to The Song Bar’s favourite albums of 2024 Part 2. Part 1 can be found here. There’s no such thing as ‘best of’ and everything is subjective, but please dig into this rich seam of originality and quality, and even suggest more of your own
Read moreFavourite albums of 2024 - Part 1
This year’s selections include some returning veterans at the top of their game as well as some fabulous newcomers
Favourite albums of 2024: Welcome to The Song Bar’s favourite albums of 2024 Part 1. There’s no such thing as ‘best of’ and everything is subjective, but rich seams of originality and quality are certainly here to be enjoyed. Peruse away …
Read moreThe Bloodstreams: Eat Your Heart Out
The Bloodstreams: Eat Your Heart Out
New album: After last year’s excellent debut LP, How To Be A God, the south-east London quartet return with another heady swirl of stylishly swaggering, stomping, darkly visceral 60s garage rock, psychedelia and with tasty echoes of 70s Bowie, Stooges, Cramps and Birthday Party-era Nick Cave
Read moreAngel Olsen and various: Cosmic Waves Volume 1
Angel Olsen and various: Cosmic Waves Volume 1
New album: A novel form of “compilation reimagined as a dialogue” LP by the acclaimed, serene-voiced American singer-songwriter, showcasing five different lesser-known artists on Side A, and then covering other songs by them on Side B
Read morePapa M: Ballads of Harry Houdini
Papa M: Ballads of Harry Houdini
New album: The alt-rock LA-based musician from Louisville, Kentucky, aka David Pajo, returns with six long-ish numbers, not necessarily themed around the famous escape artist, but packed with ear-catching, meaty, thrumming, sometimes looped, and always dynamic guitar work and rhythmic experimentation
Read moreKim Deal: Nobody Loves You More
Kim Deal: Nobody Loves You More
New album: After various singles over the years, the former Pixies member, and Breeders musician finally releases her first full solo album, a truly fabulous execution of superb songwriting, sharp, heartbreak lyrics, diverse musical styles and instruments across indie, rock and pop, all performed with beautiful tenderness, grit and gusto
Read moreMichael Kiwanuka: Small Changes
Michael Kiwanuka: Small Changes
New album: A fourth album by the Mercury prize-winner, another gorgeously crafted and performed set of songs drawing on 70s soul and slowly simmering psychedelic rock, and the third produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo
Read moreFather John Misty: Mahashmashana
Father John Misty: Mahashmashana
New album: The king of killer opening lines Josh Tillman returns with another majestic, beautifully melodic, grandiose, playfully clever, darkly humorous and philosophical set of eight epic songs fuelled by a sense of mortality and enduring irony
Read moreShe Drew The Gun: Howl
She Drew The Gun: Howl
New album: Powerful, passionate highly accomplished fourth indie-rock album by singer/songwriter Louisa Roach and band from Wirral in Merseyside, one broadening her musical scope and perspective, not just socio-political and soul-searching personal, but also spanning eons, fuelled by some personal heartbreak
Read moreDu Blonde: Sniff More Gritty
Du Blonde: Sniff More Gritty
New album: With a startling new look, the multi-talented British singer-songwriter and video artist Beth Jeans Houghton returns with her powerfully anthemic glam rock, grunge pop and fuzz guitar indie in this follow-up to 2021’s Homecoming
Read moreOur Girl: The Good Kind
Our Girl: The Good Kind
New album: The London indie trio of singer/guitarist Soph Nathan, drummer Lauren Wilson and bassist Joshua Tyler’s new LP has a beautiful warmth of sound and optimistic honesty in lyric, borne from a theme of celebrating of determination against difficulty
Read moreTHUS LOVE: All Pleasure
THUS LOVE: All Pleasure
New album: This second LP by the post-punk quartet self-style queer post-punk band from Brattleboro, Vermont, is pulsating, visceral, panache-filled, and themed about the so-called nourishing euphoria that comes from real-life experiences rather than easy-access digital dopamine hits
Read morePeter Perrett: The Cleansing
Peter Perrett: The Cleansing
New album: A golden late period by The Only Ones frontman continues with this third solo album, and having famously survived addictions, it muses on morbidity and other themes with a droll brilliance, aided guests including Johnny Marr, Bobby Gillespie, and Carlos O’Connell of Fontaines DC
Read moreThe Cure: Songs of a Lost World
The Cure: Songs of a Lost World
New album: Powerful, moving and dark, on grief, loss and the passing of time, this milestone release by the British cult band of Robert Smith is their first LP of new songs for 16 years, but is worth the wait with its emotional depth and strength
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