Guitars, guilt and a Paul Weller inspired cover: Jamie T faces his ghosts.

Jamie T has always been a songwriter haunted by his own past, so it makes sense that his sixth album, Ghosts (100 Days of Morning), finds him finally sitting down with it. After 2022's The Theory of Whatever, Jamie Treays was left with hundreds of voice notes and no way of stitching them together, and ghosts, as he puts it, are very hard to capture. The way out came from a hero. Struggling in the run up to his biggest ever headline show at Finsbury Park, he learned Paul Weller's live album from the Royal Albert Hall front to back, and discovered a Jam song he'd never heard, 'Ghosts'. It became the jumping off point for a record about owning the parts of yourself you keep at arm's length, and the puzzle of his last few years finally clicks into place.

Opener '3310', named after the old Nokia phone, sets the (ring) tone. That familiar indie vocal sat over a soft acoustic guitar before the track bursts into something more Jamie T. It turns British nostalgia and cheap snakebite into bold poetry, a strong start that tells you exactly what the album is about. 'Cocktail' is far more abrasive, a plucky guitar strum under verses that almost sound rapped, the instrumental swirling like something ripped from a PlayStation 2 game. It's a great song, enigmatic and full of personality, and a line about losing the friends he once had cuts especially deep. Additionally, Damon Albarn’s work on this track sits among the album's most striking moments. 'Waist 36 Leg 32' keeps the guitars front and centre, distorted before exploding into a cathartic release, a rousing rumination on guilt, masculinity and consumerism with a chorus built for dancing freely.

Then the pace drops. 'All I Wanna See is Now' is more confessional, the vocal layering on the chorus both heartbreaking and awe-inspiring, its looping outro the chef's kiss on what is essentially a declaration of love. 'The Won' leans on his unmistakable south London delivery against an atmospheric backdrop, the drums picking up the pace without shaking the sobering emotion. Its message that life doesn't always work out is the sort of thing you'd hear over the credits of a classic coming of age film. 'Chelsea Girls' follows, a half sung, stream of consciousness look at British culture through the lens of tabloid sensationalism, warm synths recalling the electronica of the late 90s.

The title track is the emotional pivot. Jamie's take on The Jam's 'Ghosts' is pacier than Weller's original, swirling synths adding a spectral edge before a groovy bassline drags it into the modern day, all while keeping the tenderness that hit him so hard in the first place. 'Crimson and Clover' takes one of the most covered songs in pop history and slows it right down, wistful and beautifully layered, ending on the sort of moment where a crowd waves its arms in unison. It's one of the most wholesome points on the record.

'Crucible' drifts into a dream pop feel, like a less nostalgic continuation of the last track. There's a peculiar breakdown in the middle, a deep vocal take before it bursts back to life, and the second half rescues the first, the outro sounding like it's being sung from an echo chamber of painful memories. 'Caught Cheating' is the most delicate track of the album, opening on a lone piano key and building as he deals with the aftermath of a mistake, before the delicacy tips into something more distraught; elongated notes and impassioned wailing.

The record closes on 'Tallahasee', an incredibly atmospheric intro, built around a sample of Leif Vollebekk's song of the same name. Jamie's conversational style returns, like a pop Mike Skinnerwithout the same charisma, and this is where the songwriting slips. Sonically it’s solid, but the more attention you pay to the lyrics the less appealing it gets. There's context, at least. After namechecking the likes of Lily Allen and Tracey Emin, he brands himself a plagiarist, playing with imposter syndrome, and a line casting himself as the soundtrack to your university years will resonate with plenty of his fans.

Ghosts (100 Days of Morning), out 9th October via Polydor, has all the hallmarks of that trademark Jamie T sound. Indie guitars, personable lyrics and the ache of wishing for the past, something the title alludes to before you press play. The songwriting may be lacklustre at moments, but with the 20th anniversary of Panic Prevention on the horizon, the undeniable talent of Jamie Treays remains firmly intact nearly two decades on from his debut.

Words by Alex Peters

It would be an understatement to say Simple Plan was one of the biggest bands to come along in the 21st century. Coming up during the peak of pop-punk and never going back down, the Canadian group were the soundtrack to many lives; whether they were the school outcasts, the lone wolf runaways, or the standouts of the normie crowd, everyone found a piece of themselves in Simple Plan’s discography. However, as they return to the United Kingdom, they have solidified their permanent placement in popular culture for the rest of music history.

Cementing their still major alternative reputation in the mainstream, a sold-out night in Manchester kicks off the Bigger Than You Think tour in style.

Warming up the crowd is the scene’s newest and bluest offering in Charlotte Sands. A powerhouse voice, Sands commanded the stage accompanied only by her touring drummer and her ambition. Promoting her new record Satellite, released earlier in the year, she brought her art to life with energetic kicks, electrified guitar licks, and wind-fuelled hair flicks.

For someone who is still considered a newcomer in the alternative sphere, Sands came prepared to rock the Apollo from the get-to. Not missing a single note, she was able to win the room over with her powerhouse vocals and her star quality stage presence. It would be easy to mistake her for the headliner, if the audience turnout is anything to judge by; and this is why supporting the opening act is one of the simplest yet most important things music fans and frequent gig-goers can do. No one knows when the next rising star could become the brightest in the galaxy, but if this first night of the tour is anything to go by, keep an eye out in the sky for the continuous ascension of Charlotte Sands.

Following on to keep the mood up and keep the feet moving is Australian punk outfit Stand Atlantic. Gearing up for the upcoming release of their fifth full-length Godbreath, they gave the northwestern crowd a full rundown of their musical history as of recent and if that didn’t advertise their new release in the right way, then there is no right way about it.

Stand Atlantic have cemented themselves as a band of fun-loving music-playing pals, and that was what was broadcast on the Manchester stage: dancing, chanting, giggling, and just being all-around loveable characters putting on a show for the fans and non-fans alike. Playing classics such as Skinny Dipping’s smash hit ‘Lavender Bones’, Was Here hits ‘GIRL$’ and ‘ROCKSTAR’, and f.e.a.r. tracks ‘dumb’ and ‘deathwish’, this was the perfect opportunity for the Sydney four-piece to tell everyone who didn’t know them who they were, and everyone who did know them who they are right now. If this career showcase of their old and new material piques interest, then there’s no doubt Stand Atlantic will be seeing more and more faces on their own tour cycles in the future.

As it comes to the main event, everyone is ready and warmed up to the maximum for this career-defining concert. As the lights come up, the music begins, the photos flash on the screens behind the stage, and the Canadian quartet take their respective places, the night can truly begin. And there’s no better way to begin than to burst right into the bouncy bliss that is ‘I’d Do Anything’.

With a burst of confetti and a roar of cheers echoing from the back to the front, Simple Plan was in for a memorable night. As the first few songs play on, the variety of older and newer releases was an unexpected but welcome surprise. Playing their latest single ‘Nothing Changes’ between classic hits such as ‘I’d Do Anything’ and ‘Addicted’ was a fitting assortment, and the crowd were along for the right through time and back. With a band so synonymous with their heyday such as Simple Plan, this can be considered a risky role to play out. Many old-school fans - identified by the band themselves as being in attendance on the night - were probably unaware of the new stuff at best and a hater of it at worst, but if this was the case then these fans are fantastic actors. It was cheer after cheer, applause after applause, and it will be very rare to find such a happy and accepting crowd of a long-term music act again.

There is also a fascinating visual aspect of this show, as every performance had its own dedicated aesthetic shown on the screen and stage setup surrounding the band. This includes a beautifully illustrated comic strip accompaniment for the ever-so-relatable ‘Welcome To My Life’; the appropriately space-themed dreamscape for ‘Astronaut’; and the most hilariously memorable, the animated feature airing alongside the band’s rendition of their theme tune for ‘What’s New Scooby-Doo?’. However, it was not the on-stage animation that made this Scooby-tastic track go down a treat. It was the band’s insistence of having the stage stormed by an abundance of Scooby-Doo cosplayers. To a point that the musicians themselves were swarmed by row after row of tall brown dogs and they were difficult to spot even for the barrier-stood fans.

It’s what one must expect with pop-punk gigs: there are no adults, only overgrown kids.

Closing out the night are two of the most famous singles ever released from Simple Plan: the intergenerational hit ‘I’m Just a Kid’ and the heartbreaking ballad ‘Perfect’. Choosing these tracks to close the night out was a well thought-out and executed decision, as if any themes resonate the hardest with a pop-punk following, it really is feeling lost and alone and scared in the big wide world, and feeling like the black sheep of the family and growing up coming to terms that there sometimes is no happy ending. Yes, these are sad songs and it is a sad fact that they will speak to many people in that room and around the world on a greater scale; however, to be in a room with thousands of people singing alongside one another with the heart, soul, and emotion that those songs were born out of and performed with is one of the most heartwarming sights to ever witness.

In the end, Simple Plan may come across as just another band of brothers who will make silly jokes, pull stupid faces in photos, and act closer to their shoe sizes than their ages to those outside of that corner of the industry. But there is always something deeper, more meaningful, in how they act and the music they play night after night. They know that music means something to someone, no matter how many or how few people in that venue it may have needed to hear it at that moment. This is why no matter if someone is 10, 16, 25, or 55 years old, they are still just a kid.

As long as life is still a nightmare, Simple Plan will always be there to use their musical offerings to make it a little more dreamlike.

Words by Jo Cosgrove
Photography by Lily Evans 

With so much on the horizon, Amble prove the world is theirs for the taking as they blow the roof off on night 2 of their UK tour. 

The nights are getting longer and it’s certainly getting colder but thanks to Amble, Glasgow was aglow on Wednesday night. With their month off complete and the O2 Academy sold out and fit to burst, their fifth ever show in Scotland was one that will no doubt be remembered for a long time. 

Setting the stage was Kean Kavanagh. Joined by Finn Mac Anna on drums and Peter Brien on synth and bass, Kean proves himself as one of the best storytellers out there at the moment. His artistry is one which blends his Portlaoise roots with indie rock and Americana, creating a sound that transcends time and geography. Aptly calling themselves the ‘preamble’ to the night’s main event, the trio created an atmosphere that felt like something out of an old film; nostalgic, warm and reverent. Their chemistry is incredible - for the majority of their set they played facing inward towards one another, creating a sense that we as the audience were flies on the wall in the rehearsal studio. Illuminated in shades of blue, green and gold, you couldn’t help but be drawn in by their charm. Of the many high points in the set, a favourite had to be ‘A Cowboy Song’, their final number to warm up the crowd. Taken from his debut album ‘The County Star’ that came out last year, it is one of the best sonic representations of his identity as a Houston-born Irishman, marrying together the sounds of both sides of the Atlantic. Knocking over his guitar and leaving the stage buzzing, you can’t help but want more. Luckily, Kean is on a tour of his own, playing new music in pubs through the ‘ber months. If the Glasgow McChuills’ show was anything to go by, these are not to be missed.

As Amble came on to deafening cheers, you couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional. Folk music at it’s core is about bringing people together, and that was palpable from the moment the first chord was played. Whilst there’s no doubt the entire tour would be brilliant, there’s something particularly special about this kind of music performed to a crowd that feels like home. Celtic music, whether its sean-nos or rap as Gaeilge, is bigger and more important than ever so to be in the room and singing songs about the roots that tie us all together was a feeling I wish could be bottled. 

The tour is in preparation for the January release of ‘Love And All Its Wares’ so it isn’t long before the crowd is treated to exclusive first listens to some of the songs coming in the new year. The very first of these sneak peeks comes in ‘Only to Run’, a gorgeous track only written by Robbie a couple months ago and barely just recorded in April. Not wanting to give anything away, the only way you could possibly sum up this song is to say that it is spell binding. Lots of people talk about moments where you could hear a pin drop but for this track in that room, time stood still. Pure magic. 

From opener ‘Schoolyard Days’ which was the first song from their first album ‘Reverie’ to ‘Church Bells’ which is set to be their next single, the set was hit after hit after hit. Dipping between songs new and old, any space in the room was taken up by the crowd clapping, stamping their feet and dancing. From the swirling harmonies on ‘Marlay Park’, the anthemic lyrics of ‘Moral Victory’ and the searing instrumentation on ‘One Man’s Love’, Amble’s discography truly has no weak links. A personal favourite was ‘Of Land and Sea’, which was my introduction to the band. Mashed up seamlessly with the closing lines ‘Hey, I’m Living’ from ‘Treehouse Wings’, it was a real treat to finally hear live. It was clear by the end of the night that the ordering of the setlist was meticulously thought out. The evening closed out with ‘Poets Run the Land’, another of the never-before-heard brand new songs from the upcoming album. There’s something incredibly bold about finishing an encore with something unfamiliar but its a swing that does not miss because the crowd are enthralled. There’s something very ‘Irish Goodbye’ about it - whilst the song itself is sweet, gentle and a clear goodnight to the crowd, the teasing and mystery of leaving us with something unknown is wonderfully clever. 

Between tracks as bits of kit are swapped in and out, the lads draw the curtain back and give context behind the songs. When the tunes are as emotive and lyrical as these are, the insight into what inspired them is often as enchanting as the songs themselves. Despite their sonic cohesiveness, Amble as a band have no single songwriter so each of these introductory chats gives whoever penned the track a moment to share the story that went into creating it. ‘Hand Me Downs’, written by Robbie is about the importance of telling people how much they mean while we still have them around. ‘Lonely Island’, written by Ross is about the people who make a place a home. ‘Mariner Boy’, written by Oisin was the very first song they ever released and is about (and always dedicated to) his grandad Tom. In an interview a couple of years ago, they summed it up better than I ever could: ‘There’s no wall of sound behind us to protect us and the vulnerability is real. That's what connects with people; they feel it. They can tell that we are just being who we are and telling our stories’. That sentiment : the idea of coming together, sharing stories and fostering connection with one another. That is exactly what Amble are all about. 

The sound was immense, in no small part down to the number of instruments being played by the 8 men on stage. Amble officially is made up of Robbie Cunningham, Oisín McCaffrey, and Ross McNerney, but for this tour they are joined by 5 further band members; all of whom Robbie says are new to the family. Towards the end of the set, each are introduced one by one and cheers are divvied out for both their talents and the different Irish counties they hail from. Seán McKeon from Dublin, Peter Kelly from County Offaly, Liam Watts from Connemara County Galway, Andrew Smyth from Kilsheelan County Tipperary and Seánie Bermingham from Mullinahone County Tipperary. Whether it be the uilleann pipes and the double bass or the harmonium and mandolin, these lads threw everything (and the belfast sink) in. 

Whilst Ross’ banjo is the obvious choice, the MVP of the night has to be the performance of ‘Mary’s Pub’. One of the many things that first brought the trio together was their love of Luke Kelly and the old Irish ballads. ‘Mary’s Pub’ came out of their determination to write a song that could stand up alongside the greats and since it’s release in 2023, it has become one of their most successful and unmistakably ‘Amble’ tracks. The lighting team who were sensational all night went above and beyond with warm twinkly lights that blurred as the tears began to well up. By the time Robbie, Oisin and Ross stood back during the final chorus to listen to the crowd sing out every word a capella, there was not a dry eye to be seen. 

With the rest of the tour to go and lots to be excited about, its a great time to be an Amble fan. Aside from the January release of ‘Love And All Its Wares’ (available now for preorder) and ‘Churchbells’ which drops on Friday October 9th, the most anticipation is for their 5 nights at the Royal Castlebar in December. Set to be an incredible show, it will be raising funds and awareness for LauraLynn and Sunflower children’s hospices in Ireland. In what will be a surprise to no one, it has sold out in its entirety. 

Words by Kirsty Ann Thomsom

Bright, synth-driven, and anthemic, Spanish Love Songs' brand-new single blends an ambiguous sound with scarring and irate lyrics to form ‘Doom Tripping’.

Spanish Love Songs are a true favourite bands favourite band, often flying slightly under the radar of the general scope of the genre they preside within; they have managed to assemble an uncompromising and dedicated fan base throughout their years of touring with anyone and everyone, and releasing heartbreaker after heartbreaker. Their often modern emo sound has melded into a kaleidoscopic blend of ambiguity with their all-new track ‘Doom Tripping’. This track’s blend of killer synth and bass syncopation creates a fabulous launchpad for the bright and rhythmic guitar and vocal portions. This light and indie-heavy sound contrasts greatly with the nihilistic sensibilities of the lyrics that are laid all over this track, becoming the musical equivalent of grinning through the end of the world. This grey and bleak messaging is the best-curated sucker punch in their catalogue, lulling you into a sense of security and familiarity before making you question a spiral of life events.

The single comes from their upcoming November release ‘Future Nausea’, an album that persistently interweaves this blend of happy/sad into both its messaging and its notation, allowing for a blissfully confusing and utterly compelling collection of songs to take shape. This sound deviates slightly from their traditional, more cut-and-dry acoustic and kick-ass emo sound, but does so with progress in mind, brandishing a new set of skills for the future generation of Spanish Love Songs fans. If the recent singles are any indication, this album will cement itself as a cornerstone of the band’s creative ingenuity and continue developing their already brilliant sound.

Alongside the announcement of the album comes a tour, teeming with an action-packed cast of lesser-known heavy hitters like Michael Cera Palina, Carly Cosgrove and Bike Routes; this collective of melancholy masterminds are bound to captivate audiences with their emotional reckoning night after night on this tour, and to see the headliners play their back catalogue of rippers alongside this all-new sound will be a true spectacle of flannel-clad sadness.

Words by Josh Pook

Death Cab For Cutie enrapture Troxy.

Exploding intro an edgy East London crowd, Death Cab For Cutie’s  first song sings :”Too tied to talk, too tired to ever walk’ which sharply combines with their upbeat drum driven intro. Their lyrics alluding  to toxic tension are spot on: ‘Im too tired to talk, I’m too tired to end the war’. Somehow these seemingly aggressive yet sentimental lyrics disarm you, with  second  song lyrics: ‘They disappear like sugar in my coffee’ encapsulating the shallow sugar rush of young romance -both  fast and fleeting yet heavy. 

Lively support Sun Kids provide a moody ride with their Nirvana soaked set that clearly strikes a chord with moody East London hipsters. Like their grungier Seattle counterparts, they take a dirtier, grungier turn - and  Brian Malko esque vocals with looping guitar and dense bass and an irresistible drum loop is superb.

In a lovely and rare exchange, the lead singer quips that a fan yesterday said his twelve year  old son is forming a band: “This song is about exactly that - a flood of memories of f being in the band  playing every night!”.A wave of warmth surges through the the room, the hand shroud a refreshing humility. In the edgy Eadt London grime, the and show they’re prime, and we’re all massively here for it. 

As their ores lonely state: ‘ In recent years, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their albums: ‘Trancsentalism’ and ‘Plans’ ,the band have rocketed into the live scene once again.Their past  at Ally Pally prove their lasting powerI Built You A Tower’ is an album of reconciling with past selves in order to locate a new future. This was true for Death Cab for Cutie as much as it was for Gibbard himself. After 20-odd years in the major label system, the band returned to their indie roots and signed with ANTI- Records. 

The move coincided with Death Cab embarking on a writing and recording process more akin to their initial run of albums in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, filtered through lessons learned through the textural experimentation of their ‘10s records and a decade-plus with their current quintet lineup: Gibbard, bassist Nick Harmer, drummer Jason McGerr and multi-instrumentalists Dave Depper and Zac Rae. and prove their curious inability to appear when they were seemingly lost.

In an age of uncertainty, the need for meaning is burning. According to the band’s astute view,

‘’Built You A Tower’ is an album of reconciling with past selves in order to locate a new future. This was true for Death Cab for Cutie as much as it was for Gibbard himself. After 20-odd years in the major label system, the band returned to their indie roots and signed with ANTI- Records. 

This move was seismic, and ultimately proved their nous: ‘The move coincided with Death Cab embarking on a writing and recording process more akin to their initial run of albums in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, filtered through lessons learned through the textural experimentation of their ‘10s records and a decade-plus with their current quintet lineup: Gibbard, bassist Nick Harmer, drummer Jason McGerr and multi-instrumentalists Dave Depper and Zac Rae.

Their enthralling anthem: ‘I Will Follow You Into The Dark’ is shattering, the Troxy  audience bellowing every word with l their sheer passion, a touching exchange with the crowd the lead singer opens up “Nothing lives long onto the earth’ - and we are aptly reminded of our place here with the music. 

Words by Brendan Sharp 
Photography by Sam Strutt

Despite only releasing their first single last year, the wait for debut album ‘Put A Smile On For Me’ has felt torturous — but don’t worry, it was worth it. 

Although ‘Siren’ might have had Keo knocking on the door of the music industry, debut album ‘Put A Smile On For Me’ feels the equivalent of following it up the six-song EP with a bulldozer. It’s everything that the length and breadth of the UK has come to love from the London lads ratcheted way up until the handle’s broken. Finn and Conor Keogh, Jimmy Lanwern, Oli Spackman. Remember the names, because 'Put A Smile On For Me' feels like a launchpad to the echelons of beloved modern guitar bands. But don’t take this review’s word for it — instead, take a look at the stats. They’ve sold out their tour in a crazily short period, including O2 Kentish. They went from the BBC Introducing Stage (RIP) at Reading and Leeds last year to the main stage this year. They’ve even already announced a show at the iconic O2 Brixton next year — and all of this before even releasing their debut album.

Sure, most of the album won't be a surprise for any long-time fans. Bar two songs — and even one of them has tentatively started creeping onto recent setlists — all of them have been setlist mainstays in one form or another. Some, like ‘Fly’, have had their original demos floating around for years. But getting to listen to them mastered, self-produced by Finn — “I almost wanted to compromise the music just to get rid of the pressure. But I didn’t think

anyone else would get it right”, he explains — and unapologetically raw, even after the studio-driven polishing, is something else.

‘Be Happy’ sets the scene right off the bat. Propelled by bright, demanding guitars and a thudding rhythm, the instrumental carries a deceptive bounce that clashes against Finn’s broken vocal delivery. The repeated refrain of “never mind” sounds like a man at the end of his tether, the vocals flitting between hopeful and broken; when the track spirals into a wall of crashing riffs, then, it feels less like a catchy hook and more like a driver abandoning the wheel, refusing to just accept the road laid before him, the instrumentals’ climax crashing together like a pile-up. That tension carries straight into lead single ‘That’s Me’, an explosive, seething track where gravelly, self-recriminatory vocals and heavy dynamics confront toxic behavior head-on. Any attempt at foregoing blame is shoved to the side, alongside any idea of languishing in self-pity; you can feel a little bit of impotent rage, the idea of confronting failings that you feel unable to change, but on the whole the spitting vitriol is perfect.

Then, if I can go on a quick personal tangent, the track I was most excited for. The track that got me into them a few years ago, finally given the polished, official release treatment: ‘Fly’. Re-recorded with crisper instrumentation and somehow even more despondent vocals, the brooding, anguished track is sublime. Finn’s voice sounds exposed and desperate — a wounded animal lashing out over a hypnotic, swelling backdrop, building and building as the emotion, the anger and the grief pours out as one… before the final roar suddenly cuts out, leaving behind an empty silence. The threatened, tempestuous climax never truly arrives, the track feeling like it could have just gone on and on, but that’s probably personal bias! Either way, it sure does the live favourite justice. 

'Best I Can Do’ slows the pace into sludgy, melodic territory, Finn almost drone-like as he wrestles with indecision during the gradual erosion of a relationship, while the aforementioned setlist-newcomer ‘Bird On The Wire’, building off of a soft, aching guitar melody, trades its predecessors’ earlier rage for quiet acceptance. Finn’s crooning vocals carry a bewildered listlessness, cast adrift at the realisation that a relationship is doomed from the start. 

'Pistol’, acting like its namesake, uses a sudden, jolting drum fill from Spackman to kick off what feels like the album’s second half. Built around soaring guitars, it reflects the idea of still being able to see light from long dead stars; its gradual fade, the track easing away into a silence, feels like holding onto something that still inexorably slips from your grasp. Then, ‘Loser’. The only song truly unfamiliar to Keo’s wider audiences, a feigned gentleness quickly gives way to a simmering sense of insanity, a mental state a moment away from a breakdown; a listing of faults, real or imagined, feels like a man on the brink. There’s a sort of dark despair to the track, a nihilistic pallor that leaves the track devoid of hope, of colour beyond a swirling, all-consuming blackness — but it’s somehow weirdly beautiful at the same time.

Speaking of dark despair, ‘Black Dress’ takes it the other way. Rather than introspection, the track gives the sense of slithering malice as discordant melodies, anxiety-inducing blares, and sinister whispers cut in and out, echoing through an empty room. There’s something incredibly Deftones-y about it, despite not being all that reminiscent of their particularly distinctive brand of shoegaze; still, though, Finn seems to channel his inner Chino throughout the track, whispers and moans evoking a sinister sense of tension, while anxiety-racing instrumentals flaunt and haunt it both. A sudden end, the song like a malevolent spectre suddenly and abruptly cutting off, merely adds to the discord. The lyrics thankfully make a tad more sense than Deftones’ usual stream of consciousness, but it’s pretty damn close considering the otherwise stark differences between the bands’ usual fares; add some more breakdowns, perhaps a scream or two, and they’d feel nigh indistinguishable to casual listeners. Even in such a strong album, a clear hidden gem of a track. 

From black to blue, then, as ‘Blue Song’ offers what feels like a maudlin eulogy, an epitaph of the relationship. The gentle guitar under Finn’s raw and surging leaves the track feeling bereft and particularly alone; raw pleading and longing laid bare. When the band fully kicks in halfway through, the soaring vocals feel closer to futilely raging against the dying of the light rather than any sort of new life. Which is distinctly ironic, given it is proceeded immediately by a new version of ‘Thorn’, the ‘Siren’ standout given new life by way of a more brutal album iteration. With splintered vocals and more demanding instrumentation, it strips away any sort of polish to show the cracks in the veneer. It feels weird that a ‘proper’ version of a song somehow feels rougher, but the ‘Thorn’ from ‘Siren’ ain’t got nothing on this, the more austere update showing a rougher, far more mesmerisingly emotional core.

By the time you get to closer ‘Spent On You’, then, it feels more like mental aftercare. The jazzy track offers up a mellow, relaxed instrumental backing under Finn’s wistful crooning, a lovesick wanderer staring into the distance and reminiscing. In a vacuum it’s almost romantic, but in the wake of the toxicity of the album extended before it, it reads more like callouses and scarring building on unresolved trauma. Which feels like not only the perfect way to end Keo’s debut album, but almost the only way they could have ended it.

‘Put A Smile On For Me’ won’t be for everyone; it feels unremittingly honest, refusing to adhere to more modern conventions or to soften its edges and reach some sort of status quo. It somehow feels both massive in scale and unrepentantly, uncomfortably intimate; even for long-time fans, it’ll likely need a certain mindset or mood to go into it for a full run through. Despite that, though, and with the acknowledgement that it’s said as an existing fan, it’s fantastic. It’s everything you could want from the boys, other than perhaps calling for twice the length. 

The perfect call-to-arms for anyone who thinks guitar-led music is dead. 

Words by James O’Sullivan

The only thing difficult about the second album from Dublin band Gurriers is the subject matter; the quintet have never shied away from thorny topics, and recognise that music and art are political, no matter who may say otherwise. Formed mid-pandemic, the band’s jagged noise rock template has been refined over the years, with debut album Come and See presenting a band who had essentially figured themselves out but still had room to grow, in terms of both their audience and sound. Along with stopgap single ‘Erased’, it made enough of an impact for them to be brought in to open for Turnstile in Dublin last November, a band with whom they share some strands of musical DNA and are on the level when it comes to sociopolitical values.

There’s no way around it: Nobody’s Coming to Save You eats its predecessor’s lunch. It contains plenty of growth while also doubling down on the intensity with which the band initially made waves. Some bands struggle to capture their live sound on record, but Gurriers are able to bring it into the studio with an ease that suggests veteran status, not a band who released their debut single a mere five years ago. Pair that with production from Mark Bowen of contemporaries IDLES & Loren Humphrey, behind the boards for Geese’s Getting Killed? It’s a match made in heaven; for this reason, the likes of ‘Nothing Happens Twice’ and ‘Party Lines’ kick like a mule.

The album’s title and its namesake opener speak to the power of individual action rather than powerlessness: “Hope ain’t a whisper / It’s an axe you break down doors with.” The central message of hope anchored to these 10 powerful songs also puts the music world on notice that art and politics are inseparable, as ‘Shades’ takes aim at the artists who remain silent, ‘shy, nepotistic and free’, Dan Hoff’s vocals shifting effortlessly from a whisper to a scream as the song scales up both the band’s knack for a speaker-rattling hook and their trademark full-on approach. If the record tips into overwhelming territory at times, that’s the point; on a macro scale, life itself feels like too much, expressed simply on the tattered yet tender ‘Today’s Not Enough’: “I can’t foresee my future and I miss my past.” It’s a love song at its core, yet it’s swept along by nervous energy, milliseconds from flying off the handle. 

Across the record, anxiety is a constant hum, background radiation that bleeds into the self-laceration of ‘Drones’: “Can’t even hold a job down without tears on my pillow / Cursed with a permanent frown, everyone thinks I’m an arsehole.” It’s a song for anyone feeling ground down by daily life, crushed by the relentless march of capitalism, directly in the crosshairs on ‘Waiting For Fisher’, with its talk of burnout and ‘coffin-shaped booths’ as the song builds to its peak before collapsing amidst frantic yells, plunging the listener into the dissociative numbness of penultimate track ‘I Wish I Was’, as all that nervous energy fizzles out and the narrative completely crashes, the band finally slowing things down as the album reaches its denouement, with ‘Crybaby’ bringing it home with aplomb, one last achingly personal reflection.

Scathing both in musical approach and lyrical outlook, Nobody’s Coming to Save You isn’t for the faint of heart, but Gurriers know that being artists who can locate their spine speaks volumes. They may just be the hungriest band the burgeoning Irish scene has to offer, with the confidence, clarity of vision and—most crucially of all—songs that hit like sledgehammers. Compromise won’t save us; we need more music as unflinching as this. Artists have voices beyond being vehicles of entertainment, and Gurriers are prepared to go hoarse in the pursuit of solidarity and hope, because it’s all worth saving.

Words by Gareth O’Malley

Let us introduce you to Sonia Elisheva - who has just released her new single 'Playground'.

Arriving as an eclectic dose of electro-leaning alt-pop, Sonia Elisheva’s distinctive vocals bring out the soul in 'Playground'. Catchy and cathartic, the track finds solace in the realisation that no one truly knows what they are doing. Playground is your reminder to look beyond the polished facades.

Sharing more, Sonia explained: ‘I’ve often found in my own life that I’ll reach these places I’ve dreamed about getting to, only to realise that the people around me don’t necessarily have it any more figured out than I do. Some people are just better at pretending than others. . I’m not the first to write about this of course, imposter syndrome is such a common feeling. Playground is ultimately about letting go of some of that pressure to present as though you have everything figured out and to detach from the constant need for external validation.’

Sonia took a moment to talk to us about her music and what the future holds for her.

Hey there Sonia - how are you? So your track ‘Playground’ is out now - can you tell us what it is about?
I’m good thanks, I hope you are too! The song is about the strange little playground we create for ourselves as adults. The way we chase validation, try to look like we’ve got it all figured out & then quietly wonder if everyone else is just doing the same.

Where are you from and what are your favourite things to do there?
I’m originally from a town called Egham in Surrey, and what I like I doing there is getting on the train and going to London hahaha. I'm just kidding (sort of). I do love going back though to visit my parents - it’s nice having somewhere a bit quieter to escape to.

What are the key influences when it comes to your music?
I grew up listening to a lot of jazz & swing, and artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Caro Emerald and Caravan Palace were a big influence on me when I first started making music. I’ve always had a huge love of pop too, so over the years I’ve found myself drawing more from British artists like Lily Allen, Jessie Ware and Charli XCX. I’m also really inspired by French electronic-pop bands like L’Impératrice. I think that mix of jazz, electronic music and pop is probably what has shaped my sound the most.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never listened to your music before?
Imagine you’re drinking cocktails at a jazz bar but then you decide to get on the nightbus & head to a sweaty night club - I think that pretty much describes my sound!

Now the track is out there - what next for you?
I’ve got my second album, Illusions, coming out early next year, so there’s lots more music on the way. I’ve also just started a Substack where I’ll be writing about the stories, ideas and rabbit holes that inspire my music. And I have a 7-piece jazz band, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on stage and playing some live shows with them too.

This week's Artist Of The Week is alt-pop singer-songwriter Gia Ford - who has just released her incredible sophomore album 'A Room Within A Room' via Chrysalis Records.

On her second album, A Room Within A Room, Gia explores themes of humanity, connection, identity, and the importance of preserving a sense of imperfection and authenticity in an increasingly digital world. The album was created with a focus on capturing the feeling of real people making music together, with organic textures, emotional depth, and a strong sense of atmosphere. Sonically, the album shifts through everything from soul to pop, indie and rock.

Gia took a moment to talk to us about how the album came together.

Hey there Gia Ford, how are you? So your album is out now – how does it feel to have it out there?
Hello! I'm well thank you. It feels great to have the music out, that's the point - to have it listened to!

It is called 'A Room Within A Room' – what is the meaning behind that?
It was quite convoluted really, but felt right thematically. The songs are all in some way about our internal, single consciousnesses and perceptions of the world and ourselves. So the room is sort of a metaphor for single consciousness within a larger, shared one. In a way it's a glimpse into my room, my inner monologue.

Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories you are willing to share with us?
It was recorded in Kent, in a studio near Chatham. The house attached is also an AirBnB. There had been some difficulty booking slots, so one time we ended up double booking with a bridal party in the main house. We had to creep around the side gate, and sleep in the barn at the bottom of the garden. But there was a telly we somehow managed to get working, and we watched 'Extras' until the connection faltered while the ladies in the house sang at increasing volumes throughout the night. My producer had food poisoning too, that time. It was beautiful.

What are the key influences behind the album?
Late Bowie, like Blackstar and Heathen... Scott Walker, U2...on the folkier side, it's The Mamas & The Papas, The Rolling Stones, Linda Perhacs, White Album-era Beatles. Loads! 

If the album could be a soundtrack to any film – which one and why?
Hm. It'd have to be quite musically driven..probably something like Trainspotting, just for its variation. The album has a plethora of emotions on it, and grapples with feeling lost in the world, but it wouldn't work with a quiet European film I don't think. It's too cinematic. Perhaps parts of it could work for something akin to Suspiria too.

Do you have a favourite lyric on the album? If so, which one and why?
'In the morning, like an angel, I feel you/and you walk like a saint, with love' on track one, 'Liberty'. I think it perfectly expresses the mystery of nature and how it breathes quiet and knowing around us. I suppose it represents the feeling of the universe watching us, which is what I wanted to express.

Now the album is out there – what next for you?
Hopefully just the chance to keep writing, recording, playing music to crowds of people and seeing more of the planet while we still can.

Spiritbox deliver an arena show that returns to London; this time at Wembley Arena for a full-circle show at the end of the Tsunami Sea tour that readies audiences for the next chapter.

When Spiritbox started the Tsunami Sea tour; they were headlining a sold out Alexandra Palace show. Now they’re back; they’re headlining Wembley. Okay, it may not be that Wembley, which tonight, has an evening of American College Football in store – but packing out Ovo Arena Wembley on a busy Saturday night is no small feat for a band like Spiritbox, who have been rapidly ascending to arena ready venues ever since they broke out on the scene. Their path to Download headliner looks inevitable; if not with this album, two albums down the line – and Courtney LaPlante is well aware of the occasion, having spent time for a song with Evanescence and Poppy at the 02 as a warm-up the week before.

The vivid gothic imagery that accompanies Spiritbox makes them tailor made for a unique approach to contemporary metalcore that has seen them embraced by Download and Bloodstock already – their second album now establishes them as well-proven bands that others look towards, with a heavy shadow left over their performances by the home island of guitarist Mike Stringer at Victoria, British Columbia, with the band thinking back to the time they spent there and the subconsious dread that came with it due to the nature of the location they grew up on – the “scary tectonic plates” on the West Coast. LaPlante argues that “since we were little kids, everyone’s been telling us ‘how’ the big one is coming”. The tsunami at sea would be horrid; mass wave of natural inescapable disaster. That’s the backing of Tsunami Sea and right from the start you feel like the waves are crashing down around you when Courtney comes onto ‘Fata Morgana’ and goes full pelt into her arena ready guttural growls that come for the juglar. Michael’s riffs are instantly hypnotising from the get-go and you can see this was designed as the arena-level walk-on song, it goes for all the punches and is crystal clear from the off.

It’s Courtney exercising her vocal range early to show the audience we’re in good hands – this is how it’s done. Her vocals reach new heights during ‘Cellar Door’; and now the band run a difficult task of trying to pull from a setlist that can’t fit everything on it anymore. It means some songs are cut: heartbreakingly, no ‘Secret Garden’, but the two punch of ‘Black Rainbow’, ‘Perfect Soul’ and then into ‘Keep Sweet’ is a barnstormer. Every time, Courtney makes clear to the audience, they come back to London it is at the height of their next evolution as a band – Islington Assembly Hall was a proving ground, Ally Pally showed they could be arena headliners – and now Wembley shows the metal genre that they can take arena ready venues and have the whole floor moving. It’s engrossing. It’s moving. It’s captivating in equal spirit – not a single member of the crowd is disengaged, everyone is on board – and it’s an instant fan favourite set. When bands reach arenas it can be very tricky to engage the crowd of that size – but watching from above; it’s clear to see that this is the night Spiritbox won over everybody in the room. They’re massive – absolutely ready for the next great leap. It’s incredible that even despite the fact that the frequent set breaks often kill the momentum just as they are getting started, and it’s a testament to Courtney’s stage presence that she’s able to keep the fans engaged even despite the downtime. The only problem is that the music is at times; a bit too polished – too well choreographed, there isn’t room for improvision or mayhem. So the element of surprise is lost – but that works in Spiritbox’s favour, as it allows them to keep their set controlled for maximum carnage as and when they want; and that pays off in the fact that everyone is kept safe in the pits: crowd-surfers and pit-starters move with ease. 

That control builds to a building point by the end – and a tease for the new era ‘Mourning’ – which debuts with a call to wash away the past. It allows Spiritbox to embrace a new chapter with the confidence of a band who are now aware that people will show up for their arena sets – now they have to keep them there. This calls back to the very end of ‘Deep End’ – not deployed tonight -  and the transitions from the black and white of Tsunami Sea into something more gorgeous and colourful; rebirth in the ashes of disaster. Colours are saturated and visible and there is a more hopeful, optimistic slant here. This is the next chapter of Spiritbox – and it has me along for the ride.

Support comes from Dying Wish and Jinjer – we make it due to the end of Jinjer; and Jinjer show too that they are ready for the step up of an arena band. The prog-heavy metal is a hybrid that makes perfect sense for Spiritbox support; and they lean into the controlled chaos atmosphere by the end for ‘Duel’ – that goes hard and has the audience wrapped up and ready for Spiritbox. For me I’m well versed for Jinjer, having seen them twice now – and it feels like with Spiritbox, they’re ready to make the leap up to bigger things. It won’t be long before they too, take the journey that Spiritbox have done. But the fact is Spiritbox have done what they have done without anthems – without the big blockbuster hits. It’s remarkable. Surely; they have that in mind for album number three. And when they do drop them – and they will drop it – it’ll be a cracker. ‘Holy Roller’ is the song that changed everything for Spiritbox – they’re aware of its importance – and if you aren’t convinced – by the time the song comes on, you will be.

Words by Miles Milton-Jefferies
Photo Credit: @BETHANMILLERCO

Grandiose and thorough, Anxious’s new single sounds like the jumpy grunge tracks of a bygone era with a fresh coat of paint.

Anxious’s relentless schedule has led to various iterations of their sound that, while altering slightly from release to release, remain within the same sonic world they have so carefully crafted for themselves, and ’Secret Weapon’ is yet another step away from their regular sound. Littered with hollow and punchy riffs and an unyielding stream of effects on everything from the guitars to the vocals, this new track holds a growth of angst within its core as its pleasing yet mildly discordant sound radiates through your speakers. This freshest evolution of the patented Anxious sound feels creative and intuitive, keeping to their from-the-soul style of songwriting while still tinkering with undiscovered territory; this exploration has been paramount for Anxious and feels as if it has truly come to form through this short but sweet banger.

From the stage to the studio, Anxious keep climbing rungs on the proverbial ladder of the modern hardcore-adjacent pop-punk scene, and to see them continue to brandish their sword in all new formats is truly hypnotic. The catchy and winding bends of the guitar riffs, coupled with the sunken and distorted vocals, make for a true earworm, festering in your brain’s recent listens and cementing its place as one of their most replayable songs. I, as I’m sure many of the Anxious fanbase can only hope that this creative foray into different stylings is something that remains grounded throughout their constant releases that have picked up since the release of their sensational 2025 album ’Bambi’.

Anxious endless touring continues throughout the year in a truly all-star cast of scene legends and fresh faces headed by the genre titans Citizen. This relentless touring has clearly paid off in full as the two new recent singles have found their footing as some of the brightest and most human songs in their already wildly rich, albeit short, catalogue. If they can continue to evolve and grow at the same pace they have proven they can, then I am certain that we will be seeing tour posters for extensive headline tours in no time, each of which will have been earned through constant graft and creative ingenuity. 

Words by Josh Pook

Freak Slug turns a past life reading into her most complete album yet.

After being lucky enough to watch them at Leeds Festival 2025, Freak Slug got a past life reading almost by accident, and ended up with an entire album out of it. 

"I've got a lot of pain in this life and I wanted to know where that comes from" 

The Manchester born multi-instrumentalist, real name Xenya Genovese, explains. The medium told her she'd been a healer in another life, hunted and persecuted for it while her sister was killed in her place. Whether you take that literally or not, it's the emotional backbone of Amulet, a record that digs into old wounds, feminine rage and generations of women written out of the story, and comes out the other side sounding like her most complete work yet.

Where 2024's I Blow Out Big Candles dealt in stripped back, starry eyed bedroom pop indebted to Mazzy Star and Pavement, and first sent her viral with the 2020 single 'radio', Amulet trades that eccentricity for something darker and grittier, sung more distinctly than ever in her own Mancunian accent. 

"I've had no previous examples of Northern women from Manchester singing, so I decided that I want to f*cking do it”

Xenya says of leaning fully into her speaking voice on record. ‘Big Boy' sets that tone from the very first crash. A grungey, haunting instrumental building around subdued, sombre vocals as Xenyaadmonishes the history books for erasing the wise women who came before her. It's a heavy way to open, moody and melodramatic in the best sense. 'Wishing Bone’ pulls things back into something more acoustic, sentimental and wistful, her voice at its softest and most delicate, "it's a slow sedation, it's a realisation" landing as the album's most quietly devastating lyric. That softness carries into 'If I Could', a hazy, slow burning meditation on heartbreak that turns unexpectedly cheery, anthemic horns and an upbeat drum pattern giving it a warmth the rest of the record rarely allows itself.

'One Trick Pony' takes a more peculiar vocal approach, smooth and thoroughly indie in its skin, before 'Penny Drop' brings her Mancunian accent right to the front over a genuinely wicked guitar riff, one of the best written hooks on the whole album. 'Serpent' shifts into shoegaze and dream pop territory, entrancing and slippery, exactly as its title suggests, Xenya using it to explore the fraying relationship between humanity and the earth rather than anything more literal between men and women.

'Black Eyes' is rock heavy and swirling, one of the album's most physical moments, its sweetness in the vocal delivery masking real venom in the lyric, a lament for the generational fallout of persecuting women whose only crime was being wise. 'Jade Green' strips things back again, prominent vocals sat over soft guitar, before lead single 'Girl, Intentions' arrives as the record's most braggadocious moment, a sassy, Charli xcx tinged strut that explodes into a full blown indie banger. What started as a song about seeing the champion in someone else became, by the end, a song about believing in herself, villain and saint in equal measure, a nod to the film Girl, Interrupted running underneath it all.

From there, the record turns properly sinister. 'Then Let Me' is gloomy and atmospheric, a distorted ambience adding real allure to a lyric that keeps circling back to being let in. 'Actress' keeps that gloom going into the penultimate slot, a gentle drum pattern underpinning something melancholy and nostalgic, distortion still heavy in the background. Closer 'Muse' brings everything to a grandiose head, heavy amp sounds and a soft vocal take pulling together every thread that's come before it, a genuinely fitting way to close out an album this considered.

Written on the go, in clubs, on aeroplanes, on the way to somewhere else, with long time collaboratorDylan Neustadter across sessions in London and LA, Amulet melds slacker alt rock songwriting with lyricism far sharper and more mysterious than anything on her debut. It sits somewhere between The Breeders and The Brian Jonestown Massacre sonically, but the accent, the anger and the healing underneath it all are entirely hers. Even the demos started life the same way every Freak Slug song does, worked out bare bones on an acoustic guitar before she builds outward from there, a process that hasn't changed even as the sound around it has grown so much bigger. 

"It's the best extension of myself that I've managed to capture up until this point. It's Northern, upfront, introspective. Boisterous, as always."

Amulet proves it, an album that turns old pain into something incandescent, and confirms Freak Slugas one of the most distinctive voices working in British guitar music right now.

Words by Alex Peters

Tears of happiness, grief, catharsis and heartbreak - feel it all with Lizzy McAlpine’s ‘Angel’. 

Sad-girl-in-love autumn has well and truly begun. Set to break hearts and remind everyone what it means to really yearn, Lizzy McAlpine is back with album number 4, ‘Angel’. Written over two years of profound self discovery, it sees her confront her understanding of herself as a friend, a lover and an artist. From the hopeful intimacy of falling in love, the isolation of heartbreak and the unwavering endurance of friendship and community through distance and time, ‘Angel’ is the journey of McAlpine returning to herself. 

Her most lyrically expansive and sonically ambitious body of work to date, this is Lizzy at her very best. Not one weak moment across 14 tracks, ‘Angel’ is a clear step up for Lizzie and her artistry. A rich tapestry of both classic and contemporary influences, it blends together everything from 70’s folk to 21st century indie, allowing for McAlpine to exist within a sonic landscape that is distinctly hers. It sees her reunite with collaborators Mason Stoops and Taylor Mackall as well as featuring songwriting credits from Nick Drake.

Lead single ‘The Light in The Painting’ was the first song written for the record and works to set the tone for the new era for Lizzy. She describes it as the ‘perfect introduction’ into the world that was created for ‘Angel’, seeking to capture the feelings of euphoria and wonder that arise from forging a new connection with someone. It works beautifully as the opening track of the album; listeners are ushered in by the gentle orchestration that accompanies Lizzy’s vocals. Much like her eyes in the opening line, it is impossible not to be drawn in. Anyone who has ever heard one of her songs will attest to Lizzy McAlpine’s ability to build and layer sound  - the way she is able to create cinematic, sweeping landscapes with her songwriting is a big part of why so many have fallen in love with (and to) her music over the years. This track is no different. As all the different elements come to a crescendo in the bridge, your heart can’t help but swell in your chest. For a voice with a tone so fragile, vulnerable and gentle, Lizzy and her orchestrations pack a punch. 

Aside from her ability to compose sweeping melodies and arrange harmonies and instrumentals that soar into the stratosphere, McAlpine is known for her lyricism. Honest, heartbreaking and somehow able to resonate with everyone who listens to them, she has truly honed her craft on ‘Angel’. For all the devastating lyrics on the album (of which there are too many to name), ‘Peach’ is in a league of its own. 

‘We balance our lives together, you show me how to be better. I understand now that this is all there is. A peach. A moment to love myself better, the hardest season to weather. I understand now that it was all for this.’

Having become a part of the lexicon of pop culture through its many iterations and interpretations, McAlpine’s peach is a reflection of the self acceptance that only happens when you allow yourself to feel safe and comfortable in a connection. Encapsulating a sense of quiet peaceful tranquility, the peach is a love letter to the ordinary: the understanding that when you find the right person, it is enough to simply be.

One track will inevitably stand out, in no small part due to its whopping 7 minutes 23 seconds runtime. ‘Our Strange Ways’ could be interpreted as a song within a song; for the main section of the track McAlpine muses on the distance she feels from someone. She talks about songs, songs written for ‘you’. The insinuation is that this is someone she has ‘created’ with before - using the metaphor of songwriting and performance she explains the difficulty of having to sing alone having grown so used to having someone close. She questions that closeness, interrogating it and untangling it. The instrumentation is vast; strings, background vocals, synths, a rainstick all create this whirlwind of atmosphere that goes around in circles on the line ‘A World Without You’. And then it stops. And the ‘real’ song begins. The raw, unproduced, vulnerable song. The song written for ‘them’. 

A personal favourite has to be ‘The Crowd’. Across the album, there are many gorgeous moments where, thanks to production orchestration and mixing Lizzy creates something grand and larger than life. On this track however, all of that melts away leaving just her and a piano. The foundations of it all and the reason I and no doubt countless others began listening to her in the first place. Possibly the most introspective and heartbreaking on ‘Angel’, this is a song not simply about loss but about what we choose to do with it. 

‘Everything I do, I do so I can make you proud. Everything I do, I make it big so you can hear the crowd’

In spite of her grief, Lizzy promises to make her mark. The grandiosity, scale and beauty of the other tracks on the album pale in comparison to the deafening honesty and vulnerability that bleed from this one. With a song and nothing more, she can say everything she could ever need to.

Having already performed one secret show this month, there is no way of knowing what Lizzy will do once the album is released. Given how busy things have been with Tribeca earlier this year and the single drops over the last few months, no tour dates have been announced yet. That’s not to say that there isn’t something in the works - knowing her Lizzy will have surprises up her sleeve yet. Until then, she leaves listeners undoubtedly in their feelings and with a feeling of hope. In the same way she has found love, felt loss and understood the kind of person she wants to be, all that can be hoped for is that ‘Angels’ does the same for all those who listen to it. 

Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson

Cage The Elephant, known for hits “Cigarette Daydreams”, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”, and “Come a Little Closer” just released their latest single “Dying In Reverse” on September 10th. The track will also be a part of the EA SPORTS FC™ 27 soundtrack, launching globally on September 25th.

After a five year hiatus from 2019 with album Social Cues to 2024 with album Neon Pill, the band is back again with singles “Beaches In Tennessee” followed by “Dying In Reverse”. 

“Dying In Reverse” is layered with a nostalgically hypnotic guitar, chorus, and meditative beat that pulls the listener into a trance-like state. With soft and emotionally charged lyrics the psychedelic track tackles themes of mental health, death, rebirth, and a toxic relationship. 

Vocalist Matthew Shultz, states the single is “essentially about a fresh start or a rebirth of sorts,” with lyrics “Back to the beginning of love”, “Cryin' like a baby, I ain't got no past”, and mantra “I feel like I'm dying in reverse” solidifying this statement. 

One of my favorite lyrics in the song is “Go on and clip my wings / While in mid air”. Often used as a metaphor for captivity, “clipped wings” can also be seen as a reversal of age, since when a baby bird is born, they can not fly yet and are confined to the nest. This lyric pairs greatly along with the phrases “give them wings” and “leaving the nest”. 

Lyrics “I take that ripped parachute and I'm cutting it loose” and “Dive into this ceiling” follow the theme of clipped wings, with the cut parachute being the now clipped wings. This leads him to the crossroads of either removing the dead weight (the toxic relationship) or keeping it on him. When he does cut himself loose and he is falling, he is free diving out of the relationship with lyrics “I finally opened my eyes / I don't need no more proof / I wanna taste your disaster on the tip of my tongue / To the back of my mind / Where the damage was done.” 

Though no longer confined like a caged bird, he still thinks on the relationship with lyrics “Back to the beginning of love” and “There's no difference between us” but knows he should keep moving on with lyrics “Keep my eyes ahead and no I won't look back”.

The metaphors in “Dying In Reverse” are very well done, and after re-listening and re-reading the lyrics, I found they could mean either shedding a relationship with another, or a relationship with one's self. 

“Dying In Reverse” takes a softer approach to Cage The Elephant’s previous discography, marking the start of their latest evolution. Guitarist Brad Shultz states that they always wanted to reinvent Cage The Elephant’s sound. Speaking on “Dying In Reverse” he stated, “We’ve discovered a whole new side to our band, how we look at things, and how we make art. You’re growing constantly as an artist, and I think we’ve tapped into that growth. I do feel like we’re making the best music we’ve ever made. If anything, it’s definitely the most inspired.”

“Dying In Reverse” is a must listen for Indie lovers and die hard Cage The Elephant fans. 

Words by Isabella Basile

With a spirit of joy, freedom and possibility at it’s heart, Ezra Collective prove once again that music is medicine with their album ‘Here Because of Hope’.

A decade since releasing their first EP, Ezra Collective have grown up together. As men, as artists, as people who had a dream for things to change for the better. With their new release, ‘Here Because of Hope’ that dream fuels it all as they share a message of a renewal and salvation that lives on the other side of pain. 

Split into three sections, ‘Here Because of Hope’ is a journey through jazz, geography and time. Interwoven with poetry read by Leticia Wright, Ezra Collective follow the evolution of Black music, tracing its history across the diaspora. Each a landmark, the songs trace the movement of people and histories that have shaped not only Ezra Collective’s work, but more widely contemporary British Black Music as a whole. From its roots in Africa, through to America and the Caribbean all the way to the streets of London where the band call home, the album is a celebration of the culture, tradition, people and resilience that has shaped entire generations of sound. 

The stories begin with ‘Blow Your Trumpet’, slow and steady. With laid back rhythms and a simple melody flanked by piano, the titular trumpet welcomes listeners into a soundscape that is warm, inviting and full of intoxicating charisma. Ife Ogunjobi is nothing short of sublime, personifying the band’s effortless ability to sit right in that perfect pocket of a groove. ‘Sweet Echo’ is exactly as it’s title would suggest with flavours of Afro-Jazz and a bassline by TJ Koleoso that pushes the energy forward and the temperature up. Where ‘Don’t Worry’ is gentle and introspective, ‘Only Love’ is an invitation from Pa Salieu to dance. The first course closes out with ‘Someday’, which with its gorgeous blend of organ, guitar, horns and piano embodies the warm carefree feeling of summer. 

‘Birdie Signs’ is a gearchange as shimmering piano from Joe Armon-Jones is punctuated by a deep, reggae-meets-dubstep type beat. It’s followed by ‘The Last Stand’ where you are transported to the dark of night by orchestration that would be right at home in the depths of a smoky dancefloor. Lila Ike, the second feature thus far, joins the party on ‘Well Organised’. A tribute to Jamaica and her longstanding ability to heal with melody, steel pan melodies and Ike’s silky smooth tone stand out proud. A love letter to Latin America, ‘El Corazon’ truly is the heart of the record, with percussion performances by band leader Femi Koleoso worthy of a fiesta. Once again, the trumpet line is front and center for ‘Bunny on The Rise’, an injection of pure jazz chaos that can’t help but leave you smiling. 

Leona Lewis is well and truly swoon-worthy on ‘All I Need’. ‘Jubille Feeling’ is lightning in a bottle levels of special. With an accompanying London-shot video directed by Ebenezer Blanche, it combines the band’s jazz foundations with the dancefloor momentum of London club culture. Taking inspiration from the name of the church he grew up at and the meaning of the word itself (a year when everyone’s debts are settled and prisoners are set free), it paints a picture of the euphoric joy of wanting nothing more than to dance along with the music. ‘Black Flag’ is a window into the intimate, more subdued moments that come at the end of a night out once the club has closed. James Mollison’s sax line against synths and percussion is dreamily rich, soaring over echoey orchestration. Things close out with ‘Most High’, where accompanied by Libianca, Ezra Collective give thanks to all that has shaped who they are. 

Whilst critical acclaim is nothing new for the band, this album shapes up to be their best yet. ‘Here Because of Hope’ as a body of work will resonate with everyone, creating a sense of community against a world of division and disconnection from one another. It is a reminder that we need to cherish and celebrate everything that has built us into the people we have become; the stories, the culture, the roots laid by the people that came before. In spite of pain, in spite of struggle, in spite of all that is thrown at us, there has to be joy. Hope is the thing that gets us through. Hope is what makes the joy feel possible. 

Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson

There’s always going to be the weight of expectation hovering over a band if they shot for the stars with a stone-cold classic album at any point in their career; the fact remains that Bloc Party have not been that band in the most literal sense for a decade. They never got a real chance to pick themselves up and start again until now. 2016’s HYMNS? Frequently beautiful and dazzling, it was still written by Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack on their own. 2022’s Alpha Games? Much delayed by the pandemic, it shared plenty of DNA with Silent Alarm, making a splash but not quite sticking the landing, owing to the fact the band ended up on their third new bass player in eight years shortly thereafter. Given how famously tight the band’s original incarnation was, one wondered if they’d find stability again. Thankfully, they have.

Anatomy of a Brief Romance is literal in its approach, a post-mortem of a year-long relationship that vocalist and guitarist Okereke was ill-prepared for in both its dizzying highs and shattering lows, after separating from the father of his children. Most brutal of all is that he knows this new love is doomed, with the synth-heavy opener ‘22.01.22’ accepting this as a fait accompli: “You are every kind-eyed man I cannot make stay ,,, I wonder what I’ll have learned by the time you walk away.” He’s along for the ride; he just doesn’t expect to be taken for one instead. We’ve seen glimpses of this before (on the brilliantly inventive 2008 surprise drop Intimacy), but this is full concept album territory, folks; with the full band behind it, this unvarnished look at love and loss helps them find their footing again.

Harry Deacon takes up that vacant bassist post, announcing himself by locking in with powerhouse drummer Louise Bartle for an uneasy look at blossoming affection on ‘Coming On Strong’. Okereke’s new man is intense, taking creepshots of him from across the gym floor, and neither of them are afraid to let things get messy, in declarations of devotion (as on ‘Love Bombs’) and otherwise, He can be forgiven a goofy lyric or two, as on ‘Pigwig’, because the impact is everything, and new love can inspire people in all sorts of ways. It’s proven divisive but benefits hugely from album context, the way it soars for the payoff (“That was the moment I knew that I’d been… fooooo-oooound”) is irresistible. He’s stepped back into his own shoes as a lyricist, in a manner of speaking, not to mention the sound of this band in full flight is still something to behold.

‘Lagoon Blue’ gets a title change and re-record from 2023’s comparatively obscure High Life EP, and enters the pantheon of Bloc Party all-timers, recontextualised as the seed from which this album sprouted. A shimmering ode to the intoxicating highs of love and life, it makes the plunge into suspicion and heartbreak all the more punishing. The new lover can’t let the past go on grade-A pop banger ‘Muscleworks’ (replete with lead guitarist Lissack stealing the show at the song’s climax, right before a deft key change), while worries about double lives and shocking exposition on ‘Clark Kent’ tee up an absolute shitstorm on ‘Worst Birthday Ever’; meeting the parents and being completely shut down by his new flame’s ‘pig’ of a dad, expected and unaverted. “Your dad got his wish - his gay son’s no longer in love!” Okereke spits, dramatic tension boiling over and resulting in a spectacular crashout on the hook-heavy ‘Not Your Problem’ as he laments a ‘stolen’ year.

This ‘brief romance’ has come crashing down, hitting like a freight train on ‘Now We Can’t Be Friends’, which dives headfirst into the ‘disco heartbreak’ template that inspired the album, going back to the well that inspired 2009 loosie ‘One More Chance’ with a completely flipped lyrical outlook. There are no more chances, with both parties left to pick up the pieces, as ‘Rotherhithe’ unfolds with devastating clarity, another excellent ballad that serves as the other side of the coin flipped on ‘Lagoon Blue’. The good and bad days are both ‘the breaks’, as Okereke admits he’s scorched the earth: “The only picture I kept was the one of you walking away.” It pairs well with ‘Stories’, as both men examine their actions and look to begin new chapters, a hyperactive guitar burst from Lissack adding splashes of colour into an otherwise ruminative song that begins to lift the veil of heartache.

Bitterness and yearning finally give way to acceptance on closing duo ‘Moving On’ and ‘Eulogy’, each acting as a direct mirror to ‘22.01.22’ and ‘Coming On Strong’ in a neat full-circle moment; the intensity of newfound love gives way to ‘taking a lover in the afternoon’, and the album ends on a note of closure, as Okereke gives his ex an emotional send-off. Anatomy of a Brief Romance adds plenty of new textures and tricks to Bloc Party’s arsenal; it’s diaristic in the extreme, and you have to sign up for that to enjoy the record to its fullest extent, but whether lovestruck or forlorn, seething or healing, the conceptual framework constructed back in 2023 has resulted in the their most focused set of songs in quite some time, with highs that can go to the mat with their best work, a multi-layered collection that scales the renewed quartet’s ambition back up, setting the stage for a band who have finally regained their footing. This party’s far from over.

Words by Gareth O’Malley

Following on from previous single 'Be With Her' - Ella Aslin returns with new single 'Ruin me!'.

Exploring the frustrations of loving someone and not being able to tell them how your truly feel. It was written after falling in love with a close friend who was in a relationship at the time. The song reflects that deep feeling of longing and guilt someone feels in those moments of love. Ticking the boxes of the story telling of Taylor Swift and the subtle dream pop of Phoebe Bridgers - this track explores a guitar driven pop sound that is very much on the mark at the moment.

Great things to come from this artist.

Lifted from his forthcoming studio album, Airplane Mode, James Blunt returns with his latest single ‘Weight Of It All’.

There has always been more steel in James Blunt’s songwriting than his reputation as Britain’s favourite self-deprecating Twitter uncle might suggest. Beneath the jokes, the memes and the knowingly sentimental image, Blunt has spent much of his career returning to the same uncomfortable territory: the moments when emotional composure begins to fracture. “Weight Of It All”, the latest preview from his forthcoming eighth studio album Airplane Mode, finds him once again standing at that fault line, delivering a song about modern pressure with the disarming directness that remains his greatest strength.

The track is built around restraint. At first, there is considerable space around Blunt’s weathered tenor, allowing the grain and slight instability in his voice to become part of the arrangement. His vocal has acquired mileage over the years, and that mileage matters. He no longer sounds like a young songwriter discovering heartbreak in real time. Instead, there is the impression of someone who has accumulated enough experience to understand that emotional exhaustion rarely arrives with a dramatic soundtrack. Sometimes it simply settles in.

Piano and acoustic textures gradually widen the song’s emotional frame, while percussion and polished production steer it towards the familiar modern-ballad crescendo. It is a well judged progression, moving from intimate confession towards something designed for a larger room, perhaps eventually a festival field with thousands of voices joining in. Yet this is also where the production becomes slightly too conscious of its own emotional mechanics. Blunt’s conversational delivery is already doing much of the heavy lifting, and there are moments when the glossy sonic architecture feels as though it is explaining feelings the singer has communicated perfectly well himself.

“Weight Of It All” takes its title seriously. The burden at its centre is deliberately broad, encompassing relationships, ageing, responsibility, grief and the relentless expectation that modern life should somehow remain manageable. Blunt captures that particular exhaustion of continuing to function while quietly wondering how much more can be carried. There is commercial intelligence in that universality. Almost anyone can locate their own burden within the song.

The trade-off is that some of the writing lacks the sharply observed details that have occasionally made Blunt’s strongest material so effective. His best songs often find enormous emotion in something mundane, an object, a gesture, a conversation that goes slightly wrong. Here, the emotional language is more expansive and familiar. The sentiment lands, but the imagery does not always leave the same distinctive bruise.

Even so, there is something quietly admirable about Blunt refusing to disguise vulnerability behind fashionable production tricks or contemporary pop affectations. “Weight Of It All” does not need a dancefloor detour or a deliberately ironic hook. It is fundamentally a song about admitting that life can become heavy, and about finding the courage to say so without embarrassment.

Most importantly, Blunt understands the difference between singing loudly and singing with conviction. The climax is controlled rather than bombastic, allowing the voice to carry the emotional peak without turning it into melodrama. The closing moments are similarly effective because they resist the temptation to manufacture a neat resolution. The weight remains.

“Weight Of It All” may not reinvent James Blunt, nor does it need to. Instead, it refines the qualities that have kept his songwriting relevant: plain-spoken confession, melodic instinct and a voice that sounds increasingly convincing because it has lived a little. In an era often suspicious of earnestness, Blunt remains willing to take sincerity seriously. That may be unfashionable, but here, it is also his most compelling strength.

Words by Danielle Holian

Molly And The Dolly Shop have just released her powerful new single 'Move Inside'.

Molly And The Dolly Shop is the creative world of singer, songwriter and artist Molly Burman. The Dolly Shop is an open invitation into the communities Molly has built around her music - from her bandmates and fans to her online audience and the queer community she’s part of. At the heart of Molly's songwriting is radical honesty and her music embraces the full spectrum of human emotion, creating space for vulnerability and connection. Through deeply relatable storytelling, she invites listeners to find comfort in knowing they're not alone.

As a member of the Loud LDN collective alongside artists including Piri, venbee and SOFY, Molly is committed to championing greater inclusivity across the music industry. She is also an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, mental health awareness and feminism, using both her platform and her art to spark meaningful conversations.

Molly took a moment to talk to us about the inspirations behind her music.

Who are your top three musical inspirations and why?
Firstly ABBA, I’m so obsessed with their harmonies and the overall fun in their music. I’ve worked in an ABBA tribute act before, which means I’ve really studied their songs and they’re just so complex and well thought out. They’re one of the only acts I could listen to over and over, not to mention their amazing style.
Second has to be Bowie. I grew up listening to him on road trips, my mum is a massive fan. His music is so weird and wonderful and explores so many different genres, which I love. I hate the thought of having to sound like one thing and not being able to play around, I really think Bowie embodied exploration.
And finally I have to say my Dad. He played as a bassist in a punk band when he was 19, he’s now a guitar teacher and writes these amazing children’s songs about animals and the environment. He’s so talented and is the main reason I got into music, he really supported me and first introduced me to the process of producing a song. Without him I probably wouldn’t be doing music, so I guess he’s actually inspiration number one.

Is there a certain film that inspires you and why? 
Sing Street! That’s one of my favourite films ever. There’s a particular line when they’re shooting a music video and Raphina jumps straight into the water. She says something like “it’s for your art, you can never do anything by half” and I ALWAYS think about that whenever I perform, film music videos or write. It’s also the most fun, heartbreaking/heartwarming film and the songs and fashion are iconic.

What city do you find the most inspiring and why? 
Probably London. It’s where I’ve lived my whole life. It’s so full of ideas and creativity and also lots of competition, which I think helps. It’s humbling being from London, never being a big fish in a small pond, knowing from a young age that round every corner are hundreds of people just as talented as you, but weirdly it inspires me to push myself and focus on what I’m doing. I also find Cork really inspiring! It’s where my family is from, it’s so full of live music, whether it’s original acts, trad bands or ska tributes! I always feel so at one with music and really grateful for it when I’m there.

Who is the most inspiring person to you and why? 
I guess I kind of touched on this but it’s my parents and also my Grandad and all my musical family and friends (sorry that’s a lot more than 1). My grandad grew up very working class, from a family of market traders. He first got into piano during the war, playing the boogie woogie with American soldiers. He then got a music scholarship and made a life for himself as a Jazz musician. That love for music was passed on through my Dad. My mum is also very musical and performed in a comedy, acapella trio. I’m surrounded by so much music and my whole family circle is connected by music. I’m so inspired by them all, and want my life to be the same. It showed me how music opens so many doors, it brings so many friendships and so much joy!

What were your inspirations when writing your new track? 
Pretty much just pure emotion. I’ve carried my trauma for so long and I wanted to put it into a song and really understand how I felt. I guess I was inspired by my pain and the pain of all the women in my life who related. I didn’t feel that there was a song out there that really said how we were all feeling. So I wanted to do it!

How would you like to inspire people?
I suppose I’d just like to inspire people to feel their feelings. To stand up against bad people and stand with people who need support. I mainly want people to feel safe and know that how they feel is valid and they aren’t alone.

Destined to be on every ‘For You’ page, Natalie Imbruglia triumphs with new album ‘Algorithm’.

Five years on from her last release, Natalie Imbruglia is back and better than ever with ‘Algorithm’. Returning as an independent artist, this is Imbruglia at her most personal, honest and determined. This new era sees Natalie step into shimmery synth-pop technicolor, embracing genres we haven’t heard from her before. The individuality and charm that we all fell in love with way back when she first released ‘Torn’ underpins the whole thing and it’s clear that she is well and truly where she belongs. 

Introspective, honest and with a sincere vulnerability, Imbruglia is all too aware of the pressures to deliver with this record. Seeking to define this new era as one of empowerment, freedom and creative fulfillment, many of the tracks on the album explore complicated feelings and themes. In her own words, she explained:

‘For this album I knew that I would have to share my deepest feelings which was hard - but it freed up the mood, allowing us to all connect on a different level. This connection is reflected in the songs, which I believe makes them better.’

The sentiment she talks about comes through clearest on lead single ‘Upside Down’. Written about trying to find the ‘up-sides’ whilst feeling down, it speaks to the album’s wider tone of hopefulness for the future. Imbruglia has been incredibly candid about the fact that whilst there has been a lot of joy and community that has come out of creating this album, it has also been a period of her mental health being the worst it has been. She describes the ability of taking something so dark and painful and turning it into light as the ‘beauty of music and artistic creation’. With flourishing synths, bright and energetic percussion and her signature lilting vocals, the track celebrates the relinquishing of control and finding clarity in self-acceptance. 

Title track ‘Algorithm’ is a particularly fun listen, opening with experimental sirens and synths reminiscent of Eurythemics and Depeche Mode. The 80s electropop feel lends itself well to the subject at hand as Imbruglia unpacks her own struggles with social media addiction and the dangers of living in a digital age where social media puts such immense pressure on people to appear a certain way. An instant standout, it pushes her songwriting and production abilities to new heights with its layering of spoken word interludes, percussion and vocal harmonies. Each work to create a sound that whilst still very distinctly ‘Imbruglia’, accurately captures the heightened and often distorted sense of reality that the internet projects. 

The joy of being an independent artist gives Imbruglia the space to play and explore with genre. A great deal of the record operates in the shimmery synth pop world but there are moments where she gets to experiment with her sound, tapping into trance inspired elements on ‘Breathe With the Fire Lola’ and more alternative orchestration on ‘Jesus on Mars’. Imbruglia makes it clear that she needs not rely on nostalgia and even after 6 albums, she is constantly working to continue to develop her craft. 

During a period where the tides of pop culture seem to be moving back towards the lights of the dance floor, ‘Algorithm’ could not be timed better. A community affair, it features a heavy hitting line-up of collaborators. Imbruglia who co-wrote the project in full is joined by a series of incredible creatives including David Sneddon, Fraser T Smith, Gary Lightbody, Tim Bran, Roy Kerr, Mark Crew, MyRiot and Anu Pillai. For Imbruglia, her independent label, and all those who have helped her get to where she is, the album ultimately is bold, emotionally charged and sonically alive. Both current, in communication with genres and styles from her youth, and totally distinctive, its a powerful declaration from an artist who is wholly in command of her voice. 

Words by Kirsty-Ann Thomson