New releases on CD & DVD
CD: Susanna & The Brotherhood of Our Lady - Garden of Earthly Delights
Tuesday, 19 February 2019
Lyrics such as “are we hunting for life among misery, Satan have pity on my long distress” and “we’re on a ship of fools, sails laughing and singing to hell” telegraph that, as a commentary on the present, Garden of Earthly Delights isn’t painting a rosy picture.
CD: Du Blonde - Lung Bread for Daddy
Monday, 18 February 2019
Beth Jeans Houghton’s world seems to have been characterised by an over-supply of half-empty, small glasses of late – especially when it comes to romantic relationships with men. That’s not to say that she’s completely given up on half the globe’s population though, as she grudgingly admits that she’d “rather have a man than a coffee machine” on “Coffee Machine”.
CD: Avril Lavigne - Head Above Water
Saturday, 16 February 2019
Avril Lavigne was the original Punk Pop Queen. Fearless, feisty and perfectly fitting for the early noughties as the manufactured antithesis of...
DVD: Tides
Friday, 15 February 2019
Tides tells of fortysomething angst and camaraderie, though “tells” might be an exaggeration. In a concerted attempt to make a film with minimal...
CD: Chaka Khan - Hello Happiness
Thursday, 14 February 2019
Chaka Khan’s last album, 2007’s Funk This was billed as the Queen of Funk’s comeback after her 80s and 90s purple patch. But after its release, apart...
CD: Ladytron - Ladytron
Sterling and noisy comeback from Brit electro-pop dons |
DVD/Blu-ray: Human Desire
Fritz Lang catches the noir train, a little late behind Zola and Renoir |
CD: Ariana Grande - thank u, next
Princess of pop bares her soul on hastily-dropped breakup album |
CD: LCD Soundsystem – Electric Lady Sessions
James Murphy's post-punk disco outfit breathe new life into old favourites |
CD: Kel Assouf - Black Tenere
Saharan fire burns but a little too relentlessly |
CD: Leyla McCalla - The Capitalist Blues
A fully engaging third album that could have been too diverse for its own good |
CD: Mercury Rev - Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited
Tribute to a Sixties masterpiece evokes the band's own classic album ‘Deserter's Songs’ |
Blu-ray: Diamonds of the Night
Jan Němec’s existential Czech New Wave thriller is visceral viewing |
CD: Cass McCombs - Tip of the Sphere
The cranky Californian is back with his best album yet |
CD: Ian Brown - Ripples
King Monkey makes a fine return to the fray |
CD: The Specials - Encore
Neither awful, nor amazing, the ska icons' long-awaited comeback has its moments |
DVD/Blu-ray: Rosa Luxemburg
Personal and political worlds fuse in Margarethe von Trotta's heady revolutionary biopic |
CD: MONO - Nowhere Now Here
Post-rock veterans ring the changes on their 10th album - but only marginal ones |
Blu-ray: De Niro & De Palma - The Early Films
Sometimes intriguing pre-fame 1960s work of two Hollywood giants |
CD: Girlpool - What Chaos Is Imaginary
LA duo's musical world expands still further |
CD: Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow
Returning album blossoms with high emotion and hypnotic glimmer |
CD: James Blake - Assume Form
Figurehead of blubstep grows up |
CD: Que Vola - Que Vola
French-Cuban Afro-jazz mission that exudes originality and energy |
CD: Trevor Horn – Trevor Horn Reimagines the Eighties (feat. The Sarm Orchestra)
The producer covers hits with strings and gets in a terrible mess |
CD: Backstreet Boys - DNA
The gazillion-selling pop survivors are, you've guessed it, back again |
DVD/Blu-ray: Alpha
Thrills, spills and sentiment in prehistoric boy-meets-wolf epic |
CD: Kikok - Sauna
Ear-pleasing retro synth sounds from an obscure corner of Russia |
CD: The Twilight Sad - It Won/t Be Like This All the Time
Scottish miserabilists remind you why you fell for them in the first place |
CD: The Dandy Warhols - Why You So Crazy
Courtney Taylor-Taylor’s crew get spaced out |
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