thu 10/07/2025

New Music Reviews

Rebecca Ferguson, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Guy Oddy

 As anyone who has a television will know, Rebecca Ferguson is a graduate of The X Factor – having come runner-up in the 2010 competition.

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Goldfrapp, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Guy Oddy

Goldfrapp have already toured new album, Tales of Us, having hit the road in the UK and Europe last autumn.

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Drake, O2 Arena

James Williams

There was something of a Canadian invasion at the O2 last night, but this is about as far from lumberjacks and mounties as it comes. Abel Tesfaye, better known as the Weeknd, is getting straight to the point. “I want to get on top, London!” This may of course simply be a metaphor for his and mentor Drake’s meteoric rise to fame, but Tesfaye does seem to like saying naughty things.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: Lou Adler

Kieron Tyler

 

Lou Adler – A Musical HistoryVarious Artists: Lou Adler – A Musical History

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Reissue CDs Weekly: Jane Birkin, Françoise Hardy

Kieron Tyler


ane birkin mes images privees de sergeJane Birkin: Mes Images Privées de Serge / Françoise Hardy: Message Personnel

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Tord Gustavsen Quartet, Milton Court

Matthew Wright

Revelling in the acoustic precision of the recently opened Milton Court concert hall last night, Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen showed once more why his quartet’s combination of tersely lyrical melodies and syncopated rhythms is so appealing.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: Tyrannosaurus Rex, T. Rex

Kieron Tyler


Tyrannosaurus Rex A Beard of StarsTyrannosaurus Rex: A Beard of Stars/T.Rex: T.Rex, Tanx/Marc Bolan & T. Rex: Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow

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The Stranglers, Brighton Dome

Thomas H Green

There was a poignant moment last night as the Stranglers performed the song “Never To Look Back”. It hails from their 1990 album, 10, the last to feature singer Hugh Cornwall heading their original line-up. Behind the band, four giant gilt frames flash a slide-show of their career. We see them, all lean black leather and venom, transform slowly into the band before us, a greying, likeable, punk-adelic war-horse.

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Bastille, Alexandra Palace

Matthew Wright

Bastille didn’t so much raise the roof at Alexandra Palace last night, as ask it politely if it wouldn’t mind elevating itself a touch. Their gentleness belies their success over the past year, since their first album, Bad Blood, was released. The album, most of which they played last night, is characterised by surging melody, sexlessly tumescent choruses, marching band drum solos, string parts as glossy as nail varnish, and cascading synth lines.

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Marc Almond, John Harle, The Tyburn Tree, Barbican

Peter Culshaw

On paper this sounded promising: a gothicky song-cycle of historical London and the dark, seamy side of the city, performed a stone’s throw from where they do Jack the Ripper tours. Lead performers were Marc Almond, whose distinctive voice we have loved for 30 years, ever since his pervy soul debut with Soft Cell, and John Harle, a more than useful jazzy classicist who is often original and known for his TV theme tunes. Thown in the mix was some Iain Sinclair psycho-geography.

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