The Hunting Party is ostensibly a return to Hybrid Theory, a statement to current rock bands trying to ‘play it safe’. Their debut was a punch in the gut for rock music. This? Not so much.
They want the arenas and by crikey this makes it obvious.
Simpson goes folk-rock. Not for fans of Busted or Fightstar
I should love this but it just left me frustrated.
When a band has been together for twenty years it can be tough to retain what fans like about the music without merely rehashing the last album. Italy's Lacuna Coil are in danger of falling into this trap with latest album Broken Crown Halo.
She sings of being brave enough to be yourself, and of trusting a new partner, all laid over her acoustic guitar, beautiful string parts and occasional brass.
The whole album is totally unafraid of pace and on this one, melody is used to highlight, not simplify. Stormin’.
Despite having brief moments that can only be described as ‘nice’, these prove little treatment for the majority of ‘We Need Medicine’.
DEAR GOD it works. Nanobots is just classic TMBG with each song breaking all regular music conventions.
‘Antiphon’ takes them back to their roots. They sound more American, more classic and there’s a feeling you’ve known the songs for years. ‘Antiphon’ is a perfect assertion to start with.
FOURtyFOUR sees Gentleman’s Dub Club going back to old reggae roots with a variety of classical reggae mixed with their trademark dub and 2 tone.
However, they sleepwalk through the majority of the album, meaning listening to it in its entirety makes you feel like you’ve taken a tranque dart to the neck.
Maria Lindén of I Break Horses can just sprinkle those beats all over my record collection whilst I dance tippy-toed on the layers of reverbed vox, so ethereal I'd actually be floating in mid air.
Nice yes, but we find ourselves looking for an “Eat Me. Drink Me” to take the adventure on a different direction.
If you like your indie mod rock neatly pre-packaged and ready for mass consumption, then you’ll love humming the easy to remember chorus melodies as you strut around Glastonbury ’14 in a straw hat.
Overdone’ rapidly takes on a Bollywood vibe. This, blurred with the kind of vocals and drumbeats you’d expect, suggest evolution, and not a complete move away from the early days.
Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s shit. And anyway, this band clearly aren’t like, Rihanna or Bieber or Queen B in their popularity.
Little Dragon are back, so ring the bell: it’s [press] play-time.
Embrace have succeeded in creating a giant, glittering pot of gold out of loads of ingredients
Brody is back.
"Dirty, psychedelic, industrial and undeniably sexy" - Let's get down with The Amazing Snakeheads...
The incomparable Pixies return after a 21 year dry spell, but was it worth the wait?
Grace Jones eschewed the expectations of her colour by hoovering up the rock, art-pop and new wave palettes like cheap cocaine
Smoky, classic 70s rock, influenced by bluesy lyrics and pace, with some good ol’ country to boot.
He’s in complete command of this album, changing the atmosphere from being fun, comfortable and up-beat to being something more slow and mournful.
A stunningly good debut from lynchpin of the Bury St Edmunds scene.
Tune-Yards' 3rd album still playful but produced
It’s more a mismatch of noises that clash together to eventually form a somewhat pleasant sound.
Blitz Kids have succeeded in continuing their roll of high quality albums which I think is safe to say excuses the delay they’ve had in releasing the album.
They already have their own loyal followers drooling at their every move and it’s no wonder as they don’t half knock out a good tune or three.
A sound that’s as crisp and fresh as a sharp frost on a winter’s day as the wind blows in, from over the Shropshire hills.
Good build-up, but missed the point
They're longing for a flight, we're longing for them to broaden their musical horizons.
French-English repetitiveness.
Go on this musical journey - you'll love it.
The sound is a folky post-rock, sharing roots with Sigur Ros, Of Monsters & Men and Mugison, albeit with a large dose of Talk Talk.