The National – Laugh Track – Album Review by Killian Laher The National have just put out their second album of 2023, the surprise release Laugh Track. After the very muted First […]
The National – Laugh Track – Album Review
Sparklehorse – Bird Machine – Album Review
Sparklehorse – Bird Machine – Album Review by Killian Laher Something we never thought we’d hear – a new Sparklehorse album. Put together by his brother and sister-in-law from 14 unreleased songs […]
Ash – Race the Night – Album Review
Ash – Race the Night – Album Review by Killian Laher After a five-year break, Ash have returned with their latest album. Purveyors of big, optimistic non-cheesy rock, this is a collection […]
Slowdive – Everything is Alive – Album Review
Slowdive – Everything is Alive – Album Review by Killian Laher Despite quickly becoming ‘uncool’ in the mid-90s, as Blur and Oasis-mania took hold, Slowdive have endured, and reformed. Their brand of […]
Album of the Week – 21/08/23
Album of the Week – 21/08/23 August continues, with most of the music world on holiday? Playing festivals is more likely. It’s a slow week but we still have releases from Fran […]
Neil Young – Chrome Dreams – Album Review
Neil Young – Chrome Dreams – Album Review by Killian Laher Yet another one from the vast vaults of Neil Young from his prolific mid-seventies era. He had clearly written so much material […]
PJ Harvey – I Inside The Old Year Dying – Album Review
PJ Harvey – I Inside The Old Year Dying – Album Review by Killian Laher This is PJ Harvey’s first album of new material in seven years, and it’s one of her […]
Arrivalists – Its Own Time – Album Review
Arrivalists – Its Own Time – Album Review by Killian Laher This year is really shaping up to be an excellent year for Irish music. Pat Barrett is recording solo of late, […]
Grian Chatten – Chaos for the Fly – Album Review
Grian Chatten – Chaos for the Fly – Album Review by Killian Laher “Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”– Charles Addams Grian Chatten […]
Lloyd Cole – On Pain – Album Review
Lloyd Cole – On Pain – Album Review by Killian Laher Fair play to Lloyd Cole. Not one to stick to his tried and trusted, perceived sound – jangly guitars and wordy […]
Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman – Album Review
Queens of the Stone Age – In Times New Roman – Album Review by Killian Laher This is the first Queens of the Stone Age album in six years, since the underwhelming […]
Louise Post – Sleepwalker – Album Review
Louise Post – Sleepwalker – Album Review by Killian Laher Although the two Veruca Salt albums released in the 2000s were, to all intents and purposes, Louise Post solo albums (as herself […]
Cowboy Junkies – Such Ferocious Beauty – Album Review
Cowboy Junkies – Such Ferocious Beauty – Album Review by Killian Laher The Cowboy Junkies have survived Oliver Stone, alt-country and other brushes with the mainstream to remain a fiercely independent band. […]
Protomartyr – Formal Growth In The Desert – Album Review
Protomartyr – Formal Growth In The Desert – Album Review by Killian Laher Detroit band Protomartyr are a complex and at times difficult band. Lumping them in with post-punk does them a […]
Stephen Shannon – Fathoms – Album Review
Stephen Shannon – Fathoms – Album Review by Killian Laher There is some really gorgeous music on this solo album from Irish composer Stephen Shannon. Shannon has released music in a variety […]
Slow Moving Clouds – Kolmas – Album Review
Slow Moving Clouds – Kolmas – Album Review by Killian Laher Slow Moving Clouds is an Irish/Finnish crossover group, featuring Kevin Murphy on cello and haunting vocals, Aki on nyckelharpa and Ultan […]
Fred again.., Brian Eno – Secret Life – Album Review
Fred again.., Brian Eno – Secret Life – Album Review by Killian Laher Composer Brian Eno is a man who can’t sit still. While making his name through the creation of primarily […]
Cian Nugent – She Brings Me Back To The Land of the Living – Album Review
Cian Nugent – She Brings Me Back To The Land of the Living – Album Review by Killian Laher Cian Nugent is an Irish guitarist of some renown, up there with the […]
Wednesday – Rat Saw God – Album Review
Wednesday – Rat Saw God – Album Review by Killian Laher American band Wednesday have been on the go since 2017 and this is their fifth album. It seems that they combine […]
The National – First Two Pages of Frankenstein – Album Review
The National – First Two Pages of Frankenstein – Album Review by Killian Laher The National have made a long, slow transition from meaning an awful lot to a few people to […]
Silver Moth – Black Bay – Album Review
Silver Moth – Black Bay – Album Review by Killian Laher Silver Moth is the new project by Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai with Elisabeth Elektra and a host of others. Opening track […]
Garden Party – Rose City Band – Album Review
Garden Party – Rose City Band – Album Review by Cathy Brown Garden Party is the fourth record in as many years by Rose City Band, the easy-going-celestial-country vehicle for guitarist and […]
Roger Eno – Rarities – Album Review
Roger Eno – Rarities – Album Review by Killian Laher Roger Eno has been operating in a similar vein to his brother Brian for 40 years or so. While he’s less prolific, […]
Tim Hecker – No Highs – Album Review
Tim Hecker – No Highs – Album Review by Killian Laher Canadian composer Tim Hecker has released multiple albums and soundtracks, in fact, this album follows up his soundtrack to Infinity Pool […]
Steve Gunn & David Moore – Let the Moon Be a Planet – Album Review
Steve Gunn & David Moore – Let the Moon Be a Planet – Album Review by Killian Laher This collaboration between guitarist Steve Gunn and David Moore of ambient project Bing and […]
Depeche Mode – Memento Mori – Album Review
Depeche Mode – Memento Mori – Album Review by Killian Laher One of the enduring bands from the 1980s is Depeche Mode, now with only two original members after the sad passing […]
Burren – Peter Broderick and East Forest – Album Review
Burren – Peter Broderick and East Forest – Album Review by Cathy Brown Over a career that ranges from solo piano work to minimalist drone scores for film, from singer-songwriter folk to […]
Shana Cleveland – Manzanita – Album Review
Shana Cleveland – Manzanita – Album Review by Cathy Brown Shana Cleveland, frontwoman with LA surf-rockers La Luz, has released her third solo album Manzanita, following on from 2019’s Night of the […]
Lichen Slow – Rest Lurks- Album Review
Lichen Slow – Rest Lurks – Album Review by Killian Laher Many of us like a bit of grump now and then. With this in mind, Lichen Slow is a new project […]
No More Workhorse 