Cornwall-born, former Brighton resident Fink has been around for a number of years under a variety of different guises. Whether it be singing, songwriting, playing guitar, producing or DJ’ing, he’s always been able to conjure up thought-provoking, critically-acclaimed music. Returning to the Hungarian capital for the first time since 1999, his laid-back acoustic ambient and atmospheric blues was the perfect company to a beautiful Friday evening in Budapest.
Author: Paul Hill
Gang of Youths – Go Farther in Lightness
Gang of Youths are bona fide stars down under and this record should finally allow them to leave a footprint in the Northern Hemisphere. Under the backdrop of raw emotion, Go Farther in Lightness is sprinkled with the Aussie band’s distinctive soaring guitars, epic strings, glistening synths and lingering piano riffs, with each of the ambitious compositions slowly fragmenting out into epic crescendos. The final result is a 74-minute-long LP that takes you on a thrilling experience.
Wolf Parade – Cry Cry Cry
Time away from your work can make you fall back in love with it again. This has been the case for Canadian indie-rock veterans Wolf Parade, who’ve returned with their first album in seven years. Following the release of Expo 86 they’d run out of steam and couldn’t muster the mental and physical energy to enter into another creative period. However, the hunger is back and with it comes soaring choruses, rousing anthems, sprawling guitars and chaotic keys in what is a thunderous return to form.
Wolf Alice – Resident – 2nd October 2017
The only thing you normally hear on a wet, October Sunday night in The Lanes is the odd rattling of cutlery in a restaurant or a sporadic dog bark. Heading down to Kensington Gardens this weekend this was not the case, with one of the UK’s most exciting and thought-provoking bands playing a stripped down set to support the release of their new record in the small confines of Resident Records.
LCD Soundsystem – Alexandra Palace – 22nd September 2017
Looking at James Murphy you’d never think of him as the creator and brains of one of the world’s most thought-provoking, critically-acclaimed bands. Smiling nervously as he walks across the stage, the 47-year-old is a reluctant frontman whose band create seriously good punk grooves and disco beats, with the nine-piece somehow managing to make it sound even better in a live environment than on record.
Gold Class – The Joker – 26th September 2017
Despite the venue being barely half full, the Monday night Joker crowd were in fine form as they witnessed one of Australia’s greatest secrets showcase their brand of industrial bass, slashing guitar and metronomic work behind the drum kit, under the backdrop of intense vocal delivery.
Milburn – Time
Milburn are a curious band who appeared to have reformed at the perfect time. Always in the shadows of the Arctic Monkeys (of whom they used to share members), their fellow Sheffield group have gone onto become one of the world’s biggest bands, whilst they petered out into obscurity.
Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life
My Love Is Cool propelled Wolf Alice into being one of the UK’s finest bands. It led to nominations for the Mercury Music Prize, an Ivor Novello Award, a Brit Award, an NME Award and a Grammy to name but a few.
Mr Jukes – Concorde 2 – 18th September 2017
Bombay Bicycle Club were always at the vanguard of the UK indie scene. With every new release came a set of expansive new ideas and a development in their sound, and the brains behind this was chief songwriter Jack Steadman.
The Horrors – V
It’s been ten years since The Horrors’ debut and who would have thought they’d still be relevant and critically acclaimed? Over the course of their five albums they’ve gone on a progressive, thought-provoking journey and a decade later they’ve produced what might be their finest LP.
