Album Reviews – Page 20 – Brightonsfinest

Jon Hopkins – Singularity

Jon Hopkins’ Singularity explores the connectivity of the human mind, balancing the organic world with the urban. Singularity reflects Hopkins’ emotional states at the time of writing, taking influence from his experiences with meditation and trance states. It’s a focussed listen and a rewarding one, something that silences other noises…

Forth Wanderers – Forth Wanderers

Forth Wanderers return with the release of their second, self-titled, record. Following their 2016 debut, Tough Love, the band have continuously shrouded themselves in mystery and are proving to become more and more interesting the more you learn about them. Having been a group for over five years now,…

Blossoms – Cool Like You

Never mind Cool Like You, this album could have been titled Festival Season Soundtrack Volume 2018. Destined to be heard on main stages all across the globe this year, it is a big, bold, shiny pop album that will likely take the Stockport lads to even greater heights than…

Janelle Monáe – Dirty Computer

At times this year, 2018 has been a pretty bleak period to not only be a creative, but continue day-to-day life. One bright, sparkling star this year has been the comeback of Janelle Monáe who has dazzled with the singles from her latest record, Dirty Computer. “Being a queer black…

Iceage – Beyondless

Four years after their last album release, everyone’s favourite Danish post-punk outfit return with Beyondless – a culmination of their three previous albums, in what is a far more assured, evolved and meticulous sound. Whilst New Brigade emitted a youthful take on post-punk, You’re Nothing gave them a more hardcore…

DMA’s – For Now

Sartorially DMA’s looks like they belong in Moss Side and not a Sydney beach. A listen to their debut record will also reveal that their sonic output also reflects the 1990s Manchester music scene. Continuing to idolise this period for their second record, their swagger, defiance and charm is again…

Eels – The Deconstruction

As far as life-changing events go, becoming a parent takes some beating – especially when it happens late in life. For Mark Oliver Everett (known normally of course as E), it was something that he had given up on – in his 2008 autobiography, Things the Grandchildren Should Know,…

Bryde – Like An Island

Sarah Howells has been around the block a couple of times already. The Welsh-raised, London-based singer/songwriter enjoyed a stint with folk-pop-rock duo Paper Aeroplanes, along with Richard Llewellyn, releasing four albums and enjoying some minor success without quite breaking through. With that band on hiatus, Howells took the…

Poly-Math – House of Wisdom | We Are the Devil

Poly-Math’s second album is probably the first album to leave me stumped before I’ve even put it on. It’s a double concept album that’s split into two, telling two halves of a story. The album is based on Baghdad’s 13th century House of Wisdom and its destruction in the Siege…

Alexis Taylor – Beautiful Thing

Alexis Taylor is a bit of a low-key legend in British pop music. As frontman and founding member of Hot Chip he’s toured the world, filled many a dance floor and been nominated for the Mercury Prize and a Grammy award, but what’s most impressive is the way he’s manoeuvred…