Back catalogue: Indie/Alternative

Review: Prepare for a transcendent auditory odyssey with The Sevens, a series of four 7" vinyl records unveiling a treasure trove of previously unreleased tracks from the sessions that bore A Place To Bury Strangers' acclaimed album, See Through You. Known for their visceral sonic assault and immersive live performances, the series offers fans a deeper dive into their sonic universe. 'Don't Turn The Radio'/'This Is All For You', the third release in the series, delivers a raw and personal glimpse into the band's creative process during the See Through You era. APTBS founder Oliver Ackermann explains the decision to return to their roots with this release format, allowing each track to speak for itself without album context. These tracks offer a stark contrast to the band's current sound, providing a snapshot of a moment in time.

Review: London five-piece Ain’t makes a striking debut with their single 'Oar,' blending post-punk and shoegaze to create a sound that’s both introspective and intense. Comprised of Hanna Baker Darch (vocals), George Ellerby (guitar/vocals), Ed Randall (guitar), Chapman Ho (bass), and Joe Lockstone (drums), the band balances nostalgia with innovation. 'Oar' was originally drafted by George during the pandemic and reinterpreted by Hanna, drawing inspiration from the legend of Llys Helig to explore themes of disaster and resilience. The lead single by the band should definitely make people step up and notice.

Review: Dot Allison debuted in 1999 with her Aftergow album and ever since has kept fans old and new enthralled with her voice. Heart-Shaped Scars was a follow-up 12 years later than won plenty of plaudits and now the label it came on serve up this bonus 7" with two new cuts. There is the rather bleakly but beautifully alluring 'Ghost Orchid' and then 'Love Died in our Arms' which is a reference to a past musical life in which Dot made trip hop. It also comes with a download code to unlock a third and final bonus cut named 'Heart-Shaped Scar.'

Review: In 2020, Ryan Adams released Wednesdays, an album up there with Neil Young's greatest stuff. It's cinematic with the full throttle rock of his previous album, Prisoner, dimmed down. It was an Americana album with his rock DNA still on show. Another Wednesdays takes a step further into classical and baroque pop territory, allowing the beauty of his lyrics to shine on a different canvas. Hearing tracks such as 'I'm Sorry And I Love You' underpinned by lush strings and piano with little else emphasises the power and majesty of his lyrics. Adams has long proved himself as one of America's all-time great songwriters, but to hear him push himself with the arrangements in genres that he's less familiar with, but still achieve greatness, shows that he's on another level to most.

Review: After nearly two decades of anticipation, Ryan Adams has finally unveiled a long-awaited, cult-classic album on CD. Initially shelved due to his battles with addiction, the album captures the raw, unfiltered emotion that defined his tumultuous period. With tracks like 'Catherine', previously only performed live, and unreleased material now officially available, it's a revelatory listen for fans who have long speculated about its contents. The album's haunting, fragmented qualityireflecting Adams' state during its creationiadds a compelling layer of authenticity. While some of the raw vocal takes are intentionally rough, the end result is an evocative and beautiful snapshot of a chaotic creative period. This release not only satisfies years of fan demand but also reclaims a pivotal moment in Adams' career, offering a glimpse into his darkest and most vulnerable creative space.

Review: 2024 ushers in a brand new Barry Adamson album, Cut To Black, marking an exciting new shift in direction for the utterly singular Nick Cave associate and experimental blues-pop musician. Cut To Black, led by the swaggeringly roomy 'Demon Lover' (perhaps nodding to the great corporate espionage film of the same name, in due keeping with Adamson's love for spy thriller soundtracks, and his incorporation of their sound into his music), the record embraces his trademark genre-hopping proclivity, spanning pop, soul, jazz, hip-hop and gospel. A totally unique LP for the present era, Adamson's latest oeuvre topup is a must-have for fans of all things Cinematic Soul, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Post Punk, Massive Attack, Unloved and more.

Review: Alabaster DePlume's latest album is a meditation on self-worth and healing, drawing from his poetry book Looking for My Value: Prologue to a Blade, he crafts 11 tracks that feel deeply personal yet universal. His saxophone, sometimes fluid, sometimes jagged, acts as both voice and emphasis on the likes of opener 'Oh My Actual Days' swells with sax and Macie Stewart's ghostly strings, a slow march toward reckoning. 'Thank You My Pain' turns its mantra-like refrain into a rhythmic meditation on discomfort. 'Invincibility' lifts into choral release, a breath after holding under water. The instrumental 'Prayer for My Sovereign Dignity' is an anthem for self-possession, while 'Form a V' channels the discipline of jiu-jitsu, inviting confrontation. Unlike his past, more improvisation-led works, this is tightly composed, arranged and produced by DePlume himself - and the result is direct, unflinching and deeply felt.

Review: Japanese folk singer-songwriter Ichiko Aoaba has built up quite a catalogue of albums and singles since making her debut 15 years ago, subtly expanding on her sparse acoustic sound via the use of effects, strings and other instrumentation associated with the British folk revival of the 1960s. On Luminescent Creatures, her first studio album for five years, she continues this quiet expansion of her trademark style, underpinning her gorgeously sweet and emotive, intricately arranged lead vocals with a mix of acoustic guitar, strings, piano, field recordings and traditional Japanese instruments. The results are breathtakingly beautiful and deliciously dreamy, with highlights including 'Flag', the inspired 'Luciferine' and the haunting swell of 'SONAR'.

Review: On her fifth album, and first new set since 2012, Fiona Apple has not so much torn up the rule book but cremated it and scattered the ashes over a wide distance. Where once she concentrated on delivering melodic songs inspired by the greats of 60s and 70s rock and pop, "Fetch The Bolt Cutters" sees her craft instinctive rhythms and bluesy musical backdrops out of all manner of found sounds and home recordings (including, somewhat bizarrely, the barks and woofs of five different dogs). Throw in sharp lyrics delivered in a mixture of screams, sweet singing, freestyle improvisation and rapping, and you have a wildly original and hugely enjoyable set that defiantly showcases the artist's new-found experimental credentials.

Review: The latest offering from serial collaborator and cross-genre tastemaker Stephen O'Malley's Ideologic Organ imprint is a tender filigree bureau of acid folk sketches from Tokyo's Ai Aiso. Across seven tracks, she patiently meanders through broken and phased chord progressions, her simultaneously pure and wavering vocal lines forming elegant arcs over sparse beds of instrumentation and washes of room tone. Some tracks are bookended by applause, and it is this ostensibly 'indoorsy' atmosphere which lends the mini LP a great deal of charm; the delicate atmospherics seem to issue from an intimate and isolated space. Indeed, Bandcamp user Everyvillianislemons317 describes it as "The perfect album for a lonely night in the city." We're more than inclined to agree.

Review: You may already know 22-year old Norwegian pop singer Aurora Aksnes for her rendition of Oasis' "Half the World Away" for a John Lewis Christmas advert in 2015, but if not, she's the biggest thing since Robyn. This latest record, following A Different Kind Of Human (Step 1) from last year, presents a third album to date and one that forms the second part of last year's surprise release. Fast-paced, hopeful, dancey and nordically folkal music, (Step 2) sees Aurora deliver something more experimental than before with its themes said to focus on ecological crisis and societal concepts of individualism. Syncopated basslines, staccato vocals and criss-crossing rhythms hit all the right spots in "Apple Tree" while our other pick "In Bottles" combines '90s pop sensationalism with breakbeats made to fit house tempos. Tip!

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Katie Stelmanis, the spectrally-voiced and ferociously-talented figure behind maverick electro-pop outfit Austra, set herself the not inconsiderable target of setting out 'a commitment to replace the approaching dystopia' with this third album, yet against all odds she's done a sterling job of marrying the icy binary chill of technology with a very human frailty to emerge with a defiant and emotionally affecting statement of intent. Indelible melody and Stelmanis' extraordinary tones may dominate, yet the sonic landscapes here - equally bracing and beatific - have the rare effect of making the listener hopeful for what 2017 has in store.

Review: The Cuckoo Storm might never have been, were it not for a social media post Adrian Crowley wrote on a wintry late-night walk in a quiet neighbourhood of Dublin during lockdown. Struck by Waterson's previous album Death Had Quicker Wings Than Love (co-written with David A Jaycock), Crowley wanted to mark the moment, and so pressed 'send' into the ether with no way of knowing what would follow. Drawn to his voice and seeing a kindred spirit in his poetic lyrics, Waterson was touched by his message and responded by asking if he would be interested in working together. His answer was a resounding 'yes.' Cuckoo Storm followed; a deeply compelling album and serendipitous collaboration comprising eleven beautifully crafted songs, sung by two matching voices that are a powerful match. Waterson's brilliantly distinctive voice is underpinned by Crowley's rich baritone, and together it's an intoxicating mix.