Back catalogue: Pop

Review: Brace yourself as the holiday season is upon us, and that means reaching for those platters which stir up the strongest of sentimental feelings as the nights draw in. Greg Lake's 'I Believe In Father Christmas' is a bittersweet look at the festive tradition - like so many surprise seasonal hits it's got an underlying heavy-heartedness which somehow strikes a chord with the masses. This edition of the all-time classic comes on a none-more on-brand red 10" disc, backed up by 'Humbug' and 'Closer To Believing' as well as an instrumental version of the lead tune, so if you're feeling bold an know the words, you can cheer family and friends with your own rousing rendition.

Review: Lawson Jr'Music is based in Montreal in Canada and is a drummer, singer and music composer who has played all over the world since a young age. He brings a distinctive Afro vibe to his take on hip hop as demonstrated by this masterful new cut on BSide/Lawson Entertainment. 'Let It Go' is defined by its screwy bass down low and the echoing hits up top. Aside from that I'd an empty but atmospheric cut with yearning vocals and melancholic chords. The flispide instrumental allows the slick production to shine.

Review: The Blessed Madonna has remixed Dua Lipa's 'Levitating' featuring Missy Elliott and Madonna. This is the first track from 'Club Future Nostalgia', an entirely remixed version of Dua Lipa's global #1 album "Future Nostalgia", created in collaboration with The Blessed Madonna.

Review: La Roux burst into the public consciousness in 2009 with their self-titled debut album. It spoke of a duo who were already fully-formed, capable of writing and recording pristine pop gems to last a lifetime, and now, 13 years later, the proof is there for anyone to hear. Whether you're a Netflix surfer or spend all your time online, you will have heard at least four of the songs from this album being rinsed across advertising, TV and film. 'In For The Kill' is the consummate breakthrough single, instantly memorable and steeped in emotional heft, while 'Bulletproof' continues to be a rallying cry of empowerment. Relive this invincible album from start to finish thanks to a reissue from UMC.

Review: Lany frontman Paul Klein leave us in precious little doubt there that he's lovelorn - almost every song on this self-titled record bemoans some melancholic development in his romantic life, set to a cinematic soundscape that's equally beholden to the synth-starred soundscapes of the '80s and modern R&B. Luckily for all and sundry however, these plaintive and potent laments find a way to alchemically transform base angst into audial gold, arriving on a cinematic plateau in which the dislocation of the modern era is subverted to form a bittersweet party soundtrack looking likely to last the remaining days of summer at the very least.

Review: Returning after a veritable splash in the chart-topping world of pop nearly ten years ago - and having laid down three full studio albums already - Zara Larsson fleshes out her brand evermore with the upcoming fourth LP, Venus. In keeping with a full Larsson coming-of-age, the Swedish it-girl fulfils her promise of an album chock-full of "uptempo, fun dance songs", albeit with an glitzier edge, and the sound of an artist assuming more ownership over her output, centring on the theme of feminine autonomy in the form of tracks like 'Can't Tame Her' and 'On My Love' with David Guetta. She's come a long, long way from 'Lush Life', exploring a multi-temporal brand of electronic pop and reclaiming her place in the limelight.

Review: Avril Lavigne's Let Go was the debut LP by the American singer-songwriter and OG sk8er girl. It was released in 2004, when she was just 16 years old. Fast forward to almost two decades later, and the album is seeing its first ever reissue via Legacy. Not only does this version contain all of Lavigne's earliest and most well-known hits; it also has a wealth of bonus material. For example (pop-head nerd hat on): the Kelly Clarkson song 'Breakaway' was originally written for Lavigne, and while it was originally scrapped to make way for Clarkson's ensuing chart-toppage, Lavigne's original version can finally be heard in full quality here. That's not to mention a big bag of demos too.

Review: The original Bridgit Mendler soundtrack to the citrine teen drama movie of the same name sees a full version on vinyl LP this spring. Notable not only for its inclusion in the contemporary musical film, but also for its chart-topping success, the ten songs that make up the many acts of this high-school drama were destined to charm the pubescent masses, coinciding with the film's overarching theme of the school's students transcending use of after-school detention to musical effect, in order to overcome their personal struggles. Imagine Glee meets The Breakfast Club; a cabal of songwriters including Ali Dee, Maria Christensen, Bryan Todd and Jeannie Lurie lay down an array of sure-to-be hits for Mendler to perform on behalf of the cast here.

Review: The all-female African supergroup Les Amazones d'Afrique, who've included some of the biggest stars in African music, here make a triumphant return, channelling a fresh sound on their third album Musow Danse. Forming in Bamako, Mali, in 2014 between three renowned Malian musicians and activists - Mamani Keita, Oumou Sangare and Mariam Doumbia - Les Amazones d'Afrique has since expanded to involve many female artists from across Africa and the diaspora. Combining a just cause - campaigning for gender equality and eradicating ancestral violence - with a slick, enticingly trap-influenced sound; we've got a potent cocktail on our hands. Richly melodic and far-ranging, Musow Danse blends pan-African styles and collaborative harmonies with gritty, contemporary pop, riffing off the idiosyncratic Congotronics producer Doctor L, and embracing a powerful pop sound led by 808s and glitchy synths.

Review: Electro pop outfit Let's Eat Grandma reach new heights on their latest album, Two Ribbons, which takes a close, frank and revealing look at friendship. This is their third album and most mature to date. It is one that differs plenty from their first two in that goes big with plenty of epic dance floor breakdowns and hints of hit making 80s magic, jubilant choruses and neon hued synths that often swell to great heights. "We're changing," as Hollingworth sings on the title track, "like two ribbons, still woven, although we're fraying."

Review: Late American rapper Lil Peep dropped his fourth mixtape on June 10, 2016, independently, but it was later added to streaming platforms in 2020 posthumously. Now it arrives on white vinyl for the first time thanks to Death Note Music and reminds us what a talent he was. Peep's raw lyricism and distinctive emo-rap style set him apart with haunting melodies and melancholic production. The record delves into themes of loneliness and despair, resonating deeply with listeners navigating the complexities of modern relationships and Peep's poignant delivery and introspective verses capture the essence of youthful anguish with bars that reverberate long after the music fades.

Review: Lizzo's ascent to superstar status was confirmed with 2019 major label debut, Cuz I Love You, a set that gleefully joined the dots between pop-rap, R&B, trap, funk and neo soul, with Missy Elliott and Gucci Mane swinging by to lend a hand. Special, whose 12 songs are a tiny fraction of the 170-odd she reportedly wrote and recorded, continues in this vein, offering another entertaining, kaleidoscopic romp that pairs killer grooves, recognisable sample lifts (the Beastie Boys on the controversial 'Gurrlz' and Coldplay's 'Yellow' on the set-closing oddball fantasy 'Coldplay') and Lizzo's typically strong sung and rapped vocals. There are far more hits than misses, with recent single 'About Time Now' sounding like a long-lost Chic classic and the sound of summer 2022.

Review: Lizzo is a three tie Grammy winner who after much build up finally drops this long awaited new long player. Her last album, the multi-Platinum selling, top-10 debut album, CUZ I LOVE YOU came back in 2019 and since then Lizzo has cemented her place as one of the most in demand live music performers in the game. This recorded has been proceeded by lead single 'About Damn Time', which leant on disco's colourful rhythms and some fresh cosmic melodies, while most recently Lizzo has partnered with Logitech as the face of their 2022 campaign Defy Logic.

Review: Three months after rapper turned singer Lizzo's major label debut first appeared on CD and digital download, Atlantic has decided to offer up a deluxe vinyl edition of the well-received set featuring three bonus tracks. Prior to release, Lizzo admitted she wanted to become "this generation's Aretha Franklin"; while she's not at the late soul legend's standard just yet, there's enough on "Cuz I Love You" to suggest that she's going in the right direction. Her vocals are variously confident, powerful, strutting and tender, with the accompanying backing tracks mixing hip-hop and R&B style beats with raucous guitars, bombastic basslines, Daft Punk style synth stabs (think "Robot Rock" and "Technologic") and occasional nods towards more pastoral, semi-acoustic sounds. Above all, though, the album is funky, forthright and hugely entertaining.

Review: English indie pop outfit London Grammar has already teased fans about their new album with four singles 'Baby It's You', 'Lose Your Head' and 'How Does It Feel'. They were all well received and gave a good indication of what to expect from the full length itself. Vocalist Hannah Reid has explained that lyrically the record delves into the issues of feminism and fame and "gaining possession of my own life." Her bold lyricism is combined with lively musical accompaniments which helps mark a notable sonic shift from previous works.

Review: Quiet revolution seems to be the driving force of this sophomore set from lauded trio London Grammar. Lyricist and vocalist Hannah Reid has expanded her subject matter a little, though angst and love lost are still her major concern. Her delivery, too, is a little gentler, something presumably party inspired by the band's warmer and dreamier musical outlook. There are a few heartfelt sing-alongs, of course, but for the most part Truth is a Beautiful Thing is a more considered and voluptuous excursion.

Review: Some Lorde fans were a little irritated by 'Solar Power', the lead single from her comeback album of the same name, primarily because it sounded far more influenced by cheery '90s indie-pop and summery blue-eyed soul than her moodier early work. She's carried that over into album, which arrives as a boxed high-res download with tons of additional content (poster, postcards, booklet and so on). The singer-songwriter's first set in for years is full of gently warming fare, from the opaque, dewy-eyed folk of 'Stoned in the Nail Station', to the early 2000s R&B-pop-goes-summer soul flex of recent single 'Mood Ring'. There's no glum moodiness here, just gently positive music to raise your mood in these most testing of times.

Review: Louis Philippe was quite the talent - a celebrated football journalist, a singer, songwriter, arranger and multi-instrumentalist who makes standout pop songs and an artist who had a big impact on the Japanese Shibuya sound. Now Philippe's friend and sometime musical partner Sean O'Hagan presents via the Tapete label a welcome collection of his greatest works from the tears 1994 - 2007. Many of these have been taken from records that have been long out of print and some have in fact never been on vinyl before now. O'Hagan has also written liner notes for extra context on this great album.

Review: Bay Area DIY pop duo Loveshadow join up with Dark Entries to release II, their sophomore LP. Anya Prisk and Izaak Schlossman met in Oakland in 2016, bonded over their love of '80s sounds and immediately began building their musical world with lush synths, funky basslines, and irresistible hooks. The past is always in their palette, but Loveshadow's nostalgia doesn't trace to any single locus; it's more like a cloud, and it's through this haze that they breathe new life into the music they love. Their debut album was released in 2021 on Music from Memory to acclaim. II presents a more subtle and refined statement from the band - laser-focused on the vaporous expanse. Album opener 'Last Room' saunters with the confidence of Sade, while 'Earthen Track' feels like Kate Bush covering a forgotten city pop anthem. The album is largely focused on club-friendly material, but mellower pieces like 'Winter's Door' and 'Mirage' are sophisticated standouts that would make Ryuchi Sakamoto proud. Italo-funk groover 'Power Melts Away' closes out the album by upping the energy into fist-pumping territory. Anya's lyrics on II use the unreality of dreams as a lens to examine the realities of change and personal growth; illusions made material. Loveshadow elegantly smear the lines between past and present, pop and avant, immanent and transcendent.

Review: Since Light In The Attic embarked on its comprehensive Nancy Sinatra Archival Series, it has done wondrous justice to the towering career of the American popular singer. But the work isn't done yet, and the latest chipping-away at the cinderblock comes in the form of a reissue (surprisingly not ever reissued before) of Nancy & Lee Again, her second trailblazing duet album with Lee Hazlewood. Haunting, nostalgic and full of sunned takes on a marriage, splits, lost jobs and general social tumult - the stories are narrated by Hazlewood in his best gruff voice - the overall tone of this album could be said to be predictive of shoegaze, as it is generously doused in reverb, but the similarity ends there. Sinatra's stark Americana influences are most obvious; they shine through on the use of sublime slide guitar ('Did You Ever'), skiffling ¾ metres, and twangy banjo fingerstylings.

Review: Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood's monumental 1968 duet album gets a definitive reissue via Light In The Attic, harkening back to a time when the crossover between Americana, pop and country worked in a much simpler style. Now once again coming back to stereo, they show off a powerful duetting synergy through classic bits like 'Lady Bird', 'Sundown, Sundown' and 'Elusive Dreams'. This one also contains a new gatefold jacket, and comes with an array of exclusive content, including a brand new interview.