Back catalogue: Pop

Review: Moving away from their two-tone tingles and sauntering silliness, 'The Madness' was a thorough rebrand for the band - exploring a new name, a new sound, a rejumbled lineup, and all the new electronic music tech that te late 80s had to offer. Sounding more like Duran Duran than Madness as we know them, 'The Madness' hears a smattering of guest musicians join the party, including The Specials' Jerry Dammers on piano. It was this LP that caused such a furore at the band's Madstock festival in 1992, that a small earthquake erupted at 4.2 on the Richter scale in the London locale of Finsbury Park. Now you can relive said tremors of excitement with this reissue.

Review: Acclaimed and now rather veteran singer-songwriter Katie Melua is back with her ninth studio album Live & Money this March. It comes after she had a fine 2022 that included an acclaimed collaboration with Simon Geoff called Aerial Objects and for this one she links up with sometime Ghostpoet, Brian Eno and Regina Spektor producer Leo Abrahams. The album was recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios while Melua was pregnant and finds her reflecting on her place in the world. "It's about the scene changing and being a woman in the music industry and how strange and lucky I feel to have a job I'm addicted to." It's a great listen.

Review: Kylie keeps up her newfound 'Infinite Disco' brand with a special clear vinyl invitation to spacey joy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the global pop megastar's Infinite Disco live performance was first broadcast online in 2020, accompanying her album 'DISCO', which showed off just what she could do with the style. Now, with the aid of the House Gospel Choir, Teemu Brunila, Sky Adams, and Maegan Cottone, she brings her take on the style further to life with live versions of all the hits from 'DISCO'.

Review: When Kylie's Fever came out in 2001, it was world-conquering in a way that surpassed the dizzying heights Australia's biggest pop icon had ever scaled before. That's saying something, but more than 20 years later 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' remains a monumental slice of earworm magic, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Tapping into that warm, disco-infected house wave that to be quite honest beats the likes of 'Get Lucky' to the punch, there is endless joy to be found in this pitch-perfect slice of millennial pop. The first pressings of this came around 2017 and are already worth a mint, so don't expect these ones to hang around for long either.

Review: Kylie released Tension in September and shot straight to number one, reminding everyone who the reigning pop queen of all time really is. Capitalising on the snappy production that electrifies tracks like the breakout viral hit 'Padam Padam', this double-vinyl release provides extended versions of the album which lets the tracks ring out for the run time they truly deserve. It also means all 11 tracks are now in a form better suited to drawn-out blends, which will no doubt satisfy the DJs amongst Kylie's considerable fan base. '10 out of 10' indeed.

Review: Kylie Minogue returns with Tension II, her seventeenth studio album. This follow-up to 2023's Tension delves deeper into electronic and dance music influences, showcasing Minogue's mastery of infectious, high-energy tracks. 'Lights Camera Action', is a vibrant club anthem driven by pulsating beats and raving synths, setting the tone for a night of dance floor escapism. 'Edge of Saturday Night', co-produced with The Blessed Madonna, blends pop and house influences, creating a shimmering, feel-good track perfect for the weekend. Collaborations like 'My Oh My' with Bebe Rexha and Tove Lo lean into playful, flirtatious energy, while 'Midnight Ride' with Orville Peck and Diplo fuses country elements with festival-ready disco. The album culminates with 'Dance Alone', a pop-disco anthem featuring Sia, further capturing Minogue's signature style. Overall, Tension II is a dynamic, electronic-driven journey, filled with club-ready hits that solidify Minogue's timeless appeal on the dance floor.

Review: Kylie Minogue still remains just about Australia's premier cultural export. She is now up to a rather impressive 16th studio album with Tension, which is her first decent-sized body of new work since the 2020 disco, dance and pop album Disco. This one has a hint of electro-pop to it but it's still rooted in glossy, accessible, happy dance sounds that will be popular at weddings for decades to come. Dutch DJ and producer Oliver Heldens has linked with Kylie for one of the better tunes, '10 Out of 10', which is a mix of 80s, 90s and 00s eurodance.