New album: Clever, wry, humorous, refreshing, quirky, experimental pop and art rock from the Manchester-based singer and multi-instrumentalist Francesca Pidgeon and her revolving musical collective, a talented artist known also for playing in BC Camplight’s band
Read moreVictoria Canal: Slowly, It Dawns
Victoria Canal: Slowly, It Dawns
New album: A striking, eclectic debut LP by the Spanish-American singer-songwriter, who, already with two Ivor Novello awards for songwriting, mixes mainstream pop with a variety of other styles, from close-mic Billie Eilish to drum’n’bass, intimate folk to Cuban rhythms
Read moreCameron Winter: Heavy Metal
Cameron Winter: Heavy Metal
New album: Released last month, the Geese frontman’s solo LP is nothing like its title in genre, but a brilliantly eccentric, eclectic, inventive, surreal mosaic of dream-like DIY oddness – blues, folk, pop and psych rolled up in droll humour, existential dread and creative patchwork streams of the sub-conscious and non-sequitur
Read moreJasmine 4.t - You Are The Morning
Jasmine 4.t - You Are The Morning
New album: An outstanding folk/rock debut by the Manchester-based singer-songwriter Jasmine Cruickshank, whose moving songs tackle ambiguous relationships, identity, tangled joy, heartache, camaraderie and isolation of trans-feminine life in an LP produced by the Boygenius trio of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker
Read moreFranz Ferdinand: The Human Fear
Franz Ferdinand: The Human Fear
New album: After a greatest hits tour and two recently new band members, the Glasgow art-rockers fronted by the sharp-witted Alex Kapranos return with renewed vim and vigour, with an unashamed air of going full-tilt on classic FF in their sound and style perky, pacy, hooky indie-pop
Read moreFavourite Albums of 2024 - Part 2
The second part of our favourite albums of 2024
Favourite albums of 2024: Welcome to The Song Bar’s favourite albums of 2024 Part 2. Part 1 can be found here. There’s no such thing as ‘best of’ and everything is subjective, but please dig into this rich seam of originality and quality, and even suggest more of your own
Read moreFavourite albums of 2024 - Part 1
This year’s selections include some returning veterans at the top of their game as well as some fabulous newcomers
Favourite albums of 2024: Welcome to The Song Bar’s favourite albums of 2024 Part 1. There’s no such thing as ‘best of’ and everything is subjective, but rich seams of originality and quality are certainly here to be enjoyed. Peruse away …
Read moreJuniore: Trois Deux Un
Juniore: Trois Deux Un
Album review: Released in September, the French band’s latest LP is another sparkling gem of 60s psychedelic and “yéyé noir” surf pop – whisperingly seductive, witty, wistful, stylish and sophisticated, from the breathless paced to the songs like a coil of smoke - moody, slow and pithily philosophical
Read moreAngel Olsen and various: Cosmic Waves Volume 1
Angel Olsen and various: Cosmic Waves Volume 1
New album: A novel form of “compilation reimagined as a dialogue” LP by the acclaimed, serene-voiced American singer-songwriter, showcasing five different lesser-known artists on Side A, and then covering other songs by them on Side B
Read moreWhite Denim: 12
White Denim: 12
New album: Austin, Texas’s brilliantly inventive proggy experimentalists James Petralli and co return with an appropriately named 12th LP, one which, created in the lockdown restrictions of 2020-21, needed a different, more DIY approach, but weaves a fabulous mix of rootsy swing, jazz and influences from Scritti Politti to Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Nick Lowe to Jonathan Richman.
Read moreLauren Mayberry: Vicious Creature
Lauren Mayberry: Vicious Creature
New album: The debut solo LP by the Glasgwegian LA-based Chvrches lead vocalist is strong, shimmering mainstream pop, and feels very much like nod to mainstream pop heroines of her teenage years, particularly All Saints and Avril Lavigne
Read moreJuanita Stein: The Weightless Hour
Juanita Stein: The Weightless Hour
New album: This fourth solo album the the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Australian indie band Howling Bells deals with heavy subjects with a light touch, a sparseness of style, and emotional potency
Read moreKim Deal: Nobody Loves You More
Kim Deal: Nobody Loves You More
New album: After various singles over the years, the former Pixies member, and Breeders musician finally releases her first full solo album, a truly fabulous execution of superb songwriting, sharp, heartbreak lyrics, diverse musical styles and instruments across indie, rock and pop, all performed with beautiful tenderness, grit and gusto
Read moreMichael Kiwanuka: Small Changes
Michael Kiwanuka: Small Changes
New album: A fourth album by the Mercury prize-winner, another gorgeously crafted and performed set of songs drawing on 70s soul and slowly simmering psychedelic rock, and the third produced by Danger Mouse and Inflo
Read moreFazerdaze: Soft Power
Fazerdaze: Soft Power
New album: This sophomore album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Amelia Rahayu Murray is dreamy, soft-sheen, shoegazey “bedroom stadium” electro-pop and indie on themes of womanhood, devotion and compassion
Read moreShe Drew The Gun: Howl
She Drew The Gun: Howl
New album: Powerful, passionate highly accomplished fourth indie-rock album by singer/songwriter Louisa Roach and band from Wirral in Merseyside, one broadening her musical scope and perspective, not just socio-political and soul-searching personal, but also spanning eons, fuelled by some personal heartbreak
Read moreDu Blonde: Sniff More Gritty
Du Blonde: Sniff More Gritty
New album: With a startling new look, the multi-talented British singer-songwriter and video artist Beth Jeans Houghton returns with her powerfully anthemic glam rock, grunge pop and fuzz guitar indie in this follow-up to 2021’s Homecoming
Read moreWarmduscher: Too Cold To Hold
Warmduscher - Too Cold To Hold
New album: The mischievous mayhem post-punk band of Clams Baker Jr.), Mr. Salt Fingers Lovecraft, Quicksand, The Witherer, Three Piece aka the Worm and Bleucifer return with more songs on the seedier side of life, but also one of their most musically adventurous LPs of their five, with guest vocalists including Lianne La Havas, Janet Planet and Coucou Chlo
Read moreFriedberg: Hardcore Workout Queen
Friedberg: Hardcore Workout Queen
New album: A wonderful engaging, energetic third LP by Anna Wappel, aka Anna F, the Austria-born singer-songwriter and indie band, with witty, eccentric, warm, humorous, hair-in-the-wind LP with the feel of a road trip
Read moreOur Girl: The Good Kind
Our Girl: The Good Kind
New album: The London indie trio of singer/guitarist Soph Nathan, drummer Lauren Wilson and bassist Joshua Tyler’s new LP has a beautiful warmth of sound and optimistic honesty in lyric, borne from a theme of celebrating of determination against difficulty
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