Albums

★★★★★ An intricate web of ideas that tease the ear and hypnotise the soul, it’s difficult to believe that Andrew Bird‘s Break It Yourself took around about a week to record.

★★★★★ Django Django have been kicking up a storm in the music world recently. So drought hardened are we for new guitar led rock/pop music that every droplet is sucked up in the hope of much needed revitalisation.

★★★★★ Sólaris, the recent collaboration between experimental musicians Ben Frost and Daniel Bjarnason, re-imagines the score to Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 film Solaris.

★★★★★ Will Oldham’s moniker here finds the perfect place to root his warm and deep timbre, and Sioux a perfect nest for her shrill bird call.

★★★★★ Whilst Lambchops latest release ‘Mr. M’ is a low-key elegiac affair the emotion is revealed in the music. It may be understated but it’s far from underwhelming.

★★★★★ Aye, with its excellent sleeve notes, is an invaluable release for those keen to learn more about, or introduce others to, Martyn Bennett’s work.

★★★★★ On Peter Broderick‘s latest album ‘It Starts Hear’ the “living liner notes” shed light on the genesis of each song, many of which are borne out of events in his personal life.

★★★★★ The subtle experimental idiosyncrasies on Damien Jurado latest album ‘Maraqopa’ turn it into something more unique.

★★★★★ Phantom Limb have released their second album The Pines. Heartfelt and Country-Soul tinged Yolanda Quartey sounds effortless in her delivery.

St Vincent’s appearance at Shepherds Bush will be a night to remember as she threw herself into the audience lying on her back, legs flailing she continued to play!

We get a sneak live preview of Patrick Watson’s new album ‘Adventures in Your Own Backyard’ and he reveals a source of inspiration.

Featherbrain is a risky album. Both dissonant and lyrical, it is music for headphones and notebooks.