Kanye West – Donda (GOOD Music / Def Jam Recordings) Reviewed by Sam Smith. After three listening parties, release delays, and seemingly never-ending album pushbacks, Kanye West’s tenth studio album ‘Donda’ has finally arrived, and in terms of Ye’s waningContinue Reading
Halsey – If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power (Capitol Records) Reviewed by Bridget Herlihy. Having followed Halsey since the release of their debut album ‘Badlands’, it has been interesting to watch their evolution as an artist. ‘Badlands’ was,Continue Reading
Garbage – No Gods, No Masters (Liberator Music) Reviewed by Tim Gruar. On this new release, Garbage have returned to the gloom, amping up the dramatics and tapping into post-Trumpian, Covid calamity. Where ‘Strange Little Birds’ was a more personalContinue Reading
Nick Cave & Warren Ellis – Carnage (Goliath/AWAL) Reviewed by Tim Gruar. The great ominous, swaggering Nick Cave has softened over the years. His violent, menacing, brimstone and fire brand has been dampened somewhat. That’s understandable – the last disc, ‘Ghosteen’, wasContinue Reading
Moby – Reprise (Deutsche Grammophon) Reviewed by Tim Gruar. After some years of silence Moby returns to our ears with a collection of old material, that essentially re-makes the originals, except there’s an orchestra and a few new faces behindContinue Reading
KITA – KITA (Independent) Reviewed by Bridget Herlihy. It isn’t often that this reviewer clearly recalls when and where they first heard a particular artist. KITA, however, is one of those all too rare instances; a moment during lockdown inContinue Reading
The Datsuns – Eye To Eye (Hellsquad) Reviewed by Bridget Herlihy. In 2002 The Datsuns turned the rock world’s eyes – and ears – towards the Waikato town of Cambridge with the release of their electrifying self-titled debut album. TheContinue Reading
Black Midi – Cavalcade (Rough Trade) Reviewed by Sam Smith. After emerging on the scene in 2019 with their critically-acclaimed album Schlagenheim, an album this reviewer picked as their album of the year, UK post-punk band Black Midi have returnedContinue Reading
Malcolm Black – Songs For The Family (Independent) Reviewed by Bridget Herlihy. In many ways it is hard to believe that it has been two years since New Zealand music icon and luminary Malcolm Black passed away. Perhaps best knownContinue Reading