●●●○○ Denzel Curry should cut the concept. TA1300, his third studio album, divided over three discs, embodying the light, grey and dark sides of Curry’s persona, tires of anything resembling a unifying theme three tracks in. The light side of … Continue reading Denzel Curry’s TA1300 // REVIEW Curry’s brilliance lies in his ability to inhabit a multitude of styles and flows.
●●●●○ It is their most polarising album yet, but for me, the album of the summer is undoubtedly Arctic Monkeys’ Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. Not being an album of instant gratification, but a glorious conceptual slow-burner, it has the … Continue reading Album of the Summer: Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino The Arctic Monkeys’ 6th Album Rocked Our Summer
●●●●● Despite her obvious Nashville influences, 21 year-old Catherine McGrath is a Co. Down native with her own handle on the American genre. Having been interviewed by committed fan Elton John on his Beats 1 show, and with her promotional … Continue reading McGrath’s the Talk of This Town with her debut album Ireland’s Taylor Swift claims her space alongside American country legends
It has been thirty-one years since the break-up of the Smiths, but Johnny Marr has refused to sink into either obscurity or self-indulgence, something his third solo album, Call The Comet makes quite evident. Broadly speaking, Call The Comet is … Continue reading Johnny Marr’s ‘Call The Comet’ Reviewed Call The Comet is testimony to the fact that Johnny Marr is still a force to be reckoned with.
There is nothing really left to be said about the cultural character that is Kanye West. His infamous return to Twitter, comments on slavery being ‘a choice’ and the surprise release of the bizarre ‘Lift Yourself’ have caused outrage and … Continue reading Kanye Gets Personal ‘Ye’ Reviewed
In 2003, the Dresden Dolls released a song called “Missed Me” from the point of view of a young girl being abused by ‘Mister,’ an older man, and courting his attention in a naive sort of way. It’s an uncomfortable … Continue reading “Mr. Weinstein will see you now” Amanda Palmer’s #MeToo anthem pulls no punches
●●●●○ Alien She‘s debut studio album Feeler launched Friday, 24 November, to the double-fanfare of opening for Pussy Riot the night before the launch party. I was at the Pussy Riot gig where the local Dublin punk band were the … Continue reading Alien She’s “Feeler” Growlingly political and atmospherically moody, a local trio to check out.
Refreshing, upbeat, and charming are words that can be hard to apply to a band, but there is one that has caught the attention of the world. BTS is the boyband that you will become obsessed with, just as I … Continue reading BTS: The K-Pop Band That Are Taking Over the World “Although K-Pop may not be the most beloved musical genre of the Western world, BTS is here to change that.”
●●●●● When MGMT sang ‘I’m feeling rough, I’m feeling raw, I’m in the prime of my life’, they summed up an entire generation’s mood. Their phenomenal debut album Oracular Spectacular demonstrated a self-awareness and lyricism beyond their twenty four years, … Continue reading MGMT’s Back: New Single “Little Dark Age” If the album follows this single in tone, expect a much darker album than before that moves away from the conditions of youth and approaches the topic of what follows after.
Following a five year hiatus, James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem return with an powerfully poignant album of realisation and maturity. After returning with a number of festival performances last year, the band announced that their fourth LP American Dream would … Continue reading LCD Soundsystem – American Dream Review Can the acclaimed trio of albums become a quartet?
●●●●○ 1992 is a fresh gift from the New York rap scene, offered up by Destiny Frasqueri – AKA Princess Nokia – the “Jewish, Puerto Rican, little bit Italian,” rapper from Spanish Harlem. Trumpeting her arrival on the scene, … Continue reading Princess Nokia, 1992 Deluxe – Review Susie Birmingham finds promise in rapper Destiny Frasqueri’s debut offering
●●●○○ The National’s most recent offering Sleep Well Beast follows after Trouble Will Find Me, which was a puzzling record. It continued their unbroken streak of critical acclaim, appearing on multiple “Albums of the Year” lists as well … Continue reading The National, Sleep Well Beast – Album Review In the midst of their two sold-out shows at Vicar Street, Conall Monaghan takes a look at The National’s latest offering, and finds himself underwhelmed.