Tag Archives: rock

Open Wide review: Inhaler’s muddled foray into pop

Inhaler have a very characteristic sound, and it only takes listening to a few songs from their first two albums, It Won’t Always Be Like This (2021) and Cuts and Bruises (2023), to notice this. Two albums and several big tours and support slots later (Harry Styles, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Arctic Monkeys, etc.)Continue reading “Open Wide review: Inhaler’s muddled foray into pop”

The Kawala Collection review: A triumphant curtain call for the indie pop group

Late in 2024, tropical indie outfit Kawala announced that their February 2025 tour would actually be their farewell tour. But before the tour kicks off, the band dropped The Kawala Collection, a final body of work bringing together all the music they’d released over 2024, plus a few new tracks. The album is a triumphantContinue reading “The Kawala Collection review: A triumphant curtain call for the indie pop group”

Sports Team live review: bizarre and a whole lot of fun

O2 Forum Kentish Town, 25th November 2024 If there’s one thing Sports Team fans have come to expect from them, it’s the unexpected. From printing fans’ tweets on t-shirts to reposting snarky comments about them on social media to asking fans to go to their afterparties dressed like Jeremy Clarkson, there’s very little Sports TeamContinue reading “Sports Team live review: bizarre and a whole lot of fun”

Bob Vylan live review: don’t listen to the critics – punk certainly isn’t dead

Marble Factory Bristol, 25th October 2024 Visceral, high-energy, politics-driven punk rap packs a punch: Bob Vylan is not to be undermined. The 2 Bobs’ pre-Halloween show at Bristol’s Marble Factory was another stark reminder of their undeniable presence within the scene and why they are just so good at live music. Giant clown faces staredContinue reading “Bob Vylan live review: don’t listen to the critics – punk certainly isn’t dead”

The Story So Far Bristol live review: Californian pop-punkers rip the venue like it’s their second home

O2 Academy Bristol, 24th October 2024 A few months out of the release of their latest album, The Story So Far return to Bristol for a triumphant headline show celebrating the release of I Want To Disappear. Here, they’re headlining the O2 Academy for the first time in their career after playing it once beforeContinue reading “The Story So Far Bristol live review: Californian pop-punkers rip the venue like it’s their second home”

Wunderhorse live review: an electrifying performance with an incomplete set

O2 Academy Oxford, 11th October 2024 Naysayers have been saying for years (decades, even) that rock and roll is dead. However, they need not look further than the O2 Academy in Oxford last Friday night to be proven wrong. The venue’s main room is packed to the rafters, and what’s more, the average age isContinue reading “Wunderhorse live review: an electrifying performance with an incomplete set”

Boston Manor’s biggest headline show yet is the triumphant start of a new era

O2 Forum Kentish Town, 27 September 2024 “This is the one. The big one,” proclaims Henry Cox, vocalist for Boston Manor. Tonight marks the band’s biggest headline show to date, as they play London’s 2000-capacity O2 Forum Kentish Town. Since their debut EP back in 2014, the Blackpool-born-and-bred band has steadily risen to success. Still,Continue reading “Boston Manor’s biggest headline show yet is the triumphant start of a new era”

American Football live review: a nostalgic celebration of a cult classic album

SWX Bristol, 13th September 2024 It was the first true moody, angsty, cold day of the year, setting the scene perfectly for a good, nostalgic Midwest emo show. I was shivering in my band hoodie and beanie on my way to SWX to see the legendary friends from Illinois who released a genre-defining debut LPContinue reading “American Football live review: a nostalgic celebration of a cult classic album”

Blossoms have mastered their sound with their triumphant new album, Gary

With four top 5 UK albums and countless sold-out headline shows under their belts, Stockport-born Blossoms are no strangers to the indie-rock scene. Whilst every Blossoms album has a distinctive sound, they have perhaps previously played it safe with fairly conventional, primarily guitar-based melodies; what is striking about Gary is Blossoms’ new, funky, synth-driven style. Continue reading “Blossoms have mastered their sound with their triumphant new album, Gary”