Album review archive

The title Split The Sheets might lead you to expect something a little more sultry than Sunjay’s tenth studio album actually delivers. There’s certainly plenty of love here, but this is less about what happens between the sheets and more about what happens to the heart once you’ve climbed out of them. Taken from the album’s opening track, “That’s Love”, the title sets the tone rather well. It’s a funny, witty song with an infectious, dancing groove. Sunjay clearly isn’t takin

I'm going to admit straight away that Artificial Icons is not normally the sort of album I'd reach for. Defects are heavy. Really heavy. But from the opening bars, you know exactly what you're in for: it feels like gunfire. Heavy drum thuds, raging guitars and growling vocals — you're being dropped straight into a war zone. Produced by Jim Pinder, the album is dark, deranged and almost apocalyptic, with synths and electronics adding a cinematic edge. At times it feels like yo

There’s something rather satisfying about an album that sounds like it was made to be played from beginning to end. In an age of streaming playlists and songs fighting for attention in the first few seconds, Parker Barrow’s Hold The Mash feels wonderfully old-fashioned and I mean that as a compliment. This is a proper rock album. It has swagger, groove, big guitars, plenty of attitude and, most importantly, songs that make you want to turn the volume up and let the whole thin

Some albums arrive right on time. Others have to wait over forty years to finally be heard. Eureka, the long-lost debut from The Western Front, falls firmly into the latter category, and thankfully it's been worth the wait. Originally recorded between 1983 and 1984, the album captures everything that made melodic rock so exciting during that era. It was set for release through Atlantic Records before label upheaval saw the project shelved. Four decades later, it's finally get

SPLAT! proves that Deep Purple have no intention of slowing down. Rather than simply revisiting past glories, the band continue to push themselves creatively, delivering an album that feels both classic and refreshingly modern. While the songs explore themes of transformation, mortality and the future of humanity, they never lose the sense of fun and musical adventure that has always made Deep Purple unique. Opening track Arrogant Boy has the same relentless bite and drive as

With Foreign Tongues, The Rolling Stones have achieved something few bands could ever hope for this late in their career: they have delivered an album that feels fresh, inspired and unmistakably like themselves. Critics have been unanimous in their praise, with Rolling Stone suggesting it could be a fitting final chapter to their legendary career, while The Guardian and Uncut have hailed it as some of the band's strongest work in decades. Listening to the album, it's easy to

Back in 2005, Confessions on a Dance Floor was groundbreaking. Madonna embraced '70s disco at a time when dance music wasn't dominating the charts, teaming up with then-rising British producer Stuart Price in his London flat to create one of the defining pop albums of the decade. More than twenty years later, the pair reunite for Confessions II, but this isn't an attempt to recreate lightning in a bottle. It's a very different album from a very different era, built not on nos

After the bigger, shinier production of Addicted To You, Rhythm, Rust & Static feels like When Rivers Meet kicking open the studio door, dragging the amps into a dusty warehouse and seeing what happens. It's rawer, heavier and, perhaps most importantly, more adventurous. The opening couple of tracks don't quite hint at where the album is heading. 'The Tide Is Turning' plays things relatively safe, delivering everything fans have come to expect: gritty riffs, walls of fuzz and

After her acclaimed album Criminal Heart, Hollie Rogers returns with a record that treats the daily grind with vignettes of fantasy, hope and humour. Album opener ‘Bad Woman’ arrives on deliciously dark chords before exploding into a snazzy, jazzy chorus — sexy, energetic, and delivered with the kind of witty turn of phrase that has been Rogers’ calling card across more than a decade of independent music-making. Rogers is a proud independent artist, and it shows — not in any

There are bands that evolve by reinventing themselves, and there are bands that evolve by delving deeper into what they already are. With Sanctuary, Evanescence firmly belong to the latter camp—and the result is one of the most compelling records of their career. From the opening moments of "Who Will You Follow", dark strings and haunting synths announce themselves with quiet authority, layered beneath ethereal harmonies that feel both familiar and newly purposeful. This is n

Welcome aboard Ayreon’s amazing flight through time! In September 2025, Tilburg in the Netherlands was once again transformed into Ayreon City, as six spectacular shows took over the 013 venue along with Ayreonauts from around the world to celebrate 30 years of Ayreon. For one unforgettable week, Tilburg lived and breathed Ayreon. The city center became a playground of Ayreon beer and themed dinners, streets flying Ayreon flags, Ayreon Camping, Ayreon Karaoke and legions of f

Ever-evolving and shapeshifting, with no two albums sounding the same, the latest release from Robben Ford is a slick, sophisticated slide into the blues. His first solo album in five years, it was originally planned as a tribute to Jeff Beck. But things took an interesting turn. Time spent developing his own Guitar Dojo gave Ford the space to dig deeper into his instrument, reinvigorating both his playing and musicianship. Armed with a Stratocaster and a custom pedalboard fr