Latest Reviews

Rhye aren’t a band with a straightforward origin story. Their debut 2013 album Woman was years in the making and was released with the identities of its creators unknown. Only later were they revealed to be Canadian singer and performer Mike Milosh and Dutch multi-instrumentalist Robin Hannibal. From these secretive beginnings, the band have evolved into a freeform musical collective revolving around Milosh following the departure of Hannibal in 2017.

American singer-songwriter Maggie Lindemann specialises in skillfully riding the fine line between pop and rock, bringing the best of both worlds into an engaging, entertaining and highly marketable mix of music and performance. Having released a string of singles since her breakthrough effort Knocking On Your Heart in 2015, including the UK top ten hit Pretty Girl in 2016, Lindemann is now back with her first-ever EP, titled Paranoia.

Jordan Mackampa released his debut album Foreigner last year to critical acclaim. The singer-songwriter, who was raised Coventry, is based in London, and draws on his Congolese roots to create his deeply poetic songs delivered in his distinctive rich vocals, delivered a deeply personal affair with his debut full-length offering, with songs covering topics such as his childhood, his journey into adulthood, and falling in and out of love.

Artist collaborations tend to be exciting adventures for fans, especially when two different genres collide. So, when legendary metal guitarist Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden paired up with rock guitarist Richie Kotzen, we were in for a treat. Now, for those who are of the belief that metal, and rock are not that far apart, guess again. There is a cornucopia of differences, but the two styles have a way of blending so beautifully together you can be forgiven for thinking they are cut from the same cloth.

Swedish singer and songwriter Anna Leone dropped her debut EP Wandered Away in 2018, a beautiful record that was plugged by the likes of BBC Music and Spotify, and has gone on to clock up over eighteen million streams online. That EP included her breakthrough track My Soul I, which took her music to the next level. Now the Stockholm-born artist has returned with her new single Once, produced by Paul Butler.

It’s not that often a debut album as hyped as Right Now rolls around. But then it’s not often you get an artist like Willie Jones. He is unquestionably one of the rising stars of the current country scene, someone of whom Rolling Stone magazine said he “seems an awful lot like the future of country music.” And with his unique blend of styles that merge hip hop and country, they might just be right.

The future didn’t look particularly bright for Cambridge rockers Lonely The Brave when their frontman and founding member David Jakes left in 2018, citing mental health reasons. For a brief period it appeared the entire future of the band was in doubt, before they dispelled their fans’ fears, recruiting Jack Bennett, who had been recording and performing music under his Grumble Bee moniker, in his place.

In the years since Catatonia stormed the charts, lead singer and frontwoman Cerys Matthews has turned her attention to all sorts of creative endeavours. With the titles of radio DJ, author, TV presented, festival organiser, musician, singer, and not forgetting an MBE, to her name, Matthews clearly has plenty of passions and interests to pursue. But with her latest project – a twelve track album titled We Come From The Sun – Matthews is embracing a medium with which she has long been fascinated: poetry.

Following the release of his acclaimed new album Songs For The Drunk And Broken Hearted, (check out our review here) Passenger – otherwise known as Mike Rosenberg – has now shared Sword From The Stone (Gingerbread Mix), a special single version of the album’s opening track produced by Ed Sheeran and Joe Rubel and mixed by Spike Stent.