Features 4/9

Reviews and Features

New song and album reviews, featured articles and opinion from indie and alternative.

Sep 28, 20224 min read

It's taken me 30 years to finally appreciate Suede

Suede's new album Autofiction is so energetic and immediate, it's led me to re-evaluate the London art rock band and Britpop itself.

Death Cab For Cutie - Asphalt Meadows review

Matthew McLister

Sep 17, 20224 min read

Death Cab For Cutie - Asphalt Meadows review

Death Cab's tenth studio album is warm and bleak, their best work in years.

Jamie T: The best lyrics on 'The Theory of Whatever'

Josh Robinson

Aug 9, 20224 min read

Jamie T: The best lyrics on 'The Theory of Whatever'

Six of the best lyrics from the South London indie singer's new album 'The Theory of Whatever'.

The rise of The 1975 & fifth album preview

Josh Robinson

Aug 4, 202211 min read

The rise of The 1975 & fifth album preview

With their fifth album just around the corner, do The 1975 get enough credit for being one of the best British bands?

Jamie T: South London singer smashes return after six year absence

Matthew McLister

Aug 2, 20224 min read

Jamie T: South London singer smashes return after six year absence

The Theory Of Whatever is a mix of raucous anthems and ballads that still sound delightfully quirky and uniquely Jamie T.

TRNSMT 2022 review: Poor planning, mad queues and great indie rock

Matthew McLister

Jul 12, 20227 min read

TRNSMT 2022 review: Poor planning, mad queues and great indie rock

A verdict on Saturday at TRNSMT in Glasgow, where a two-hour queue to get in was worth it to see The Strokes, Foals and more.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Mystery surrounds Glasgow cancellation

Matthew McLister

Jul 6, 20224 min read

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Mystery surrounds Glasgow cancellation

Why has so much anger and confusion been allowed to grow after the Californian band's late pull out?

Glastonbury: The five best performances of 2022

Matthew McLister

Jun 27, 20224 min read

Glastonbury: The five best performances of 2022

Our favourite five moments from Glastonbury 2022 featuring IDLES, Kendrick Lamar and more.

Eight of the best: Glastonbury headline moments

Matthew McLister

Jun 23, 20224 min read

Eight of the best: Glastonbury headline moments

From Jay-Z's retort to Pulp's era-defining Britpop anthem, here's a look at the best Glastonbury headline performances.

Review: Billie Eilish leaves it all on Glasgow Hydro stage

Neil Renton

Jun 22, 20223 min read

Review: Billie Eilish leaves it all on Glasgow Hydro stage

The American star singer plays for longer than intended without outstaying her welcome. It’s the dads you feel sorry for. Ambling into...

Interview: THE GOA EXPRESS talk surviving lockdown, new band hype and dream festivals

Matthew McLister

Jun 21, 20223 min read

Interview: THE GOA EXPRESS talk surviving lockdown, new band hype and dream festivals

I caught up with James Clarke from the anthemic Manchester band who've been getting hyped from Radio 1 to 6Music.

Review: Foals reinvent themselves again with 'Life Is Yours'

Matthew McLister

Jun 12, 20223 min read

Review: Foals reinvent themselves again with 'Life Is Yours'

The Oxford indie veterans have managed to reinvent themselves, delivering a consistently fun record to soundtrack summer 2022.

Music fans are increasingly being priced out of arena gigs

Matthew McLister

Jun 8, 20225 min read

Music fans are increasingly being priced out of arena gigs

Unless the recent increase in ticket overpricing is addressed, many elite artists will soon be playing in half-empty arenas.

Is it now ok for indie fans to like Harry Styles?

Neil Renton

May 27, 20223 min read

Is it now ok for indie fans to like Harry Styles?

Following the release of Harry's House, it's time to stop feeling guilty about liking the former One Direction singer.

The Black Keys stick to their winning formula on 'Dropout Boogie'

Neil Renton

May 24, 20222 min read

The Black Keys stick to their winning formula on 'Dropout Boogie'

The Black Keys are never going to invent the wheel. What they will do though is make it go in a partially enjoyable direction. The Black...

The Smile: Debut album sounds like a terrific Radiohead album

Matthew McLister

May 18, 20223 min read

The Smile: Debut album sounds like a terrific Radiohead album

Thom Yorke's latest side project is enough to starve off the impatience of the Radiohead fanbase.

Arcade Fire: New album 'WE' is worth the five-year wait

Matthew McLister

May 12, 20225 min read

Arcade Fire: New album 'WE' is worth the five-year wait

WE is bookended by anxiety and positivity, a journey through isolation, claustrophobia, euphoria and landing on hope.

Fontaines D.C.’s 'Skinty Fia' rights the wrongs of 'A Hero’s Death'

Matthew McLister

May 5, 20225 min read

Fontaines D.C.’s 'Skinty Fia' rights the wrongs of 'A Hero’s Death'

The Dublin post-punk band’s third album progresses the unease and bleakness of their last, though the end result is far greater.

'King of the Arts' - a poem in thanks to music

Josh Robinson

Apr 27, 20223 min read

'King of the Arts' - a poem in thanks to music

A thank you poem by Josh Robinson to music and his favourite artists who helped him get through lockdown.

'Favourite Worst Nightmare': Arctic Monkeys underappreciated second album

Matthew McLister

Apr 19, 20222 min read

'Favourite Worst Nightmare': Arctic Monkeys underappreciated second album

How can an album that gave us so many classics not have the same respect as other AM records?