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For Emma Forever Ago

by: Bon Iver

March 24, 2008
I'm puzzled about all the 5 star reviews here. This record does not deserve 5 stars. It's slightly above average and that's it.I couldn't decide between 2 and 3 stars.

The last 2 songs are the best, particularly "Stacks". Otherwise the singer's voice can be annoying and the songs, in general, have a deeply somniferous effect...like watching a very slow arthouse French movie.

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Sun Giant

by: Fleet Foxes

April 08, 2008
Ever had that experience when, while everyone else is rolling about laughing, you're standing there thinking: "that's just not funny". I read the hype, I get the CD, I listened, I listened again - then I went back to the real deal - all that late 60s and early 70s stuff. After that I stopped caring that I just don't get this record.

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Pacific Ocean Blue/Bambu (The Caribou Sessions): Legacy Edition

by: Dennis Wilson

June 16, 2008
Fantastic album Pacific Ocean Blue, just get it and listen to it, plus the bonus tracks and the additional lost album 'Bambu', all beautifully packaged, make this a worthy tribute to a flawed genius; Dennis Wilson.

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The Seldom Seen Kid

by: Elbow

March 17, 2008
bought this album on the streangth of hearing the single ( last track on album ) and I have to say how disapointed I was with the reat of the album, only buy this cd if your a fan of the group themselves

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Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

by: Sigur Ros

June 23, 2008
I think this album is a transitional one for Sigur Ros. They've become a band that had a specific sound and they were no doubt aware that they needed to develop their style to avoid stagnation.

With their latest release there are clear signs that the band wanted to make a different kind of a record. The songs are shorter, more acoustic sounding and generally more upbeat. They've tried to rely less on tried and tested ways of working and moved towards spontaneity and improvisation.

At least half of the album sounds a little different for Sigur Ros especially with the single "Gobbledegook" with its tribal drumming, hand claps and chanting. A couple of the tracks almost border on indie pop which would have been very out of place ... Read More:

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Glasvegas

by: Glasvegas

September 08, 2008
In an entertainment business full of faked stance and faux emotion, all of a sudden something REAL has come along. Glasvegas are tough, rough around the edges but ultimately this is the genuinely most affecting releases not just in 2008 but for many years.

Let's be clear about this, 'Glasvegas' aren't romanticised 'loser' jangle from the bedroom of a semi-detached, this is raw anguish, the sound of souls being shreaded by the dismal reality of life on the streets of the East End of Glasgow. The album covers such topics as gang violence, disfunctional families and perhaps most of all the utter desperation of the poverty trap and the yearning for a better life.

If all this sounds a little dreary, like a Ken Loach film set to music, then it ... Read More:

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Oracular Spectacular

by: MGMT

March 10, 2008
Sorry for this short and lazy review - which is no reflection of my feelings for this album. Oracular Spectacular is superb, MGMT is superb. And going for a bargain price at the time of writing too!

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Stay Positive (Limited Edition Special Package)

by: The Hold Steady

July 14, 2008
The title 'Stay Positive' is a bit of a risky one - what is conceived as a rallying call could end up sounding like a desperate plea if the album falls flat - and this release has a lot to live up to. 'Boys & Girls' was a fun listen and carved out a niche for the band as the feel good rockers who boasted untypically clever lyrics.

The band appear very much aware of this on the opening two tracks which follow the blueprint established on 'Boys & Girls' a little too closely. The next two songs throw a lot of new ideas in the mix but aren't 100% successful. At this point on my first listen I was a little worried - not one of these songs is a patch on the first 4 songs that opened the last album. 'Lord I'm Discouraged' marks the breakthrough - it is a steady, ... Read More:

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Sunday At Devil Dirt

by: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan

May 12, 2008
After reading some mediocre reviews of this album I was shocked when I finally heard it and it turned out that I really enjoyed listening to it. It's clearly a step away from the first album, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. This album has much more of blues, kind of Nashville Skyline-era Bob Dylan, feel to it, and I personally think that their vocals work much better together here, whereas the first album often felt like one or other of the vocal tracks had simply been 'tagged on'.

All of the tracks on this album seem to gel together very well, and although there aren't really any stand-out 'single' type tracks, I do not think that this is a bad thing at all.

It might take a few listens to really get into it, but this is well worth a few hours on a sunday ... Read More:

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The Age of the Understatement

by: The Last Shadow Puppets

April 21, 2008
This album is a great surprise. I didn't know what to expect when i bought it. I have the arctic monkeys albums and I like them, however I find them a little too much after a while, each song sounds similar, where as this album is full of great tracks which are written well and the production is, well wow. It has a big sound to it what with the orchestra and that. Each track has the feel that it can be released as a single and thats the mark of a great album. Most definitely the best album I have listened to for a good 10 years!