That sound you hear? It might just be the synchronised thunk of ten thousand jaws hitting the floor. ‘Inlet’ is the first Hum album in more than two decades you see. And it has come out of absolutely nowhere. This doesn’t even fit the modern definition of a ‘surprise release’. There was zero build-up here- no teases, no winks, no nods. […]
Read moreNew York four-piece Only Sibling are serious about this. Frontman Alex Basovskiy holds a degree in finance but has turned his back on a potentially lucrative life in suits to pursue what he calls a bone-deep love of music. “There’s an intangible feeling that I get from playing music that I’m constantly chasing,” he says. “Even though it causes conflict […]
Read moreTough to Google but easy to listen to, Lakes make sincere, sparkling emo that’s well worth diving into. The Watford outfit’s debut album, ‘The Constance’, was a tidy effort that employed complex but clean arrangements and unique instrumentation (hello, glockenspiel) to draw rave reviews at home and far outside the UK scene. The two tracks here, however, might be the […]
Read moreA warm blanket of an album, this. Oh, I’m sure Shiner, newly back in business after a lifetime away, want to inspire a more transcendental reaction, but ‘Schadenfreude’ finds the space rock pioneers slotting everything in its right place with no alarms and few surprises. An old friend record. I don’t even think you need to be all that familiar […]
Read moreDespite their name, Looseleaf are damn tight. The Essex-based four-piece have only been around for a couple of years but play their emotional alternative rock like seasoned professionals. Grey and Overgrown by Looseleaf The emotions they’re expressing feel fitting for times like these too- sadness, frustration, fighting apathy, and finding strength. The band released their debut EP, ‘Grey and Overgrown’, […]
Read moreRelentless, right? The bad news. It keeps barreling toward us like a mudslide, no way around it, no way to ignore it. It’ll crush you if you’re not careful, if you don’t keep your head up. So, under advice from a close friend, I’m trying to accentuate the positive. Below is what was on Moderate Rock’s playlist for the month […]
Read moreJohn Boles talks a good game. He recommends ‘On a Spiral’, only his second album as Align In Time in the last decade, for fans of Maybeshewill, Caspian and Tides of Man. Unfortunately, he talks himself into a hole. There’s little of the rare, vivid qualities so easily associated with any of those acts here. Instead, from the careful beginning […]
Read moreDoes this count as a supergroup? Does it matter? Because while Kidbug contains erstwhile members of Swans, Best Coast, Eerie Wanda, and Dumb Numbers (with guest drums by Dale Crover, as you do), the best thing about them is a rare and intangible ingredient… Love! Singers/guitarists Marina Tadic and Adam Harding initially met to record Christmas songs for their label, […]
Read moreThis, the debut effort from Ultimate Overshare, starts in the way most other indie rock records end- a big, raucous riff, wailing lead guitar, and arms-in-the-air exuberance. It’s big, ballsy, and beautiful. And it’s not a one-off. Over the subsequent 20-something minutes, the Virginia quintet prove to have a knack for the unexpected. ‘Rumble Pak’ features shimmering reverb swirling around […]
Read moreLØE play instrumental math rock, but that doesn’t mean the Leeds outfit don’t use words to communicate. Their debut self-titled EP, released back in January, is peppered with samples. Neatly employed snippets of great speeches and world events enhance the band’s mission “to capture and reflect triumph, heroism, anguish and struggle throughout society.” LØE – EP by LØE They use […]
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