At the tail-end of 2012, Rick Springfield released the surprisingly chunky ‘Songs For The End of The World’, a near faultless collection of tunes that proved the Australian singer-songwriter was still capable of delivering the goods after four decades and change into his career. In the first quarter of 2016, he made a welcome return with ‘Rocket Science’, an album which, perhaps, although stylistically more fitting for a performer in his mid sixties, still has plenty of heart and could show many younger musicians a thing or twelve.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
ONE DAY, AFTER SCHOOL… – In Skeletal EP
Although their choice of band name might suggest third rate pop-punk, skateboards and girls ahoy, Wakefield’s terribly monikered One Day, After School… (complete with punctuation) owe no such musical allegiances. Sure, they’ve saddled themselves with a name that wouldn’t suit a band in their advancing years, but musically they’re pretty smart. Their earlier releases deliver indie rock fare that toys with Sonic Youth noise and Pavement‘s slackness, but often with an accessible heart. Their third release – 2016’s ‘In Skeletal’ – is much broader with experimentation from the outset, presenting some great instrumental work bookended by lyrical pieces.
MORE THAN MOST – Impossible Is Temporary EP
Formed in 2014, London based band More Than Most wasted no time in attracting the attention of the online press and by the summer of 2015 had also already gained airplay via the Scuzz TV channel and positive support from various outlets…and all before the release of their debut. With the support More Than Most have secured – and comparisons to Flyleaf thrown into the bargain – it should be expected that the aforementioned debut EP comes with plenty of crunch. That’s not always the case.
LIFELINE – Scream
A collaboration between bassist/vocalist Nigel Bailey of melodic rockers Three Lions and Shy vocalist Lee Small, Lifeline’s debut album ‘Scream’ presents thirteen old style hard rock tunes, most of which find both performers in good voice. Enlisting Three Lions keyboard man Andy Bailey, Lawless guitarist Paul Hume and long time friend Steve Clarkson to supply musical assistance, it’s a more than solid line up who perform at their best, even at times when the material doesn’t always hit the mark.
JOE 4 – Enola Gay EP
With a band name taken from the US nickname for Russian nuclear tests and an EP named after a famous bomber (as opposed to the poncy and rather smug Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark single from 1980), you could say that Croatian noise rock quartet Joe 4 are a rather angry lot. This, their first English language release – from 2011 – is somewhat of a hidden gem.