After releasing three fantastic albums in ‘Demons and Wizards’, ‘Magician’s Birthday’ and ‘Sweet Freedom’ as well as a classic live document in a little over a year between May 1972 to September 1973, it’s no wonder Uriah Heep sounded less inspired on their 1974 LP ‘Wonderworld’. Although not a document from a creatively spent band, the album included absolutely nothing memorable in the long term. Bizarrely, the best track dating from those sessions,’Stone’s Throw’, was never completed. Released in demo form on an expanded reissue of ‘Wonderworld’ in 1996, it knocks the entire album into a cocked hat. Following bassist Gary Thain being electrocuted during a show in Texas on that tour, 1974 could very much be considered the end of the band’s “imperial phase”.
Category Archives: Album & EP Reviews
DEWEY – Summer On A Curb
Dewey’s debut single ‘Jinx’ signified the arrival of a band with a potential greatness. On that track, the young Parisians served up a sound wholly indebted to the 90s with a massive shoegaze tone that really pushed some interesting guitar work to the fore. Right from the opening notes, though, it was clear that each of the band members had something important to offer when a solid drum part powered a fine groove, and the wall of guitars was joined by an equally solid bass.
Above all, ‘Jinx’ sounded far more melodic than a lot of the genre’s pioneers – a slither of indie melody contrasting the semi-woozy feel that the likes of My Bloody Valentine wouldn’t deem necessary made the single so much more accessible, and the way a busy and almost otherworldly keyboard line layered the main melody with something a little busier definitely gave the performance far more of an uplifting quality. Taking pride of place on Dewey’s ‘Summer On A Curb’ LP – issued almost three months later – ‘Jinx’ sounds better than ever.
TEN EAST / SOFTSUN – Turned To Stone: Chapter 10 (Split Release)
Within the first two years of their existence, SoftSun – a project featuring Yawning Man’s Gary Arce and Superlynx’s Pia Isaksen – released two absolutely top notch albums. Both ‘Daylight In The Dark’ (2024) and ‘Eternal Sunrise’ (2025) shared a near perfect blend of deep psych and desert rock, with Arce’s atmospheric riffs proving a perfect match for Pia’s ethereal vocal style. No doubt about it: these records showcased one of the greatest bands to emerge on the desert rock/stoner scene for quite some time.
Listen: Featured At Real Gone – January-March 2026
It’s amazing how quickly the first quarter of 2026 has flown by. However, during those weeks, we’ve been sent an absolute avalanche of new music. Although, naturally, there hasn’t been time to review all of it, we’ve covered a lot of ground already this year.
DAS KAPITANS – Elvytys EP
Das Kapitans kick off their 2026 EP ‘Elvytys’ with one of their sharpest tracks to date. Allowing no time for the listener to become acclimatised, ‘This T-Shirt Fights Sweatshops’ hits with a performance that couples a fast tempo with a hard edged lead guitar, sharing something that sounds a little like a DIY version of an old Bloc Party track. For the fan, it creates immediate thrill; for anyone previously unfamiliar with this UK indie-punk act, it offers something that should more than pique interest. The verse’s angular approach shows off a very tight quartet, with Ollie Prescott’s mechanical drumming pushing forward with an effectively mechanical edge, while Stephen Potter’s guitar adds a really busy post punk tone. The main hook offers a superb contrast, tapping into Das Kap’s shoutier aesthetic, allowing a booming voice to attack with the same huge presence felt on the chorus of the previous EP’s highlight ‘Just A Dream’. In short, this is peak Das Kapitans: a song that deserves pride of place at the lead track on a release, but also the kind of number that runs the risk of making everything else come up short.