Review Corner

Category: Rock n roll

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    Jeff Beck: Loud Hailer

    “The revolution will be televised” via a loud hailer effect are the opening words on this strong new album from Jeff Beck; now 72, he rather disproves our belief that aging white men playing the guitar have little left to say and are mostly dull. This new album is neither dull nor lacking in interesting…

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    Mick Harvey: Delirium Tremens

    Fair play to Bad Seeds’ Mick Harvey; he’s made plenty of good music in his time, so if he wants to scratch an itch and revisit the songbook of Serge Gainsbourg, he can. Like Nick Cave’s band, Gainsbourg sounded cool but could talk dirty, so Harvey is paying tribute to a man who influenced his…

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    Phil Collins: Going Back

    This was Collins’ 2010 album, which saw him cover various Motown hits. It passed us by at the time (we did play it, but never touched it since), and it’s easy to see why it lies unloved in a dusty Review Corner recess. Collins loves this music, and he roped in three surviving members of…

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    King Harvest and The Weight: Maps

    We’ve played this as much as any album we’ve reviewed, and he’s certainly a guy with talent, blending The Darkness with the Isley Brothers, and Queen with Humble Pie. Early on, it seems a bit all over the place, one minute a tight rock tune the next more soulful, but you soon get into the…

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    Dead Buttons: Some Kind of Youth

    While LUH (elsewhere) try to create excitement by having an existential moment or two, Dead Buttons use rock n roll played fast and loud. It works much better. This is a great album and the first one in ages to make us go “Whoooa!” It’s a bit of of a mish-mash styles, all linked together…

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    Sixx AM: Prayer For The Damned

    We were never fans of Motley Cru and glam/sleaze rock bands of their ilk, finding them clichéd and formulaic but this new album from Sixx Am — bassist Nikki Sixx, guitarist DJ Ashba and singer James Michael — is pretty good. It’s their fourth album (the first two were soundtracks for Sixx’s books) and as…

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    The VirginMarys: Divides

    It’s a shame VirginMarys were formed 10 miles down the road: Macclesfield has a bona fide successful modern rock band to boast about and we can’t wangle a local connection (other than drummer Danny Dolan has mates in Congleton). This is their second album and it’s a bit of a monster. It’s a sign of…

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    The Heavy: Hurt and The Merciless

    We’ve heard people raving about The Heavy and can see why: they’re basically the best wedding band you’ve ever heard, and they’ll keep you awake and happy on the drive to work. If “the best wedding band you’ve ever heard” seems harsh, it’s not meant to: fans of the Blues Brothers, particularly the live touring…

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    Elevant: There Is A Tide

    This is the third album we’ve had from Elevant, a Liverpool band treading their own furrow. Their ambition to get their music out there has always been a few steps ahead of their actual level of accomplishment: the music has always been impressive but (we felt) lacked that spark that would encourage anyone but friends…

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    Chris Isaak: First Comes The Night

    We’ve had a couple of Chris Isaak albums in the last few years, but we struggled to find much to say about them. Well composed and sung tunes, often with intelligent lyrics, but all a bit, well, worthy. Often a euphemism for dull. Still best known for Wicked Game, a career-defining tune. He’s popular in…