Boston trio formed from one man’s bedroom work joins the by-no-means-undersubscribed genre of stadium-ready synthpop, but with subtler touches.
Author Simon Tyers
R.E.M. – Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011
The first all-encompassing Best Of, from being unable to hear the words to being unable to see at the back, by the little Georgian band that could, and did.
Elephant – Assembly EP
Third release from the London duo sees them expand their shadowy synth-led side, evoking some multi-gender duo contemporaries along the way.
Darren Hayman – The Ship’s Piano
Unable to bear loud guitars after suffering a head injury, the English suburban chronicler took to the piano and produced a set of songs about love and loss. Simon Tyers reviews.
Widowspeak – Widowspeak
The debut album from the Brooklyn-via-Washington trio takes subtle leads from early rock’n'roll and the hazily languor of early 90s female fronted dreampop.
The Voluntary Butler Scheme – The Grandad Galaxy
Bedroom mad sonic scientist Rob Jones mashes up 50s doo-wop, 70s pop melody, 80s ambient and 90s hip-hop sampling. It’s somehow not a complete mess, writes Simon Tyers.
Sons And Daughters – Mirror Mirror
The Glaswegians return to the dark side for their third album proper, Grimm fairytales and songs about dead models laced with electronics and covert threat.
Dananananaykroyd – There Is A Way
Produced by Ross Robinson, the ‘fight-pop’ positive hardcore screwballs rein in some of their jagged edge excesses and, up to a point, become more approachable.
Various Artists – Kitsuné Maison 11: The Indie-Dance Issue
Eighties synths and second hand disco guitars ahoy for the sometime fashion label’s latest compilation, starring Icona Pop, Gallops, Is Tropical and Fiction.
Help Stamp Out Loneliness – Help Stamp Out Loneliness
Debut album from indiepop’s latest great white hopes, a Mancunian sextet who sound roughly like Nico fronting Camera Obscura with Stereolab’s keyboards.
The Leisure Society – Into The Murky Water
How to follow an album that received Ivor Novello Best Song nominations for two different tracks? With a record that expands the palette without overcrowding it writes Simon Tyers of the new Leisure Society long-player.
We’re all about responding to things in a positive way: TLOBF meet Maybeshewill
Ahead of Maybeshewill’s third album, John Helps of the intricately coruscating instrumentalists talks to Simon Tyers about their working methods, the DIY aesthetic and their local scene.
Colourmusic – My _____ Is Pink
Oklahoma-based psychedelic pop band, heavy on distortion and rhythmic space rock freakouts. No, not *that* one, another one.
Young Knives – Ornaments From The Silver Arcade
The difficult third album from Ashby-de-la-Zouch’s contribution to the post-punk revival was recorded in LA, leaving much of their feted Britishness behind.
The Rock Of Travolta – Fine Lines
Eight years after their last album, Oxford’s tremendously named titans of neo-classical post-rock return with an album as elegant as it is hard-hitting.
Gang Of Four – Content
With ‘Content’ it feels like Gang Of Four are missing a couple of cylinders. Not wanting for effort but cagey and sapped of some vitality where they should be setting down a full throttle marker for those that followed in their footsteps.
