2018 albums

It's getting better and better with every listen for me.

Enjoying this quite a bit today:



Granted, it's a fucking terrible album cover but the album itself is a little cracker.  They're a soul/blues band from Essex who have a real retro and authentic sound.  The singers vocals are ever so slightly rough around the edges but also really smooth at the same time.  Honestly, if someone had of played me this without knowing a thing about them (or seeing the album cover) I'd have bet a months wages on it that they were from the 50's or 60's.

I think it's kind of flawless.

yep. we saw her a couple of years ago at a pub in Dalston and she was very good but i remember leaving thinking that she would struggle to find an identity or what she was gonna do with her persona. Turns out i'm a fucking idiot, because she's just effortlessly smashing it. we saw her again a few weeks ago in Brixton at a bigger venue and she'd made the step up without any fuss. Love her too x

WRONG THREAD FFS

The new Wiley album has dropped 😎

Kero Kero Bonito - TOTEP is fantastic

Janelle Monae's made another belter. Poppier than previous but with just as much to say. And the combo of pop hooks aplenty and strong subject matter is a pretty potent thing.

I'm enjoying it & as you said, poppier than her previous work. However I think she's lost a little something along the way. It just feels a little too safe. All the interviews leading up to it would have you believe that this was going to be a huge statement, and though lyrically she's making them, musically it feels slightly too obvious.

I'm sure it'll be a huge success for her & I'm all for her becoming an absolute superstar, but I miss the ambition of her earlier work.

Couldn't agree more Karl.

it's like that 48 min film of hers, the Dirty Computer Emotion Picture. Pre-Beyonce in Lemonade days, it would be super impressive. Now it feels oddly kind of basic.

Don't get me wrong, I love her, and believe she is a force for good.

Oh yeah I read somewhere there was a mini film, will give that a watch.

Fuck, the new Gaz Coombes record is great, wasn't expecting this at all before hearing the singles. Wasn't arsed with his first two solo records, but the singles leading up to this were great. Was a little concerned they would be the only decent things on the album, but i'm loving the whole thing. Really impressed.

Fuck like Kevin says, this gaz record is really damn good. Some of the best production I’ve heard in a very long time. His first 2 records I kinda liked , but they were mostly forgettable and I had no expectations for this. Probably one of the best things I’ve hard so far this year.

I feel a bit dirty with enjoying it because I never really got into his debut and the same happened with the little bit I've heard from his old band. But halfway through it it's a fun careless record, looking forward to the track "The Dire Straits of Love". I don't know him that much but this doesn't look like a collection of songs he or another Josh T. I know would be proud of doing

Great song, they sound dangerous.

Had my first listen today and it sounds wonderful.  Beautifully produced.

After all my bitching I really love the new record

His debut for me is pretty much a masterpiece. The subject matter of the songs was too personal for him to ever be able to follow it up. Then 3 years ago I saw him play in a Church & he performed these new songs he'd been writing & they sounded fucking incredible, a continuation of the material from the debut. He talked in detail during the gig how he had slaved over the lyrics, sometimes changing a word here & there a 100 times before changing his mind again. I was then convinced he'd be able to follow it up and couldn't wait to hear these songs.

Then after years he comes back with two throwaway sounding rock songs, completely threw me off & I even slagged him off on facebook when he posted the songs up But I've had a long time to digest the record now & I enjoy the throwaway material plus then there's some deeper material mixed in, it really works as an album. Plus A Love Song (Set Me Straight) is just incredible, one of the best songs I've heard in years tbh.

God knows what happened to the songs he performed that night I saw him, I remember some of the lyrical themes & they've definitely not made it onto this record.