Reverend And The Makers
Mirrors
GLOWING endorsements from Noel Gallagher, Carl Barat and Zane Lowe severely dented expectations for Mirrors, the fifth album from Reverend And The Makers, but once the Sheffield five-piece got going, that was soon forgotten – because this is their best yet.
Despite drifting into Kasabian-style over-production from time to time, it's a stunning, breathless album. Jon McClure and co pull out all the stops with quality songwriting, and rarely more than the magic three minutes per track.
For me, Stuck On You, the acoustic guitar-driven The Beach And The Sea, the fairground ride of The Gun and the riffy The Trip stand out among these 14 excellent tracks. But Mr Glassalfempty just about takes the honours, with its Roxy Music feel (Love Is The Drug to be exact) and at two and a half minutes, leaves you wanting more.
FOUR STARS
Steve Crancher
The Hoosiers
The Secret Service
WHEN The Hoosiers burst on to the music scene in 2007, the Berkshire trio's brand of upbeat poppy rock was in its heyday, scoring them two top 10 hits for Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr A.
They've never quite achieved the same success, though they have persevered, churning out three studio albums with intermittently successful singles. The best tracks on this album are those in which they stick to what they know: upbeat alternative rock. Wearing Down The Carpet, Pristine and lead single, The Wheels Fell Off, capture the same lively feel of the first two albums.
This time The Hoosiers also try their hand at love songs, in the form of acoustic ballad (Don't Make) Eye Contact and melancholy break-up melody, Dancers In The Dark. However, The Most Peculiar Day Of Your Life leaves a lot to be lyrically desired, while much of the rest can only be described as fillers.
THREE STARS
Claire Hubble
Squeeze
Cradle To The Grave
SQUEEZE'S first album of new material since 1998 emerges as a tie-in with BBC sitcom Cradle To Grave, an adaptation of broadcaster Danny Baker's autobiography, Going To Sea In A Sieve starring funnyman Peter Kay as Baker.
Baker is close friends with Squeeze mainmen Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, the latter of whom initially approached him about turning the book into a musical before settling on this compromise.
The hallmark wry Squeeze lyrics and jaunty tunes are there as always though, tellingly, perhaps their best contribution is Sunny – a reworking of their existing song, Tommy. They have given the show the soundtrack it deserves – it's light-hearted, unobjectionable and good for a nostalgic smile, but it's nobody involved's best work.
THREE STARS
Tom White
Metric
Pagans In Vegas
YOU wait three years for a new Metric album and then two come along in quick succession. The Canadian alt-rockers have confirmed that Pagans In Vegas will be the first of two releases, with a second pencilled in for 2016.
This album is synth heavy while the band has a follow-up recorded entirely with analog instruments to showcase next year.
Fans who downloaded Metric's Pagan Portal app will be familiar with third single Too Bad, So Sad which evokes Depeche Mode, while there are also hints of New Order and The Cure. Pagans in Vegas may not meet the expectations of Metric's biggest fans but it is still worth a listen.
THREE STARS
Andrew Carless
