Interpol
Our Love To Admire – 10th Anniversary Edition
THE rule of thumb with most bands is that their first album captures their 'sound' and then they struggle to evolve and fall away over time. Great bands, like Interpol, negate this rule. They refine and redefine their sound all the time. 2007's Our Love To Admire was perhaps a crowning achievement. Their sound is layered and busy, with driving bass, subtle synths, and a cacophony of guitars, but it always has direction, purpose, poise. It reflects the nature of their home city, New York, and this is the appeal of Interpol. Their suited look goes hand in hand with their alternating malaise and verve; both as an artistic statement about disguising deeper emotions behind a well presented front, but also because it looks super cool to rock out on stage suited and booted.
Standout track: Pace is the Trick.
8/10
Liam Sheasby
Steven Wilson
To The Bone
THE doyen of contemporary progressive rock has released his fifth solo album. Although a genre not generally thought "cool'', Wilson's output, whether in solo or Porcupine Tree form, has a wide appeal. His remixes of classic rock albums also attract a significant audience. This album takes in all the regular prog elements but also, in Wilson's eclectic style, includes heavy rock and, in the case of the single Permanating, straight chart pop. As could be expected by one of the most respected in the business, the production is diamond sharp. There are no regular love songs here – the subject matter covers the state of the modern world, organised religion and the like, but leavened here and there with more positive themes. This is an album to be sat and listened to in order to fully appreciate its qualities, not just consumed.
9/10
Steve Grantham
Chase And Status
Tribe
IT'S a wonder Tribe, Chase and Status's fourth studio album, wasn't released before festival season. The production duo have long been making festival and mainstream-friendly hits, and Tribe contains the type of energy that would have gone down well on stage. But it also features more than a few tracks that somehow feel a little more authentic, a little less tailored for the charts. Kano provides a stand-out verse on Dubplate Original, on an album that pairs legends in their respective scenes with relative newcomers. Tribe's variation sees it mesh dub and drum and bass on the album's opening track, while combining the historically divorced sounds of garage and grime on the Craig David featuring Reload. At 17 tracks long, the album as a whole might not make it into regular rotation – but there are definitely a few you'll be playlisting.
7/10
Kameron Virk
The Sherlocks
Live For The Moment
COMPRISED of two sets of brothers Kiaran and Brandon Crook and Andy and Josh Davidson, Sheffield indie band The Sherlocks have some serious backing from the likes of DJs Steve Lamacq and Annie Mac, and with good reason. There's something exceptional here in their debut effort, from the melodic reverb of their gutsy guitars with the surprising but always welcome orchestral additions, blended with Kiaran's uncomplicated vocals. The album starts off safely, the heavier, crowd-pleasing tracks coming in thick and fast. The really good stuff starts a few songs in – dense, anthem-like tracks rich with exhilarating guitar riffs and those aforementioned orchestral twangs. One of the record's highlights is the powerful Nobody Knows, fading deftly into Was It Really Worth It? It's not a ground-breaking album but there are nuances that will have The Sherlocks standing out from the indie crowd before long.
8/10
Lucy Mapstone
Wildwood Kin
Turning Tides
THEIR debut album is called Turning Tides, a perfect name because indie alt-folk trio Wildwood Kin are doing just that with the genre. The Exeter family trio - made up of guitarist Emillie Key, her sister Beth (who plays the keyboard) and their cousin Meghann Loney (drummer) – are a breath of fresh air. Multiple instrument playing aside, they all sing and take turns doing lead vocals on the album. From tracks like Dove and Steady My Heart, which are slower, to the more upbeat, folky sound of Warrior Daughter, the album is an easy listen. The title single, Turning Tides, shifts into a higher gear quickly and is definitely one that gets you moving in your seat. Talking about the album, Emillie said: "We went in to the studio not knowing where the boundaries were and discovered that, of course, there aren't any.'' And it certainly shows in the final product. Earlier this year they performed on the BBC Music Introducing Stage at Glastonbury, but don't be surprised if in a few years' time they're commanding bigger main stages everywhere.
7/10
Kerri-Ann Roper
