Sound judgement
THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED REVIEWED
WHEN YOU SEEAND YOURSELF
KINGS OF LEON
HHHHH
THE seasoned rockers from Nashville, Tennessee, return with their eighth studio album and their first since 2016’s Walls – their fifth in a row to top the UK chart. So after five years, can they do it again? We do hope so.
After a year without the heavy air and beer-stained floors of a gig to enjoy, this is exactly the right way to scratch that itch.
This record is a triumph. The Bandit, already pre-released, will have you yearning for live, deafening sound, while the triumphant guitar licks of Stormy Weather and marching drums of Echoing offer an uplifting purpose.
But the slow-building of A Wave, and indeed the album’s title track, also encapsulate its thoughtful nature.
If you need a lift or a moment to reflect, this album is for you.
DO IT AGAIN GABRIELLE HHHHH
GABRIELLE’S voice is unique. It is instantly identifiable, which makes it so surprising that Rita Ora, Jonathan Ross and co took so long to reveal her identity on ITV’s The Masked Singer.
Hackney-born Louise Gabrielle Bobb performed a fair number of these tracks on that show, including Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car and Falling by Harry Styles.
But this is more than just a crass attempt at cashing in on TV glory.
From the moment she hits the first, tremulous note of Killing Me Softly With His Song, Gabrielle is in her element. Two new tracks are perfectly pleasant and show off her revered vocal chops.
Don’t think too deeply about Do It Again. Just sit back and listen to a British icon finesse her way through some modern classics.
ENDLESS ARCADE TEENAGE FANCLUB HHHHH
IN THESE difficult times, Teenage Fanclub return with their shimmering melodies and chiming guitars to bring us hope.
They are no longer the guitarheavy outfit that emerged three decades ago at the height of grunge.
On much of their 10th studio album, the trademark power pop has slowed, and 1960s influences are to the fore.
Endless Arcade is infused by loss and melancholy, the latter more philosophical.
In 2021, Teenage Fanclub are not reliving their youth, and despite the nods to the past, they are not stuck there but still powering forward into the uncertain future.