SOUND NT JUDGEMENT

THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED

BRIGHT GREEN FIELD SQUID

★★★★★

H SQUID are on a mission to bring ambition back to music, and this debut is discordant and exciting, taking inspiration from the post-punk era, as well as free jazz, funk, post rock, dub and other genres.

They are all scratchy guitars, dub bass, wonky time signatures, vocals that range from a whisper to a scream, as well as field recordings of ringing church bells, microphones swinging from the ceiling and a distorted choir of 30 voices.

The cover photo may suggest the pastoral but the music is entirely urban. Narrator, an unlikely single, sprawls over eight-and-a-half minutes, while Boy Racers is almost as long, starting with the closest they come to a catchy tune, before slowing right down into a cacophony of brutalised synths.

Squid are far from easy listening but if you want something visceral and uncompromising, strap in and enjoy the ride.

LIFE BY MISADVENTURE RAG’N’BONE MAN

★★★★★

HHH RAG’N’BONE Man’s new album showcases his baritone voice in a collection of reflective songs.

The album was written and recorded in Nashville, and the city’s influences can be heard, but the album lacks some of the punch of his more upbeat 2017 debut Human.

All You Ever Wanted, one of the standout tracks, is a bright spot and sees him combine his powerful vocals with catchy instrumentals.

But other tracks feel slightly unimaginative compared to the singer’s previous work. Nevertheless, Rag’n’Bone Man, real name Rory Graham, is sure to delight his fans later in the year when he heads out on tour, thanks to his phenomenal voice and larger than life stage presence.

LIVE AT KNEBWORTH 1990 PINK FLOYD

★★★★★

H IN summer 1990, a who’s who of rock legends assembled at Knebworth for a concert organised by the Silver Clef Awards, and Pink Floyd topped the bill.

Avid fans will likely have already heard this album, but now it arrives on CD, double vinyl and digital platforms, remixed by David Gilmour for better public consumption.

The band deliver polished versions of evergreen hits – The Great Gig In The Sky and Comfortably Numb among them, and still have time for a 10-minute plus version of Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts 1-5.

This is the Floyd at their glossiest and best-rehearsed, a snapshot of a band leaning into their later years with gusto.