ALBUM REVIEWS
Ed Sheeran – Subtract
Subtract is billed as the most personal album Ed Sheeran has ever released. The singer may be best known for his ability to crank out chart-dominating love songs that feel universal. But this, the final part of his album series inspired by the mathematical symbols, is deeply personal. It was written against a backdrop of perhaps the most difficult year of his life, in which his pregnant wife was diagnosed with a tumour and his close friend, Jamal Edwards, died. This is by no means a perfect album but Sheeran, assisted by Aaron Dessner of The National, manages to tap into something truly novel. His skill as a commercial songwriter tends to smooth out the sharper edges of some tracks, which is a shame – but Subtract remains by far Sheeran’s best album.
The Smashing Pumpkins – Atum Review by Alex Green
The latest album from Billy Corgan’s veteran rock outfit is a beast: a science-fiction rock opera featuring 33 tracks across three acts – two of which were previously made available on streaming services. Billed as a sequel to their 1995 fan favourite album Mellon Collie And
The Infinite Sadness and 2000’s Machina/The Machines Of God, this is certainly one for the hardcore fans. To make things even more esoteric, Corgan initially released the tracks via a podcast on an episode by episode basis. But the most surprising thing about
Atum is how listenable and engaging it is. Corgan returns to the guitar after their 2020 album Cyr, which prioritised synth-pop soundscapes over big hooks. Despite its unwieldy length, this is a rewarding and thrilling listen.
Bibi Club – Le Soleil et la Mer Review by Rachel Howdle
Formed in 2016 after spending time in other bands, Adele Trottier-Rivard and Nicolas Basque are now duo Bibi Club. Leaning heavily on post-punk bands from the 70s such as Talking Heads and Suicide, a Cafe del Mar vibe wafts across in dreamy electro pop waves. As its title suggests, Le Soleil et la Mer (The Sun and the Sea) is an album that is calling for summertime, sunny skies and cold cocktails. Femme is beautiful and sparkles like a TikTok filter, Bellini is suspenseful and Parasite would be perfect for a car ride with the roof down under blazing skies. If you are a fan of the dreamy offerings of internet favourites Pomplamoose, you need to check out this new wave of soft electro pop.
BC Camplight – The Last Rotation of Earth Review by Matthew George
Brian Christinzio is back with an ambitious, sophisticated album as BC Camplight that uses humour to mask his heartbreak over his fiancée leaving him after nine years. His last album came out in April 2020 as Covid hit, continuing a run of bad luck around releases for the singer-songwriter who moved from Philadelphia to Manchester, including being deported, and the death of his father. The Last Rotation of Earth is full of quirky references, from Dickinson’s Real Deal and Homes Under the Hammer to an argument about how to spell Louis Theroux’s surname. But the humour only underlines the shattering break-up, with song titles telling their own story – She’s Gone Cold, Going Out on a Low, I’m Ugly, and The Mourning.