ALBUM REVIEWS
Def Leppard – Drastic Symphonies
For people of a certain age, Def Leppard were a large part of the musical identity of the late 80s and early 90s. The Sheffield natives took the world by storm. Now it’s 2023 and they don’t look like they’re going to be slowing down any time soon. Just when many would be reshaping their extensive back catalogue into another greatest hits affair, Def Leppard have rewritten their most popular tracks and made Drastic Symphonies with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I never thought I would use the word mellow when it comes to Def Leppard but Animal is so round and rich it just feels right layered with soaring strings. Hysteria has kept its famous drum line throughout this new version and evokes so many 80s feels, and Pour Some Sugar on Me is now a beautiful ballad featuring Emm Gryner.
Lewis Capaldi – Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent Review by Ellie Iorizzo
Lewis Capaldi’s much-anticipated second album is a powerful and vocally beautiful return to the music scene after four long years. It features a mix of earnest ballads showcasing the sheer power of his voice with thoughtfully penned lyrics, particularly in The Pretender and Love The Hell Out of You. The album continues in Capaldi’s trademark emotional style, particularly with Haven’t You Ever Been in Love Before? and How I’m Feeling Now. A number of songs share the signature sentimental ballad at its core but with a more upbeat pop feel bringing a vibrancy to the album, including on number one single Forget Me. Capaldi’s powerhouse voice and songwriting evoke his natural charm even on the album’s most emotional ballads.
A Man Called Adam – The Girl With A Hole In Her Heart Review by Andrew Steel
Burbling back on to the scene over four years since their last album, electronica duo A Man Called Adam have gone back to their roots for their latest effort. Inspired heavily by the industrial Teesside landscapes of co-founder Sally Rodgers’ childhood, it is a different kind of clubland record, tweaked with a curious anti-nostalgia, laced with affection and alienation. It’s in the slippery, long-form bass-beats of the title track, or the rainswept ambiance of In Favour of Storms, and threaded in-between through the Eighties-era dancefloor detonation delivered by Ammonite. Balearic respite comes, as it should – witness the fat funk of standout Frankie’s Theme for a very good time – but for the most part, theirs is a different sound to Northern Soul.
Soft Cell – Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret… And Other Stories: Live Review by Duncan Seaman
Three years after Marc Almond declared Soft Cell were bowing out as a live act, the singer reunited with keyboard whizz Dave Ball for a tour marking the 40th anniversary of Soft Cell’s debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, that included a memorable night in Leeds where the pair formed their synth-pop duo. This double album and accompanying film recorded at the Hammersmith Apollo documents their two-hour set in all its glory, with Act I largely dedicated to their then-yet-to-be-released album *Happiness Not Included interspersed with hits such as Torch and Where The Heart Is, while Act II focuses on Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, with fan favourites such as Frustration, Sex Dwarf and Chips on My Shoulder performed with particular relish. It’s good to have them back.