Review: Lip Critic – Hex Dealer
I’ve longingly read about (but sadly not yet experienced) Lip Critic and their wildly frenetic live shows. The two, yes, count them…two drummers – Danny Eberle and Ilan Natter – play facing each other with vocalist Bret Kaser and Connor Kleitz on samplers in the middle. Their intense electro-punk/metal sound with a bit of dance thrown in has deservedly got them a fast army of fans and they are already the band to see before the venues get any bigger.
Review: Pillow Queens – Name Your Sorrow
Pillow Queens, the Dublin based four piece, haven’t been short of accolades since forming in 2016 and certainly since their 2020 debut ‘In Waiting’. Their previous two albums have seen this indie rock, all-female quartet nominated twice for Irish album of the year and they’ve performed twice on The Late Late Show with James Corden. No pressure then for the release of their third, ‘Name Your Sorrow’, especially when they’ve decided to massively change their sound from something quieter and introspective to one that growls and bares its teeth.
Review: The Libertines – All Quiet On the Eastern Esplanade
When the release of a new album by The Libertines was announced back in October it felt like receiving an unexpected call from an old friend that you haven’t seen for years (well, nine years to be exact since the release of ‘Anthems for a Doomed Youth’). Like anyone in those moments, it’s just nice to hear that your mate is doing alright and anything else seems like a bonus.
Review: Idles – Tangk
For me, being asked if I want to listen to Tangk, the new Idles record, is like being asked in a pub if I want a Yorkshire pudding with my roast dinner. It’s an instant yes, no hesitation. A yes which brings with it a heightened sense of anticipation for the meal to come and a knowledge that the world has just got slightly better. But, what if that Yorkshire pudding comes and it’s just a bit rubbish? One of those slightly burnt, dried up like a husk, end of the day ones? Could Tangk, Idles fifth album, be one of those? Excitement can bring its own, looming sense of concern…