Picks Of The Week

The Brummies, Automatic World

Suzzy Roche, Lucy Wainwright Roche, I Can Still Hear You

I Don't Know How But They Found Me, Razzmatazz

In a year that has weighted us all down, I have been thankful for the a the number of fun, upbeat, pop and rock albums that have been released to lift us up. We can all use some shimmer, shine, and dance beats! And for me, aging myself just a bit, dance beats with a 1980's aesthetic. And just when I thought that I heard the last of them, along comes Razzmatazz. 

On their debut album, I Don't Know How But They Found Me, iDKHOW for short, Dallon Weekes and Ryan Seaman provided the perfect counter balance to the world outside my window. These two are musicians 'who see the world of rock as a playground of joy and endless creative colour, determined to mould fresh sonic shapes out of the tried and tested raw materials of drums, guitars, and synthesisers.' (Kerrang). On Razzmatazz, they do so with a confidence and freedom that elevates their craft to a very special place. 

Lime Cordiale, 14 Steps To A Better

What a FUN album! Australian brothers, Oliver and Louis Leimbach, along with their bandmates are back with another gem of an album. With their sound that blends 'summery vibes and harmonies and bouncing melodies' (Billboard), Lime Cordiale's catchy sing-along-songs are second to none. Listening to this album will put a smile on your face and bounce in all 14 of your steps...to a better you. This is one of those albums that we all could use a bit more of this year. 

The Haar, The Haar: Irish Traditional Songs

The story goes that Irish folk and traditional percussionist Cormac Byrne and fiddler Adam Summerhayes were on holiday in Inis Oírr when they walked into a pub and were silenced along with everyone else as Molly Donnery began to sing unaccompanied. Fast forward some time and the three meet up in a studio along with accordionist Murray Grainer to record some Irish traditional songs. The four made no plans in advance of entering the studio. As they explained, they just let the music create itself. 

What resulted was the creation of a truly stunning collection of songs captured on their first and only takes. As Folk Radio wrote about The Haar, it's 'a very evocative record, bringing senses of the pain and futility of war and the salt of the ocean, as well as the beauty of the land and the strength of human relationships through its works and music. We need more music like this; spontaneous, alive and affecting, The Haar will take you on a journey and have you appreciating the purest of life's pleasures. Wonderful stuff.' Wonderful indeed!

DEFTONES, OHMS

As Sputnik Music Wrote about Ohms, it's a wrecking ball from the moment it arrives. It's 'abrasive, destructive, and alluringly beautify - but most of all, there's a profound purpose and longing behind every punch thrown.'  Frankly, I cannot think of another album that not only throws a punch as well as Ohms, but lands it so perfectly placed.  With its 'snarled atmospheric layers and soaring choruses', the Deftones have deliver one of their best albums in nearly twenty years. It is astonishingly good and one of the strongest contenders for album of the year. 

Picks Of The Week

The Flaming Lips, American Head

The Doves, The Universal Want