HONNE, OUCH

Over the past 10 years the UK art-pop duo Honne have reached impressive heights notching up more than three billion streams and selling more than 200,000 tickets for headline shows around the world.  On their new, fifth, studio album, OUCH, James Hatcher and Andy Clutterbuck have written, recorded, and produced an album informed by shifts in their own lives. 

"When I was younger, I joined my school orchestra cause a girl I liked played the flute. I didn’t even read music at the time so was quite out of my depth." Andy Clutterbuck

Following a narrative that begins with a teenage crush and closes with the responsibilities of family life, OUCH is an album full of image-rich and charming songs that will put a smile on your face and a hop in your step.

ANDREW COMBS, DREAM PICTURES

Andrew Combes opens his new album, Dream Pictures, singing ”Eventide, the time of plenty. No crushing blows, no bended knees. We froze our tongues with our emotions. Woke up when world falls asleep.” Of the passage and song, Eventide, Combes said he likes to think of it as a sort of the thesis statement of the record. 

“It's an ode to my wife and our life that we've created. And I wrote most of these songs in the evening after the kids had gone to bed. And it's the time of day where my wife and I can each be ourselves, not just parents, you know? And we get to connect with each other and then do our own thing. I tend to go to our garage and paint or write. It's an ode to that sort of golden hour of the day.” 

It’s a beautiful passage sung with a lightly place piano, base, and drums all which seem to float on Combes words. It sets the stage and tone for the forty majestic minutes of Dream Pictures that follows. This sixth album of Combes is my favorite to date.

LAUREL LEWIS, LAUREL LEWIS

Laurel Lewis sounds well beyond her years on her self-titled album. Growing up in Appalachia, Lewis saw the struggle of those around her. She also experienced her own growing up in an unstable household. Her parents loved her, but not always well and not always how she needed them to. It forced Lewis to grow up fast, and often left her feeling painful and with overwhelming emotions without the tools she needed to address them. So she wrote them down.

For so long, Lewis has said that she didn't enjoy her life. She felt miserable and anxious and questioned the reason to keep going. But she says that "everything gets better in the morning. Everything always gets better when the sun comes out. Equipped with her words and music, Lewis looks to shine a light on the things that try to hide in the darkness. It's a warm and healing light and it's a beautiful thing to experience.

 

KID KAPICHI, THERE GOES THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Hastings, UK band, Kid Kapichi, has been on quite a ride over the past five years. With their social commentary on daily life in Britain, these self-proclaimed "beat punks," have grown in popularity and stature. On their third album, There goes The Neighbourhood, the band leans further into spotlighting the political landscape that has impacted that daily life. 

“Three terms and a potential fourth of Tory rule is enough to ‘inspire’ any band. Brexit has been the icing on the cake, and touring through it has been an experience. Seeing how our police and others around the world have protected those in power and behaved with impunity, as the right-wing legislations of our governments have become more and more radical and common, has been pretty shocking. To see how we’ve let this happen and given up our civil liberties, it is honestly scary. A lot of these thoughts have inspired the album.” Jack Wilson, lead singer.

Kid Kapichi's rough, punk sound and catchy songs are the perfect package to deliver their acid-tongued lyrics and biting commentary. The album pulses with energy, blending gritty guitars and relentless drums with anthemic hooks that make their messages impossible to ignore. Tracks like Party at No. 10 and Rob the Supermarket channel raw frustration, but beneath the anger lies a defiant call for unity and resistance. The neighbourhood may be going down, but this band is clearly on their way up.

COLOR GREEN, FOOLS PARADE

"All of us are fans of all types of music. We like to wear our influences on our sleeves, but we try to keep our eye on timelessness and originality within the process. We try not to be too obvious about where we’re pulling from, but rather aim to pay respect to the legends that have shaped our musical taste." Corey Maden, Guitarist

On their sophomore album, Fools Parade, California-based quartet Color Green straddle '70's psychedelic and classic rock as well as '60's SoCal folk-rock and '80's underground rock to great success. As soon as I started listening to it, I felt like I was revisiting a great old album that I had forgotten about. 

But the real magic of Fools Parade lies in its ability to feel familiar without falling into nostalgia's trap. There’s a subtle edge throughout, as Color Green balances homage with some raw, contemporary energy. Sun-drenched harmonies with jangly guitars, evoking both the breezy charm of Laurel Canyon and the gritty allure of CBGB’s. It’s a love letter to rock’s golden eras for sure, but one written with fresh ink and a knowing wink, making it feel timeless yet undeniably of the moment. Perhaps someday I will forget about this album, but not anytime soon. 

GREENLEAF, THE HEAD & THE HABIT

Greenleaf, the heavy rockers from Sweden, return with a fantastic ninth album, The Head & The Habit. For almost a quarter century, the band has been offering up their '70 hard rock influenced music. And The Head & The Habit is no exception. Showcasing their confidence in how to rock stronger, harder, and with more cohesion than ever before, the Swedes melt thunderous riff-magic, enrapturing and soul-heavy vocals, frenetic rhythms and driving attacks into an ear-catching, sparkling alloy of hard rocking anthems. It's the kind of album that gets the blood pumping and is just a great ride.