Undertone. A blog about music.
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Sam Fender: People Watching review – the Geordie Springsteen delivers a classic
Valorised Geordie hero Sam Fender paints a vivid picture of ordinary working-class life in this extraordinary third record. Never has Fender’s trademark brand of melancholic beauty sounded so potent.
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RNS/Ólafsson live at the Glasshouse review – quite possibly the best pianist in the world right now
Beethoven’s flamboyant Emperor concerto was an odd choice for this master of pianistic introspection, but Ólafsson nonetheless proved his world class status following a typically daring and dynamic first half from Sousa’s Royal Northern Sinfonia.
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Undertone’s best songs of 2024
From era-defining pop hits to indie rock gems, vocal jazz to death metal, it’s time to look back on the very best songs that came out in 2024.
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The wonderful adventure: why Slipping Through My Fingers is ABBA’s tragic masterpiece
A devastating account of a mother’s loss doubles as a universal meditation on the human compulsion to cling on to the past in a pop single that mixes ecstasy and agony in a way no other song has before or since.
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Katy J Pearson live at Leeds Irish Centre review – illness-battling songstress lifts the spirits
Battling on despite illness, the singer-songwriter’s voice still had enough oomph to do her finest soft rock numbers justice, and her effortless stage presence brought joy to this rainy Wednesday night in Leeds.
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Confidence Man live at NX review – ludicrous dance-pop tears the roof off
Fresh from releasing their third – and finest – album, there’s simply no room left for duds in Confidence Man’s supremely silly live show. Even by Newcastle’s high standards, Saturday nights out don’t get much more ecstatic than this.
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Maruja live at the Cluny review – an extraordinary plunge into hell
The Manchester noise merchants provided all the expected thrills – tempestuous drumming, atmospheric saxophone, sharp-tongued poetry – and added sweeping improvisations and stupendous operatic climaxes. This tepid Newcastle crowd was spoiled rotten.
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Fat Dog live at Project House review – barking mad dance-rock is a treat
The much-hyped band crowned a breakout year with a bangers-only 45 minute blitz in Leeds, packed with mammoth riffs and thunderous bass lines. Even the band’s photographer couldn’t resist the pull of a vintage mosh pit.
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Soft Play live at NX review – shirtless punks ignite a brutal mosh pit
The hardcore Kent punks are noted for their unusual lyrical vulnerability, but in truth this gig was all about deafening, apoplectic rock bangers. The resulting mosh pit chaos left this reviewer floored – literally.
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Becky Hill live at Utilita Arena review – dance music star goes through the motions
Becky Hill may have plenty of hit singles under her belt, but her live act proved to be a work in progress on a shaky night in Newcastle.
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Ezra Collective: Dance, No One’s Watching review – jazz champions play to their strengths
The jazz group that set the Mercury Prize alight last year return with an album that goes all in on infectious dance grooves. Their knack for melody seems to have been forgotten in the party, but this bloated record does conclude with the most moving track of this band’s career.
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The Last Dinner Party live at O2 City Hall review – red hot girl group come off the boil
Five piece indie rockers The Last Dinner Party were Britain’s most talked-about band during their meteoric rise last winter. The strength of the songwriting remains undeniable, but frontwoman Abigail Morris gave a noncommittal performance on a faintly disappointing Monday night in Newcastle.
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