Tag: indie
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Los Bitchos live at Star and Shadow review – scintillating cumbia finds a new home on the Tyne
Sturdy trainers were indispensable for a night of moving and shaking in one of the trendiest little venues in Newcastle. Armed with an arsenal of percussion, it was Los Bitchos’s touching onstage chemistry that turned a good show into a fabulous one.
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Jeff Rosenstock live at Belgrave Music Hall review – songs to tear the roof off
Critically acclaimed punk rocker Jeff Rosenstock marked his return to the UK with an explosive, sweat-drenched performance in Leeds, packed with clever changes of pace, raucous singalongs and underlying anti-capitalist rage.
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The Beths live at Brudenell Social Club review – bubbly, light and a little safe
10,000 miles away from home, the fact that New Zealand indie rock outfit The Beths sold out Leeds’ Brudenell Social Club is remarkable in itself. What’s more, Elizabeth Stokes’ confessional yet light-hearted compositions were warmly received, even if her set lacked ambition.
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Lizzy McAlpine: five seconds flat review – indie-folk star raises the stakes
She may be yet to firmly establish her own distinctive sound, but Lizzy McAlpine strikes gold on several occasions on this sophomore LP destined to be one of the more compelling and consistent breakup albums of the year.
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cleopatrick live at The Wardrobe review – a powerful return to the pit
A muddled set list failed to make the most of the band’s hardest-hitting tracks, but cleopatrick still summoned plenty of pandemonium for a Leeds crowd quite happy to render social distancing well and truly a thing of the past.
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Black Country, New Road: Ants From Up There Review – breathtaking
After their debut album catapulted the London septet to fame in 2021, Black Country, New Road return with a masterpiece that is somehow both sure-footed and wildly experimental. Released just after the sudden departure of the band’s frontman, Ants From Up There serves as a tragic, compelling self-portrait of a man on the brink.
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Parcels: Day/Night review – a risky, rewarding retro pop quest
Parcels’ unfailingly ambitious and original double album may often be just as irresistibly funky as their debut, but it’s also a huge step forward for the band with its daring genre experimentation and philosophical lyricism. It’s a shame that with such grand aims, there were bound to be a few misfires amongst the extensive tracklist.
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PinkPantheress: to hell with it review – a strong start and a promising future
20-year-old student PinkPantheress shot to instant stardom into 2021 after her short and sweet garage tracks found a keen audience on social media. But does her debut mixtape live up to the hype? Alex Walden seems to think so.
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Orla Gartland live at Leeds University Stylus – great songs worthy of bigger occasions
Despite being in desperate need of an extra bandmate or two, Orla Gartland had plenty of strong enough material to give the crowd exactly what they wanted in Leeds. Unlike her friend and peer dodie, however, her live act still has plenty of room to grow in the years to come.
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Sam Fender: Seventeen Going Under review – arena-worthy classics to feed the soul
Whilst Fender’s expansive, often breathtaking sophomore record may not be flawless, it has more than its fair share of genius songwriting and lyricism thanks to a potent concoction of sepia nostalgia and brave sociopolitical lessons for the here and now.
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Jade Bird: Different Kinds of Light review – a sparkling delight
English singer-songwriter Jade Bird’s sophomore album builds on the best parts of the debut with new maturity, sincerity and most importantly some cracking singles. The result is an album I felt an instant personal connection to.
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Larkins live at Brudenell Social Club review – emotional night of summer pop
At the start of their post-lockdown UK tour, Manchester band Larkins were at times overcome with emotion, yet still proved that yes, everything does sound better live.
