Tag: review
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Wednesday live at O2 Ritz review – embattled country rockers leave it all on the mosh pit floor
She may have been “sick as a dog” and visibly shaken by the fresh news of Dolly Parton’s death, but Karly Hartzman and her band still summoned a laudably committed performance in Manchester, masterfully shifting gear from glorious country crooners to vicious smash-and-grab punk in a flawless final 20 minutes.
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Westside Cowboy: It Goes On review – it goes on… repeat
The hottest band in UK indie are on a tear; having finally released their first album, Westside Cowboy have delivered, somehow upgrading on what they had before. Matthew Rowe explains what makes It Goes On so great.
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Phoebe Bridgers: Lost Weekend review – blockbuster return will make you believe in magic
Phoebe Bridgers’ third album improbably lives up to the hype generated by her ingeniously orchestrated return to earth: a high-budget, detail-oriented showpiece about grief and hope packed with spectacular twists and turns. When it comes to indie folk, Bridgers really is on a planet of her own.
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Indie pop rising star Leah Nawy on making it in New York, last minute sax solos, and leaning in to the distortion
A graduate of The New School and BerkleeNYC, Leah Nawy is now ready to make a splash in New York’s indie pop scene. She talks to Undertone about her dynamic new EP, and what it means to be in bloom.
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The Lemon Twigs live at Brudenell Social Club review – they just don’t make pop like this any more
Playing to a packed room on a glorious May evening in Leeds, the Twigs seemed perfectly at ease on stage for this faultless set. The grand orchestration of their new album was necessarily dialed-back, but no bother: these are some of the best-written pop rock songs this side of 1970.
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Prince Daddy & the Hyena: Hotwire Trip Switch review – wildly entertaining pop-punk nostalgia from a vocalist reborn
On their fourth full-length album, Prince Daddy & the Hyena go back to basics with 12 pop punk would-be singles and no time for filler. Kory Gregory’s emo vocals hit new melodic heights on handily their most entertaining record yet.
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Searows live at Leeds Irish Centre review – minimalist atmospherics from indie folk’s new leading light
Searows’ beguiling new album provided the most compelling songs for this understated performance in Leeds. At his best, his broadly coastal-themed new songs sound windswept and epic. Other times, it’s more of a wishy-washy damp squib.
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Geese live at O2 Academy review – rock superstardom, here they come
Arguably the hottest band in the world right now, New York’s Geese arrived in Yorkshire with well deserved swagger. When hitting their stride in marvellously odd blues rock showstoppers they are a force to be reckoned with, but this set failed to capitalise on the sterling new album’s subtler material.
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Psychedelic Porn Crumpets live at NUSU review – rapid-fire riffs hit like a drug
Kick-starting their umpteenth UK tour, the Crumpets are very much a well-buttered machine these days. A strong ninth album has only bolstered their set list of precision-tooled riffs and prog rock neck-breakers. NUSU’s paltry sound system simply couldn’t keep up.
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Cory Wong: Lost In The Wonder review – a lacklustre collection of singles from funk’s busiest guitarist
Known for his signature guitar riffs, superhuman turnout of albums, and wider collaborative efforts, Cory Wong is well-established within the funk sphere. But with his latest release he’s perhaps gotten too comfortable, suggests Matthew Rowe.
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Undertone’s best songs of 2025
It’s time again for Undertone’s yearly roundup of my 40 favourite songs released this year.
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Caribou live at the Glasshouse review – symphony hall rave is a dizzying delight
Caribou’s club-focused house music proved to be a winningly unorthodox match for the refined Glasshouse concert hall, convincingly turning the auditorium into a euphoric nightclub complete with a spectacular light show. Dan Snaith’s live drumming propelled his best songs to new heights, but his more light-footed electronica tracks felt a little bland by comparison.
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