There was a period just before the turn of the millennium when every soirée you attended appeared to be soundtracked by Mezzanine. To be described as dinner-party music is customarily…
Review: Stats – Other People’s Lives
“I am an animal,” Ed Seed declares at the outset of this London six-piece’s debut, but that can’t be true. Stats are too disciplined to be animalistic, though they’d definitely…
Review: Kate Bush – Remastered On Vinyl And CD
A series of new remasters charts the incredible back catalogue of one of pop’s most beloved auteurs, Kate Bush. At a music-awards show a few years ago, a lubricated John…
Review: Bryan Ferry And His Orchestra – Bitter-Sweet
“We just make music for ourselves, and if anyone else likes it, it’s a bonus.” This sentiment was once the self-righteous domain of indie purists everywhere, but it appears it’s…
Review: Soft Cell, The O2, London live
For their last-ever live show, Soft Cell said hello in style and waved goodbye almost three hours later – leaving fans with great memories of an unforgettable night. When Dave…
Review: Marianne Faithfull – Negative Capability
Marianne Faithfull’s still only 71, but anyone who saw her touring recently will be aware of her ailments. She spends much of each show sitting regally in a throne-like chair,…
Review: The Police: Every Move You Make: The Studio Recordings
Only an accident of birth made The Police a New Wave band. Sting was a sharp, slick songwriter; Andy Summers had hung with Hendrix and strummed with Soft Machine and…
Review: Nile Rodgers & Chic – It’s About Time
In the five years since Daft Punk reminded everyone how exceptional Chic were with the ubiquitous Get Lucky and parent album, Random Access Memories – to which Nile Rodgers also…
Review: Bronski Beat – The Age Of Consent
This expanded version of Bronski Beat’s Jimmy Somerville-showcasing hit 1984 album reveals a vital and politicised, yet upfliting, synth-pop triumph “My purpose was truth,” said Jimmy Somerville recently, looking back…
Review: Robyn – Honey
Robyn’s certainly kept us waiting. There’ve been notable collaborations – Neneh Cherry, Metronomy, Röyksopp – but it’s been eight years since Body Talk, during which time, some might argue, mainstream…