Back catalogue: Indie/Alternative

Review: You can almost feel "Atlas Complex" dripping with cool as it plays out before your ears. It lunges, growls, chugs and floats its way through four tracks of psychedelic tinged barroom guitar business. It wouldn't be too far off the mark to say this is where the streetwise qualities of Black Grape can be used in the same sentence as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's druggy noisiness. At least not as far as the title number goes. Those looking for more lazy referential writing might also want to check Spiritualized. Which makes sense considering Yak's second album, "Pursuit Of Momentary Happiness", which arrived just six months before this effort, was produced by Jason Pierce, of said iconic space-rockers. There's certainly an otherworldly quality to what's here, although it's less crystalline and more earthen than that nod might suggest. Digressions aside, we like, you probably will too.

Review: Two years on from the release of her acclaimed mixtape-style full length debut, What We Draw, Kathy Yaeji Lee returns to XL Recordings with her debut studio album With a Hammer. Conceived (lyrically at least) as an examination of the singer-songwriter-producer's relationship with anger, the album sees Lee expand on her house/hyper-pop-influenced trademark sound via nods to trip-hop, rock, drum & bass and more, with the addition of - for the first time in her career - live instrumentation. Of course, amongst the musical tweaks and collaborations (Lorraine James, Nourished By Time, K Wata and Enganet all feature), there are still plenty of nods to her pop-leaning productions of old, not least bi-lingual vocals (she often sings in Korean as well as English) and a sense of sonic style that has always been one of the aural hallmarks of Lee's work.

Review: London alt-rock trio Yak have revealed their much desired follow-up to their debut album, Alas Salvation. With new and old members jostled in and of the band during this album's rocky inception (including Tame Impala's Jay Watson), a rotated cast eventually ironed out its crinkles, and with the help of former Bjork and Django Django album producer, Marta Salogni, Yak's difficult second album, in 10 hectic days, was achieved. With both NME and Q magazine's tipping their nod of approval Yak's way, the steely, blue-eyed defiance of the trio dismiss any notion of the tired cliche that guitar music is a bygone thing. The freshest second album since Kasabian's Empire, Tame Impala's Lonerism and Bloc Party's A Weekend In The City.

Review: RECOMMENDED
The thing everyone needs to understand about the UK is the disparity between projected image and real life is almost as overwhelming as the rich-poor divide. On the one hand, there's posturing of pomp, pageantry, grandeur and decorum. Then you actually get here and realise there are really only two types of inhabitants of this island nation, and few of either have manners - those who only give a shit about themselves, and the often eccentric others who do want to help those they pass on the street.

Yard Act, arguably the best thing we've heard to come out of Leeds since the emergence of super-talented techno producer Happa, directly address the first category of British resident in this, their startlingly raw and delightfully off-centre debut album. From middle class trendies to Brexiteering belligerents, think Sleaford Mods providing a backing track to IDLES' observational poetry, with an added dose of Jarvis Cocker-esque theatrics, only less camp, much rawer.

Review: Following on from 2022's critically acclaimed, Mercury Prize nominated debut LP The Overload, crossing over the bridge provided by last year's absurdist, Black Mirror-indebted eight-minute stand alone single 'The Trench Coat Museum', everyone's new favourite Leeds based post-punks Yard Act are set to capitalise on their momentous winning streak with the highly anticipated sophomore effort Where's My Utopia? Recorded in collaboration with Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr handling production duties, sonically the band have opted to open their playful dynamic to as many sprawling influences as possible, simultaneously leaning into synth-laden new wave territory whilst citing Fela Kuti's political messaging and worldly psychedelia as an integral aspect. As lyrically snide and sharp as ever, the reliable brand of tongue-firmly-in-cheek socio-political commentary reaches ludicrous new heights when unpacking the band's success to date, their self-awareness of being signed to a subsidiary of a subsidiary of another soulless corporation aggressively at odds with the members' personal ethos, and even the increasing admiration/begrudgery that stems from the ascension within the eyes of their supporters. It's all clever, dense, humorous and delivered via an onslaught of razor-focused bangers. In essence, it's Yard Act.

Review: The third full-length studio album from Singaporean singer-songwriter-producer Nat Cmiel (aka yeule) released to rave reviews earlier this September, following an ethereal rollout with singles 'dazies', 'ghosts' and 'inferno' showcasing exactly what yeule excels at: worldbuilding. 'softscars' is now the 3rd instalment in one of the most exciting album runs in modern alt-pop, shifting away from the glitchy, electronic ambience of predecessor 'Glitch Princess', moving in a more rock-centric, brighter direction. This isn't to say the album doesn't have its soul-crushing moments, opening track 'x w x' closes with a defiant scream of frustration, whilst the drums, guitar and synths fight each other for dominance - bottoming out into a gentle outro sequence. The calm after the storm. We could go on about this album for hours, as a yeule fan it feels so fresh but so perfect with it's oscillating directness in delivery. Whereas 'Glitch Princess' felt like travelling through a clastrophobia-inducing tunnel at time, 'softscars' is that moment you burst out of the tunnel and are hit with a huge green vista. It's my album of the year but, hey, what do I know?

Review: Yo La Tengo, at some thirty-one years standing, now find themselves no less than indie institution, yet far from showing any signs of complacency, they're still possessed of a particular sensitivity and lightness of touch that serves to make them both unique and treasured. A case in point is this curious collection, comprising cover versions as well as re-interpretations of previous material - the band sound just as quietly confident and strangely touching reinterpreting The Cure as they do Hank Williams, paying homage to influences while gracing all they tackle with their trademark charm and finesse, in another triumph for these glorious eternal wallflowers.

Review: This 80-minute album is the pinnacle of the band's 20 year career. From 11 minute guitar jams to ballads to horn-drenched pop songs, this album is all over the map. Features Nashville producer Roger Moutenot and violinist Dave Mansfield.

Review: This 80-minute album is the pinnacle of the band's 20 year career. From 11 minute guitar jams to ballads to horn-drenched pop songs, this album is all over the map. Features Nashville producer Roger Moutenot and violinist Dave Mansfield.

Review: It's taken a while, but finally Thom Yorke's impressive third solo album, "ANIMA", is available on wax (and in a fetching shade of orange, too). A future classic that continues the legacy he started with XL Recordings back in 2006 (with his solo debut The Eraser), ANIMA is well worth picking up, as Yorke and co-producer Nigel Godrich offer up evocative, off-kilter songs built around the twin attractions of the Radiohead man's distinctive vocals and skewed backing tracks rich in layered electronic noise, body-bending sub-bass, discordant synthesizer parts and intriguingly jaunty drum loops. Highlights are plentiful throughout, from the creepy, lo-fi ambient swirl of "Last I Heard (...He Was Circling the Drain)" and "Dawn Chorus" (a blissfully dewy-eyed early morning soundscape), to the low-slung, post-trip-hop hum of "I Am A Very Rude Person" and the fizzing, jazz-fired thrust of "Impossible Knots". Melancholic, yes. Deep and self-effacing, of course. Nihilistic, not really. Percussive futurist sub-pop is back.

Review: Following the precursing release of a Memphis Industries 7" last year by You Tell Me, Peter Brewis (Field Music) and Admiral Fallow member Sarah Hayes finally present their debut self-titled record of their new collaboration. Said to be an album taking on themes of 'expectations and people's individual ways of navigating' them, this record presents a bold, folky and big band trundle through rolling pasture of horns, strings and powerful pop rock and disco dance! Both artists distinct styles come together here like a birthday party going off and the pair's vocal interplay stands out tremendously among a huge assortment of highly, well-produced instrumentation that makes you feel like your somewhere between 1969 and 1992. Where were you?

Review: With their Mercury-winning 2014 debut 'Dead', Edinburgh trio Young Fathers set the bar high for themselves, which they met with 2015's follow-up 'White Men Are Black Men Too', and continue to do so with new album 'Cocoa Sugar'. Their third record isn't as brash and in-your-face as their previous two, but that's not to say that this any less impactful, instead 'Cocoa Sugar' is a stripped back, concentrated The group have a unique ability in that they can draw elements from a range of genres, with an outcome sounding in a class of its own and tantalisingly hard to define. Also, in their use off-kilter loops, gospel-esque vocals, haunting samples and breakneck speed verses, Young Fathers create dualities and contrasts that playfully subvert. Tracks like 'See How', 'In My View' and 'Lord' appear to tread into joyous and cathartic pop territory, before being pinned down by unnerving scraping samples and dissonant synthesis. It's these intelligently executed sonics and structures that make 'Cocoa Sugar' an addictive, thrilling and beguiling listen.

Review: Fusing the classical (Mozart, Beethoven) with the classic (Wilson, Lennon), The Young Republic producer their own particular brand of melancholy country-tinged pop on "12 Tales From Winter City". The Young Republic bring their own wistful, string-laden Americana, adding touches of folk, bluegrass and country along the way. "12 Tales From Winter City" charts the beginning stages of this hugely promising band.

Review: Neil Young's return to this 1977-recorded "lost" collection of songs feels like a snapshot of an artist in transition, navigating between the raw edges of his 70s output and the more polished direction he would take in the years to come. Recorded between Florida's Triad Studios and Malibu's Indigo, the tracks resonate with a kind of unforced authenticity that's increasingly rare in modern music. You'll know some of these tunes - the majority did turn up in other LP tracklistings eventually - but re-pieced together it's clear there's a quiet confidence here, as if Young, unburdened by the pressures of commercial expectation, was simply allowing the music to flow out. Opening with the delicate 'Sail Away,' Young sets a tone that's both intimate and expansive, a rare combination that permeates the entire set. 'Lost In Space' follows, its understated melancholy giving way to moments of real tenderness, as though Young was channeling something deeply personal without ever letting it feel too heavy. The rolling 'Captain Kennedy' showcases his gift for storytelling, while 'Goin' Back' and 'Human Highway' bring with them echoes of past greatness, weaving themes of reflection and longing with his signature mix of folk and country. By the time 'Pocahontas' rolls around, it's clear that the collection, though rough around the edges, forms a cohesive whole, a snapshot of Young's restless creativity and unflinching approach to songwriting.

Review: Adrian Younge has done some mighty collaborations in recent years, from work with Venice Dawn and Delfonics to Ghostface Killah and Souls Of Mischief. The skill and scope of this songwriter and producer is broad, and it's no different on this latest project with Venice Dawn's Jack Waterson. You can hear the ghost of Syd Barrett in tracks like "Larceny", while "The Legend Of Shorty George" channels a little early Bowie magic. Elsewhere the influences are more contemporary. With a generous dose of sunshine and psychedelia, this is a rich, rewarding record from artists steeped in the great tradition of heady, adventurous albums to intrigue and satisfy in equal measure.