Island Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Ben Howard was already an instant hit when he released The Burgh Island EP in 2012 in the wake of his debut album. The British singer-songwriter signed to Island and landed himself in the hearts and minds of fans the world over. This particular EP was limited to 1000 copies at the time of release, but it's since gone on to attain some sizable cult status thanks to the use of 'Oats In The Water', which appeared in The Walking Dead and The Innocents, and helped launch video game The Witcher 3. That's a whole lot of outreach, and the rest of the EP matches up to that track's spellbinding qualities, not least the epic eight-minute title piece featuring Monica Heldal.

Review: Has it really been 40 years since we saw Bono clad in a black sleeveless tee and brown waistcoat, mullet-topped and leading his band of equally early-80s looking musos to the rooftop of a Dublin building to perform one of their finest songs? Well, based on this limited edition release, the answer is clearly 'yes'.

Originally unveiled in 1971, 'Gloria' is a powerhouse single if ever there was one, and a track that marries melody, message, and the atmosphere U2 are best known for. It's a track that soars over those rooftops, The Edge's riffs acting as wings while Bono cries heartfelt rallying calls atop the lot. Unashamed, unabashed, and unapologetic (check the verse in Latin), now you get four different versions, three from the band in their natural habitat (i.e. live on stage), and the original.

Review: Easy Life's new record is 45 minutes of bliss. It's their best since the Leicester five-piece's Life's A Beach and all 15 cuts will enrich your life with brilliant tunes such as 'Beeswax' and 'Dear Miss Holloway ft. Kevin Abstract. The soulful sounds all tackle the various issues that we all struggled with during the covid-19 pandemic. Lead vocalist Murray Matravers sings "I've been moving lateral, horizontal, vertical" just one minute into the first track on the album and it sums up the pace of this one perfectly. The band's cult fan base will lap this up while new fans are also sure to come flocking.

Review: Norwegian pop heavyweight Sigrid has gone from strength to strength since breaking through in 2017 with 'Don't Kill My Vibe'. Her talents have reached to songwriting credits for the likes of Paloma Faith and Rudimental, but it's in her own work where you can hear the precocious singer in full flight. In the wake of 2022 sophomore album How To Let Go, she points to the future with this dazzling, succinct EP. As the title suggests, this release is a reflection on the impact of her meteoric rise and what it means to be on the receiving end of worldwide attention, but naturally Sigrid takes the rollercoaster ride in her stride and sounds more empowered than ever.