#298: The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Days of Abandon

Label: Fierce Panda

Release: June 2

Rating: 7/10

New York's The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, have, for seven years now, been breathing new life in to a genre many consider archaic; their upbeat, emotionally loaded indie-pop - a welcome contrast to the overtly masculine indie that's currently reigning supreme. Indeed, where once indie-pop was a product of Britain (and arguably the NME's greatest contribution to music), the ball has since been picked up by America, causing those of us with a slightly softer disposition to look across the Atlantic to get our fill of heart-on-the-sleeve jangles.

This review was originally written for Shout4Music. Click here to read in full.

#294: BIRD - My Fear and Me

BIRD

My Fear and Me

May 26 2014 (Baltic Records)

9/10

As the brooding first notes of opening track 'Ghost' begin to wash over you, it's immediately obvious what kind of album this is going to be: Dark, ominous, poetic, beautiful, the sombre imagery a stark contrast to much of the other bands on offer at the moment. Think London Grammar by way of Savages and with little in the way of either band's often overt intensity, and you'll be fairly close to Merseyside's BIRD.

This review was originally written for Little Indie Blogs. Click here to read in full.

#290: The Pixies - Indie Cindy

Album Review: The Pixies - Indie Cindy (2014)

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click the link above to read in full.

#264: Owls - Two

Album review - Owls - Two (2014)

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click above to read in full.

#259: Johnny Foreigner - You Can Do Better

Album Review: Johnny Foreigner - You Can Do Better (2014)

This review was originally written for Muso's Guide. Click above to read in full.

#236: Drowners - Drowners

With a named derived from the first Suede single and a sound somewhat akin to the bastard spawn of The Strokes and The Libertines, not to mention their recent tarring with the “britpop revival” brush, you would be forgiven for thinking that indie-pop four-piece Drowners were from London. As it happens, however (with the exception of frontman Matt Hitt – who hails from South Wales) all the members of the band are from the States, New York to be exact. Something hardly surprising when you hear Hitt’s occasional Casablancas vocals, or clock the CBGB leather jackets.

This review was originally written for Far Out Magazine. Click here to read in full.