KMMReviews

Insanely underrated Brummy singer-songwriter Bryony Williams has returned with a new single, following the release of her incredibly complex and wistful EP 'Conscious' I've been looking forward to more releases from her.

'Silhouette' immediately hits your ears with some very dark guitars, haunting in many ways. They match Bryony's tone for the song perfectly as she holds back on letting her voice free for a lower, dreamier style much akin to something Thom Yorke may adopt on Radiohead's darker songs. There's some very clear inspiration from Marika Hackman and Anna Calvi on this track, reminding me sometimes of Anna Calvi's smash 2018 album 'The Hunter' and Marika's early singles.


The main drawback for this song in my opinion is that the song feels as though it is cascading towards something big - much akin to the likes of what Foals treated us to with 'Sunday' earlier this year. The guitars that become more echoed and distorted …

It's very rare that you'll ever get such an established, talented and all-round beautiful songwriter releasing their debut solo single at such a stage. Josienne Clarke's collaborations have elevated her to a certain level but she now steps out on her own and to be perfectly candid, she's shining brighter than ever.

On 'Things I Didn't Need' Josienne is so hauntingly angelic that you feel as though you're sucked into her world, feeling what she feels. As though you're some sort of impersonating body snatcher, it's so wonderfully poetic and yet heartbreaking at the same time. The acoustic guitar takes a backseat in the track in place for Josienne's wonderful voice to pull the song through and it ultimately elevates it to easily become one of the folk songs of the year.


B Side 'Season And Time' is just as beautiful, creating a world that is represented as being so beautiful but she's just running out of "notes" to describ…

If you missed my last post on Record Store Day then check that out HERE

Sam Fender - Play God
Sam Fender is arguably the most talented artist on the rise right now, he's built a fan base so quickly that he's only released an EP and he's selling out some pretty size-y venues. "Play God" isn't on that EP but it is a pretty huge single which if you check out his others you'll soon understand his meteoric rise. This 7-inch is a must own for me.
Lost In Translation - OST
I watched this film when I was probably too young to ever understand it, but watching it years later made me really love it, a soundtrack that should have won an award on top of that makes it all the more special. There's some incredible bands on here from My Bloody Valentine to Patti Smith. Although the cover may cause some of the omnipresent perverts to impulse buy, but hopefully they steer clear.
Elastica - BBC Sessions
The greatest band that never had chance to be great. Only ever releasi…

Foals are back! Finally! With their fifth album coming a fair few years after What Went Down. With the three singles we've heard already and the, quite frankly, beautiful album cover this clearly promised to be a very special era for Foals and fans of the band alike.

The album opens with the riveting "Moonlight" and it shines down upon the album like a ray of moonlight as it sets the dark, dreary undertone for the album - this is a common theme throughout the entire album as the band deal with the dear state of the world and what constantly feels like an impending doom and as the album builds and cascades it never shakes the dread.


"Syrups" is the only song on the album where I felt as though it dragged on too long and at a mere 4 minutes that's never good. The problem with the song is that it brings the building climax down a notch and makes it just drag out. I feel as though "Syrups" should have been placed earlier in the tracklist as well to m…

Alternative has reached a real peak in the ten's - we've even seen the likes of Lorde tap into it on her second album. But it's the bubbling underground that still continues to create the most entertaining, definitive and thought-provoking music. Self Esteem consists of Rebecca Taylor (formerly of Slow Club) and this is her debut album as part of her solo venture which was produced by Django Django's Dave McLean.

The production on this album is phenomenal, the cascading differences between the songs flow so well that it creates a whole project rather than a collection of potential singles, which is always the danger with pop music. Compliments Please deals with the aftermath of a break up and all of the things that Taylor goes through with those emotions, from her revelations that the mother of her ex always hated her to the acquaintances she makes after the break up to deal with it.


Sometimes Rebecca attempts to use auto tune, presumably as an artistic effect but mos…

This year's list has been a massive disappointment but also a huge relief on my wallet. The commercialization of the day seems to be reaching its final stages as there is SEVEN Fall albums on the list along with the omnipresent Bowie, Stones and Pink Floyd. But there are some gems in there as listed below, let me know what you're planning on getting.
The Charlatans - Us & Us Only
This has been long out of print now, and to see it getting a re-release on the day on transparent vinyl only means that my Charlatans collection is getting ever closer to completion. With tracks such as "Forever" and "Impossible" I recommend you give this a listen.
Pete Doherty - Who's Been Having You Over
Pete Doherty returned lately with his band The Putra Madres and released a phenomenal piece of work in this single, it maintains that London swagger that has always enticed people into his music whilst recapturing some of his boyish charm, make sure to look into this befor…