ALBUM REVIEW

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Tension II by Kylie Minogue (November 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Lights Camera Action; Taboo; Someone For Me; Good As Gone; Kiss Bang Bang; Diamonds; Hello; Dance To The Music; Should’ve Left Ya; Edge Of Saturday Night; My Oh My; Midnight Ride; Dance Alone

Minogue’s purple patch continues with this 17th album a mere 12 months after its predecessor perpetuating the Tension-era vibe of electronic dance music with a very commercial edge.

  • Read on for reasons including how and where to see Kylie on tour in 2025
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Key by Alison Moyet (October 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK: ****

Tracklist: Where Hides Sleep; All Cried Out; Such Small Ale; All Signs Of Life; Can’t Say It Like I Mean It; Fire; Filigree; The Impervious Me; More; Is This Love?; Tongue Tied; My Right A.R.M; So Am I; My Best Day; World Without End; This House; Love Resurrection; You Don’t Have To Go

The bluesy voice, the unforgettable way with an uplifting pop melody, the idiosyncratic lyrics or occasional appearance by French and Saunders in a video – there were always a multitude of reasons to love Alison Moyet across her 40-year solo career.

  • Read on for reasons including how Key unlocks a remarkable songbook that balances nostalgia with modern pop sensibilities
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan (September 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Femininomenen; Red Wine Supernova; After Midnight; Coffee; Casual; Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl; Hot To Go!; My Kink Is Karma; Picture You; Kaleidoscope; Pink Pony Club; Naked In Manhattan; California; Guilty Pleasure

Good things come to those who wait – and this album was released almost a year ago but it wasn’t until Roan supported Olivia Rodrigo that things really started to take off for her.

  • Read on for reasons including how we can’t wait to see her on tour and where you can
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Light It Up by Will Young (August 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

TRACKLIST: Falling Deep; Light It Up; Feels Just Like A Win; Midnight; Me Without You; The Worst; No Man’s Land; Talk About It; Everything But You; I Won’t Let You Down

He’s not had a top 40 hit single since Jealousy made the top 5 in 2011 yet, perhaps ironically, Young has never been more lyrically and musically interesting than he is on this, his 9th album and 1st of new material for 5 years.

  • Read on for reasons including how it feels like a win to have him ploughing his own furrow and worrying less about fitting in
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Vertigo by Griff (July 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

TRACKLIST: Vertigo; Miss Me Too; Into The Walls; 19th Hour; Astronaut; Anything; Pillow In My Arms; Cycles; Tears For Fun; Hiding Alone; Hole In My Pocket; Everlasting; So Fast; Where Did You Go

We 1st saw Griff supporting Dua Lipa at The 02 in May 2022 and almost exactly 2 years later she opened for Taylor Swift (pictured left with Griff right) at Wembley Stadium.

  • Read on for reasons including how this collection fully justifies her long-awaited promotion from superstar stadium support act to thrilling headliner
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: ELLE by Dagny (June 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Heartbreak In The Making; Same Again (For Love); Ray-Bans; Somebody’s Baby; Hate Being Alone; Strawberry Dream; Close; In My Bones

‘Maybe we’re not made forever, maybe I don’t get to grow older with you, This house is keeping us together, we’re so Close but I’ve never felt further from you …’

  • Read on for reasons including how ELLE is set to be the album of our summer
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Radical Optimism by Dua Lipa (May 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

TRACKLIST: End Of An Era; Houdini; Training Season; These Walls; Watcha Doing; French Exit; Illusion; Falling Forever; Anything For Love; Maria; Happy For You

Next month Dua Lipa headlines the Friday night on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival and this album appears very much to have been written with that career-defining moment in mind.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is exactly the sort of album she needs under her belt to make Glastonbury successful
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Nonetheless by Pet Shop Boys (April 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Loneliness; Feel; Why Am I Dancing?; New London Boy; Dancing Star; A New Bohemia; The Schlager Hit Parade; The Secret Of Happiness; Bullet For Narcissus; Love Is The Law

Written in lockdown, this 15th Pet Shop Boys studio album bursts with reflection, introspection and liberation in equal measure.

  • Read on for reasons including how this is the Boys’ best album since 1993’s Very
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Glorious by Bananarama (March 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK: ****

TRACKLIST: Really Saying Something; Cruel Summer; Robert De Niro’s Waiting; Venus; More Than Physical; A Trick Of The Night; I Heard A Rumour; Love In The First Degree; Only Your Love; Preacher Man; I Could Be Persuaded; Movin’ On; Last Thing On My Mind; Every Shade Of Blue; Take Me To Your Heart; Prove Your Love; If; Crazy; Move In My Direction; Look On The Floor; Feel For You; Love Bite; Love Comes; Love Don’t Live Here; 17; Extraordinary; Baby It’s Christmas; Now Or Never; La La Love; Stuff Like That; Looking For Someone; I’m On Fire; It’s Gonna Be Alright; Favourite; Masquerade; Forever Young; Running With The Night; Cruel Summer (3am Mix); Feel the Love; Supernova

Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin have been a duo as Bananarama for the last 33 years of their 44-year career and so this curated album finds them choosing 10 tracks from each of the 4 decades of their career thus far.

  • Read on for reasons including how this album reminds how they’ve written some of pop’s finest moments across 40-plus years
Read More

ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Venus by Zara Larsson (February 2024)

Posted on by mrmonstagigz

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Can’t Tame Her; More Than This Was; On My Love; Ammunition; None Of These Guys; You Love Who You Love; End Of Time; Nothing; Escape; Soundtrack; Venus; The Healing

It’s final track The Healing where Larsson feels at her most personal: ‘Can I be with you after the hurting? After the monsters in my head are finally gone? But can I be with you after the healing?’

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Larsson on tour in London this month
Read More