ALBUM REVIEW

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

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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
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Guys And Dolls at the Bridge Theatre (December 2023)

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Runyonland; Fugue For Tinhorns; Follow The Fold; Oldest established; I’ll Know; A Bushel And A Peck; Adelaide’s Lament; Guys And Dolls; Havana; If I Were A Bell; My Time Of Day; I’ve Never Been In Love Before; Entr’acte; Take Back Your Mink; Adelaide’s Second Lament; Crapshooter’s Ballet; Luck Be A Lady; Sue Me; Sit Down You’re Rocking The Boat; the Guys Follow The Fold; Adelaide Meets Sarah; Mary The Man Today; Runyonland; Happy Ending

There can be few revivals we’ve enjoyed more this year than Guys And Dolls at the Bridge Theatre which has extended its run at least twice and is now booking until 31 August 2024.

  • Read on for reasons including why this album is worth a punt but is no substitute for seeing the show
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Sorry, I’m Late by Mae Muller (October 2023)

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By Aline Mahrud

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: I Just Came To Dance; Sorry Daniel; Bitch With A Broken Heart; I Wrote A Song; Me, Myself And I; Tatiana; Somebody New; I Wish I Could Hate You; A Little Bit Sad; MTJL; Breathe; Something Real; Nervous (In A Good Way); Better Days; Porn Lied To Us; Miss America; Written By A Woman

Muller has co-written all but 1 of the 17 songs here and there’s a line in the downbeat, reflective and extraordinarily vulnerable MTJL (Maybe That’s Just Life) that says: ‘I wish I was a better singer, or better than I am. I wish one little thing would go to plan.’

  • Read on for reasons including why this is 1 of the year’s best albums
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Tension by Kylie (September 2023)

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Padam Padam; Hold On To Now; Things We Do For Love; Tension; One More Time; You Still Get Me High; Hands; Green Light; Vegas High; 10 Out Of 10; Story

There were 18 months between the 1st time we saw Kylie live on the Enjoy Yourself tour at the now-no-more London Arena in Docklands in 1990 and the 2nd on the Let’s Get To It tour at the old Wembley Arena.

  • Read on for reasons including why this is 1 of the most thrilling points of Kylie’s musical career
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ALBUM OF THE WEEK: I Made An Album by Daði Freyr (week beginning 6 September 2023)

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WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2

TRACKLIST: Thank You; I’m Fine; Limit To Love; Shut Up; Sometimes; I Just Want It; Sunshine; Moves To Make; Settle Down; If You Want To; Trying; Bitte

Freyr is clearly laying the groundwork here for a lengthy career and our only qualm with his sophomore album is that there is nothing quite so catchy as either of his Eurovision entries Think About Things or 10 Years.

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Freyr on tour in the UK this winter
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ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Balance by Lucy Spraggan (week beginning Saturday 12 August 2023)

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Everything Changes; OCD; Balance; Bodies; Seasick; Not Another Travelling Song; California; Cocaine; Hope For The Best; Caroline; Underdog; Empire; Manchester; Cost Of Living

When Spraggan released opening track Everything Changes last year incorporating her X Factor hit Beer Fear it wasn’t quite clear what she was referring to when she sang: ‘I think of things that happened 10 years ago and I feel much better letting them go.’

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Spraggan on tour including a London gig
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Victory by Cian Ducrot (August 2023)

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2

TRACKLIST: Victory; I’ll Be Waiting; Him; Heaven; How Do You Know?; All For You; Stepdad; Mama; Hurt When You Hurt Me; Blame It On Me; Endless Nights; Part Of Me; Everyone Who Falls In Love (Has Someone Else To Be Thinking Of); Thank God You Stayed

Ducrot is an Irish singer songwriter who will be 26 this month and his debut album is our favourite of 2023 so far let alone just this month.

  • Read on for reasons including how to see Ducrot on tour including in London later this year
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: The Ballad Of Darren by Blur (July 2023)

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: The Ballad; St Charles Square; Barbaric; Russian Strings; The Everglades (For Leonard); The Narcissist; Goodbye Albert; Far Away Island; Avalon; The Heights

Blur played 2 rapturously received Wembley Stadium shows this month (where they are pictured above) but we haven’t seen them live since their Parklife heyday at the end of the last century.

  • Read on for reasons including how we spotted Damon Albarn as we were writing this review in London City Airport
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ALBUM OF THE WEEK: Hana by Sophie Ellis Bextor (week beginning Wednesday 7 June 2023)

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: A Thousand Orchids; Breaking The Circle; Until The Wheels Fall Off; Everything Is Sweet; Lost In The Sunshine; Tokyo; Beyond The Universe; He’s A Dreamer; Reflections; Hearing In Colour; Broken Toy; We’ve Been Watching You

We’ve only ever been to Tokyo once and it was so different to anywhere we’ve been before or since that it was extremely disorientating while being fascinating at the same time.

  • Read on for reasons including how and where to see Ellis Bextor on tour in 2023
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ALBUM OF THE MONTH: Last Man Dancing by Jake Shears (June 2023 and gig at Village Underground)

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By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

TRACKLIST: Too Much Music; Do The Television; Voices; I Used To Be In Love; Really Big Deal; Last Man Dancing; 8 Ball; Devil Came Down The Dancefloor; Mess Of Me; Doses; Radio Eyes; Diamonds Don’t Burn

SETLIST: Too Much Music; Really Big Deal; Any Which Way; Meltdown; Do The Television; Voices; Comfortably Numb; I Used To Be In Love; Creep City; Laura; Take Your Mama; Last Man Dancing; I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’; Devil Came Down The Dancefloor; 8 Ball; Destiny; Invisible Light; Filthy/Gorgeous

We’ve recently read Shears’ memoir Boys Keep Swinging and it’s a fascinating insight into the mindset of the former Scissor Sisters’ frontman who has struggled for inspiration.

  • Read on for reasons including how Shears invited his audience to his east London home after this gig
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