Reviewed by James Lavender

Innovative, creative and batshit crazy, Muse have revisited the political themes of their fifth album, The Resistance for their latest record, this time tackling the idea of drones. Matt Bellamy described the album as “the journey of a human, from their abandonment and loss of hope, to their indoctrination by the system to be a human drone, to their eventual defection from their oppressors”. The band wears their political messages on their sleeve. The album cover has a hand operating a joystick, like current drone pilots and one of the songs in named after the Reaper drones which inflict death from the skies.

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Reviewed by James Lavender

When Florence Welch and her band burst onto the scene in 2008 her willowy stage presence and impressive vocal range hadn’t been seen in music since Kate Bush had decided to take a long sabbatical from music in the early 90s. It is Welch’s stage presence; coupled with bold, multi-layered and multi-instrumental tunes, which have led to a globally successful formula.

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Reviewed by Andrew Scott

There used to be only one ‘Dynamic Duo’. The Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder better watch their backs however as recent years have seen the proliferation of many dynamic duos in the world of rock music. Royal Blood, Drenge and Sleaford Mods are just a few who are currently enjoying success. Now Kent based duo Slaves have joined the party with their debut album Are You Satisfied?

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Reviewed by James Lavender

In a current pop scene dominated by dance and hip-hop, The Vaccines continue to fly the flag for rock music. The beginning of their third album, English Graffiti, is defiant in its punk sound. ‘Handsome’ is a fast-paced track which was made for an indie dancefloor. Likewise, ‘Dream Lover’ stands out as a classic rock/indie anthem and ‘Radio Bikini’ is an attack on the ears, in a good way.

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Reviewed by Daniel Serotsky

No one will be listening to The Desired Effect in a few years but that’s not to be taken as a diss, the truth is reverse. This album is like Black Lace after a slow dance, a welcome novelty indeed but to use an olde fashioned aphorism: not a disc that would pull its weight long-term in the car CD changer.

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Reviewed by James Lavender

You can never criticise Hot Chip for not being experimental, and again with their newest album Why Make Sense?, they have been pushing the boundaries of indie, RnB, hip-hop and dance music. The band caught the pop world’s imagination with their quirky mixture of indie pop and dance from albums such as 2006’s The Warning and 2008’s Made In The Dark, which featured  the hit single ‘Ready for the Floor’. Back on those albums, the band had a sort of chop-and-change feel to the records which made them stand out, by which I mean two distinct genres of music would be vying for prominence and the chaotic results defined Hot Chip’s sound.

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Reviewed by Andrew Scott

The Modfather returns with his 12th solo album Saturns Pattern. Weller can be considered amongst rock’s great re-inventors, dabbling in genres such as Punk rock, Soul, Folk and even a little bit of Acid Jazz. Befitting someone who isn’t afraid to try new things, Saturns Pattern finds Weller experimenting with different songwriting styles and new sounds.

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Reviewed by Daniel Serotsky

So now Snoop Lion has shed the mane, metamorphosed back to a canid again; we have a new record with which to get busy, ten new tracks from the D.O. double Gizzy. The first the two lines of this review, whilst informative indeed, also exemplify my skills as a rap lyricist. Now, if there was one snag to my chances of making it on the rap scene, it’s that I can’t ‘spit’. Snoop Dogg’s flow prowess is well documented and he’s welcome to those two lines, gratis, on the strict proviso that he raps them.

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Reviewed by James Lavender

When Palma Violet burst on the scene in 2013 with their debut album 180, they were proclaimed the “saviours of indie music”. Their mixture of garage rock, punk and psychedelic gave British indie music a much needed shot of creativity. So now they come with their second album Danger in the Club.

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