No Frills Reviews

The Rhythm Method Peachy

The second full-length from the London duo of Joey Bradbury and Rowan Martin is a real statement album, while never striving too hard to make its statements. It’s swimming in melancholia, yet subtly uplifting as it reflects on relatable feelings for us aging young adults, about time slowly creeping up on you. Set against a sneakily diverse musical backdrop, from country jaunts to dreamy synth-pop, they tackle darker themes amidst moments of lighthearted nostalgia and with a profoundly British humour. A relatable ode to belatedly coming-of-age in the tradition of great British pop.

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Honourable Mentions

Adrianne Lenker Bright Future

Waxahatchee Tigers Blood

Yard Act Where’s My Utopia?

Mannequin Pussy I Got Heaven

Glass Beams Mahal

Melbourne trio, Glass Beams, are coming for the Khruangbin crown of bizarrely popular jam band. Following up on their 2021 Mirage EP, this second effort is 18 minutes of hypnotic cosmic wanderings. They tick enough muso boxes (kinda jazzy, kinda Eastern, kinda psych) that I’m sure they’ll get the token world music slot on BBC Glastonbury coverage soon enough. They seem to understand the importance of image as well; let’s face it, three dudes doing instrumental jams is boring, but three dudes in shiny masks doing instrumental jams is mysterious and cool.

I quite like this in a passive sorta way, but I’m convinced it’s apparent popularity is more to do with the ubiquity of chill-out playlists than genuine enthusiasm.

Liam Gallagher & John Squire

There’s glimpses of what they both do best, but this all-star duo can’t cover each others’ flaws. A frustrating listen as there’s hints of something really good here. Both still have something to offer, but they really need to be reined in from their worst instincts (plus some help from a better songwriter).

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Master Peace How To Make A Master Peace

This album is a perfect encapsulation of why I call this roundup ‘Indie-ish’. Indie can mean so many different things that it’s become somewhat meaningless, and that’s almost the essence of this album. It’s like anything vaguely linked to the 00’s UK indie scene has been thrown into a blender. Londoner, Peace Okezie is the rising star behind Master Peace; his voice is somewhere between Jamie T and Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke. With the tunes ranging from spiky post-punk bangers to Metronomy-esque electonica.

It’s a bit too close to hitting shuffle on my iPod 15 years ago for it to completely win me over. But with his knack for hooks, sheer versatility and some thoughtful lyrics once you dig beneath the surface, there’s potentially a really interesting artist in the making here.

Magana Teeth

The second album from LA’s Magana (aka Jeni Magaña) can be a difficult and disorienting listen. This doesn’t sound like the start of a positive review, but the power of Teeth is how it pulls out moments of beauty amidst pain and discomfort. Over its 40 minutes it’s as if Magana is staring in the mirror, confronting everything about herself. It’s deeply personal whilst being almost detached, like she’s observing herself in an out-of-body experience and you’ve got a front row seat alongside her.

Dark folk bleeds into hazy dream pop sequences, and there’s glimmers of distant euphoria, like the oddly triumphant synth-pop of I Cannot Breathe, where hope seems to emerge at the darkest hour. Her voice embodies the duality of the album; light and fragile, barely above a whisper at times, yet always deeply consequential, like it carries the weight of each and every experience and realisation. This is self-described as Witchy Rock, but that feels wrong. This isn’t mythic fantasy, this is raw and very much real; and that’s where the magic lies.

Grackles

The self-titled debut from Austin-based Grackles combines earthy Americana with a sense of otherworldly mysticism. Frontman, Noah Lit, is part Leonard Cohen part Nick Cave with his weary low croon, set to a backdrop of country ballads and gritty blues. While guest spots from fellow Texan, Kat Edmonson, evoke old Lee Hazelwood duets. A charming throwback that transports you to a world of smoke-filled and whiskey-fuelled saloons, but don’t stray too far down the highway because the devil may be waiting to claim a soul.