Tag: BIG SPECIAL

• Album Review: BIG SPECIAL – NATIONAL AVERAGE

  

  The Midlands duo deliver a solid sophomore effort but rarely reach the heights of their debut BIG SPECIAL felt like they arrived fully formed on last year’s excellent POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES (our top album of 2024). A glorious collection of soulful electro-punk, finding cathartic joy from the bleak mundanities of modern Britain, fronted by the…

  nofrillsreviews

  21st Jul 2025

  Album Review, Music reviews, new music

  BIG SPECIAL, NATIONAL AVERAGE, Silva Screen Records Limited, SO Recordings

• Tracks of the week (12/03/25)

  

  Our pick of must hear tracks this week. Including the continued star-making run of Doechii, the disconcerting experimental Rap of Fatboi Sharif, and a blistering post-punk anthem from Lincoln’s Televised Mind.

  nofrillsreviews

  12th Mar 2025

  Music roundup, Tracks of the week

  BIG SPECIAL, Bob Vylan, Doechii, Driveby, Fatboi Sharif, Goat, MC Yallah, Motorbike, Rhys Langston, Televised Mind, The Bloody Beetroots, Twat Union

• Album Review: BIG SPECIAL – POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES

  

  Continuing our archive of older posts, revisit our initial review of our 2024 album of the year, Big Special’s POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES.

  nofrillsreviews

  15th Jan 2025

  Album Review, Music reviews

  BIG SPECIAL, POSTINDUSTRIAL HOMETOWN BLUES

• 2024 in Review: Top 50 Albums (10-1)

  

  The final part in our top 50 albums of 2024, counts down the top 10.

  nofrillsreviews

  16th Dec 2024

  2024 in review

  BIG SPECIAL, Bill Ryder-Jones, Bruiser Wolf, Father John Misty, JPEGMAFIA, Ka, NAHreally, Perennial, The Expert, The Rhythm Method, Vampire Weekend

• Indie-ish Roundup: May 2024

  

  BIG SPECIAL, American Culture, Kings of Leon, and more feature in the May Indie-ish roundup.

  nofrillsreviews

  11th Jun 2024

  Best New Music, Indie-ish, Music reviews, Music roundup, new music

  American Culture, BIG SPECIAL, Brògeal, Jessica Pratt, Kings of Leon, Lemoncello, Lightheaded, Lip Critic

• New Music Roundup: 2023 Sweep-up

  

  One final new music roundup for 2023 to give a shout to some of my late favourites that got lost amongst end of year list season (if you like lists then you can find all that stuff here). Frog GROG Frog are a modern day cult band, who are critically-liked but have never quite been…

  nofrillsreviews

  21st Jan 2024

  Best New Music, Music reviews, Music roundup, new music

  BIG SPECIAL, Bigg Jus, Fatboi Sharif, Frog, Grackles, JuseMC, PISS SHIVERS, THE GOA EXPRESS, We Are Joiners, Xavier

• 2023 in Review: The Year’s Best Songs

  

  Featuring breakout debuts, indie up-comers, underground hip-hop, and more. 23 of the year’s top tunes.

  nofrillsreviews

  27th Dec 2023

  2023 in Review, Music reviews, Music roundup, new music

  86TVs, BIG SPECIAL, Bill Ryder-Jones, boygenius, Chappell Roan, CVC, emzae, Feist, Gabe ‘Nandez, harf., Joanna Sternberg, KAM-BU, KNEECAP, Komparrison, Meryl Streek, Militarie Gun, Mother Said, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Red Telephone, Reignmaker, Rockwell Knuckles, SOFT PLAY, The Last Dinner Party

• This Week’s Best New Music: September 25

  

  Another new National album, toxic rap, wonky bangers and more on this week’s new music roundup.

  nofrillsreviews

  25th Sep 2023

  Best New Music, Music reviews, Music roundup, new music

  album of the week, BIG SPECIAL, Bill Ryder-Jones, Hudson Mohawke, Nems, Nikki Nair, The National, Tunes of the week

• This Week’s Best New Music: June 2023 Week 3

  

  Worlds End FM is album of the week. With tunes of the week from BIG SPECIAL and Celestial North.

  nofrillsreviews

  18th Jun 2023

  Best New Music, Music reviews, Music roundup, new music

  album of the week, Best New Music, BIG SPECIAL, Celestial North, Hak Baker, Tunes of the week