A God-awful Small Affair

OK at this stage in the game, Kylie Minogue does not need to be releasing albums. She is lying to us and herself when she puts them out and says "all 11 tracks are definitely worth listening to". Because we all know there are only ever three or four at best. But - WHAT'S THIS - there's definitely five this time around so that's what I'll give her. Well done Kylie, see you again next year. Rating: 5/10 Highlights: I Was Gonna Cancel; Into the Blue; Feels So Good; Million Miles; Kiss Me Once Avoid: Beautiful; If Only; Fine Artwork Watch: What airbrushing? Up next: FKA Twigs  

It is now tradition for a fascinating, new British popstar to bedazzle us with 2 albums at most and then kindly fade into obscurity. Breaking that mould somewhat with her third release is the admittedly ten thousand times more charismatic Ms. Faith, although it'd be nice if we could just give her that final push and break this #2 chart spot streak she's on. Faith's voice has always been divisive: it was haunting and outstanding where her songwriting allowed it to be, but in a gentler backdrop she often comes across as shrill and, at times, unbearable. She did manage to pull off a chart-topper this year, but there she was surrounded by all sorts of strings and synths to dilute her. Here, she's given a little more prominence and a plethora of genres to excel in again, but anyone expecting another New York (I'm sure I went through this futility reviewing Fall to Grace ) is going to leave mildly disappointed. 2014's most insistent cockroach makes a most ...

Now there's a title I didn't think I'd ever get to write. Following the career of Azealia Banks these past three years has been stressful, so it's impossible to imagine how Ms. Banks must be feeling right now. The feuds were often childish and needless, the musical-chairs game with her labels grew tiresome by the start of 2013, and the constant threats to leak her own album were never followed through. It was often quite easy to forget the talent that was bubbling away underneath all of the drama, and all of the pushbacks in the world - it turns out - haven't had much of a bearing on the impact of Broke With Expensive Taste . It sits quite comfortably at a strong 4/5 on most critics' reviews, whilst her contemporaries fling themselves carelessly at whatever's popular and likely to chart at expense of their capabilities.  Clearly, the feud with Disclosure did not put Banks off her love of the UK's surging house scene. Most of Broke With Expens...

Prior to 2011, the idea of anyone creating anything worthwhile inspired by/named after Torquay, my hometown, seemed pretty laughable (I mean, sure, Agatha Christie's works and Fawlty Towers are both fantastic but it's been a while, guys). It may look pretty on a postcard but for the past ten years now it's been in rapid decline to the teenage pregnancy capital of the country (maybe Europe?), deserted high streets (the loss of HMV, Burger King and Blockbusters to discount stores and charity shops) and soaring drug use. So it took something quite special to make me feel wistful and nostalgic about it whilst at university, and The English Riviera was just that. It seems to have had a similar effect on many others, as the backlash against Love Letters - their fourth album now - seems to suggest. I suppose there's a large leap for listeners to follow merely on an aesthetic level; back in 2011 they were dicking around on Torquay pier and licking tarmac , and ...

As the noughties' most perpetually underrated queen of pop, Kelis' career has already been through as many genres and revivals as Rihanna's had albums. It's going to take an awful lot of resolve for this reviewer, however, to move on from her last one: 2010's Flesh Tone and its gloriously produced barrage of club hits such as Acapella , Home and 4th of July (Fireworks) was the perfect marriage between the music du jour (Guetta's prime year) and a unique, highly defined individual style. Why, the outfits from the Acapella video alone made more of a visual impact than the entire ARTPOP experience. So when, way back in April last year, there came quiet release of 'Jerk Ribs' - perhaps owing to the fact she was inbetween huge American and modest British labels - one couldn't help but feel a little bit concerned. Going back to a soul sound fifteen years into a career often has all the hallmarks of an artist giving up, after all. But ...

For those of us of a gayer disposition, the slow realisation of a new Wild Beasts record, whilst exciting, does initially make one yearn for a new Antony & the Johnsons record instead. Whilst Hegarty toys around with live recordings, greatest hits, and Hercules and Love Affair, his vocal kindred spirit Hayden Thorpe will have to do . If 2011's Smother was anything to go by, however, then I should probably ditch the sulking; not to mention the fact that it was being partly recorded just around the corner from my university, being such the fan of irrelevant, vaguely personal trivia that I am.   Where Smother settled down with its shoegazing, serene melodies, Present Tense takes care to open boldly and with a snarling, John Grantesque synth. Much seems to have been made of their subtle digs at other bands here but I can't quite find much to support that; instead it seems to tear apart obnoxious 'worldly' folk who're bragging to Thorpe, whilst the syn...

Being from a shitty little part of the country where your only chance of spotting a live act is either a bunch of amateurs or the Wurzels (if they fall into a separate category), the opportunity to catch Katy B towards the end of my time at university was a godsend... until she cancelled. I haven't quite recovered. The release of Little Red , Brien's second full LP, has done well to drown those sorrows. On our first glimpses way back in 2013, (I'm aware I'm now half a year between albums being released and me reviewing them. Sorry.) the signs were promising; first single 5AM revived the fantastic party that Katy on a Mission and Witches Brew had thrown, whilst follow-up Crying for no Reason introduced a startlingly vulnerable new side to her sound that should - if there's any justice - cement Katy B as one of those go-to names for outstanding examples of British talent. I'm not holding out for an Adele-style takeover but you get my gist. Production-wi...