NEW MUSIC FEBRUARY

SHARING JUST SOME OF THE ALBUMS AND EP’S DROPPING THIS MONTH!

Pivotal figures of the mid 90’s Britpop revolution Cast find themselves on course for their first top ten record in 25 year with Love Is The Call.

Released 16th February 2024, Love Is The Call is an album years in the making. Marking itself as Cast’s seminal record, John (Power) himself says, “This is the record that Cast never made but needed to make. And it’s the record that I needed to write. It’s been bugging me for a long time – it’s been asking to be written and asking to be recorded because it’s in that sweet spot between the beginning of Cast and the end of The La’s whilst neither being a parody of either.”

FULL REVIEW AND EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JOHN POWER OF CAST HERE

THE MESS WE SEEM TO MAKE | CRAWLERS

Crawlers’ debut album The Mess We Seem To Make takes us on a messy journey of trauma, mental health and addiction.

Using their distinct sound and Holly Minto’s extensive vocal range, many topics are explored throughout the record are issues many will relate to. From loneliness to dependence, the album consists of 12 songs featuring their distinctive sound whilst also experimenting with some ‘lullaby’ style songs.

WE REVIEW THE MESS WE MAKE HERE

DREAMS, SCHEMES AND YOUNG TEAMS | SHAMBOLICS

This week, one of Scotland’s most exciting and most loved indie bands SHAMBOLICS release their anticipated debut album ‘Dreams, Schemes and Young Teams’.

Having been a popular name on the local circuit for many years, Shambolics have an army of enthusiastic fans behind them, championing their relatable riotous persona and working class ethos.

What started as a means to stay out of trouble, frontman duo Daren Forbes and Lewis McDonald have turned playing to a handful of people in their local Kirkcaldy pubs to headlining sold out shows across Scotland. Since then they have secured supporting slots with legends such as Richard Ashcroft, Cast and regularly, The View. Picking up new fans everywhere they go, there’s something just pretty enthralling about these ‘wee neds’ from Fife.

FULL REVIEW AND INTERVIEW HERE

SOME THINGS BREAK | BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH

Some Things Break is Benjamin Francis Leftwich’s mesmerisng memoir of heartbreak and healing.

CHECK OUT OUR FULL REVIEW HERE

DECLAN MCKENNA | WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEACH

Indie-rocker Declan McKenna provides eclectic enjoyment with his third album, “What
Happened To The Beach?”

This 12 track record sees McKenna relish in self-reflection and transport listeners on a peculiar yet poignant journey. Normally a review like this would follow the album in a somewhat chronological order, but I think it’s intriguing to look at the final moments of this album first. ‘Honest Test’, ‘It’s An Act’, ‘Mezzanine’ and ‘4 More Years’ follow a typically steady momentum, providing easy listening and a head-nodding or foot-tapping tempo. It is the calm after the storm and is the part of the album that is easiest to get lost in.

READ OUR REVIEW OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEACH HERE

THE LAST DINNER PARTY | PRELUDE TO ECSTASY

This time last year, The Last Dinner Party was little more than a new name being shared amongst those that had caught them live. Great songs, strong aesthetic. April’s release of the moreish, dark guitar-pop of Nothing Matters marked an introduction that took the online world by storm, and yet behind all the excitement and narrative was a fantastically confident indie-rock song by a band doing it the old-fashioned way, out on the road.

“Ecstasy is a pendulum which swings between the extremes of human emotion, from the ecstasy of passion to the sublimity of pain, and it is this concept which binds our album together. This is an archaeology of ourselves; you can exhume our collective and individual experiences and influences from within its fabric. We exorcised guitars for their solos, laid bare confessions directly from diary pages, and summoned an orchestra to bring our vision to life.” The Last Dinner Party.

At the turn of 2024, The Last Dinner Party have won themselves a first BRIT (Rising Star), and voted BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2024. They’ll spend much of it joining dots from city to city on a road map across the globe. That whirlwind has barely even begun.

Check out our full review of PRELUDE TO ECSTASY.

GIANT ROOKS | HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?

2nd February 2024 – Giant Rooks release their album How Have You Been? as the successor to their debut album Rookery via Vertigo Berlin/IRRSINN Tonträger. The new album contains 14 songs and reflects the highs and lows experienced by the band over the last few years. Releasing a 46-minute album amid a time of fast-paced content consumption, they remain true to their classic songwriting style. The band, known for their energetic live performances, started a tour in support of the album. Hits like “Somebody Like You” and “Morning Blue” draw upon the familiar sound style of Rookery, while titles such as “Fight Club” explore a new direction in their songwriting. The gentle ballad “How Have You Been?” concludes the album on a reflective and intimate note. 

How Have You Been? is an introspective personal inventory, an honest illustration of what Giant Rooks are all about. As with Rookery, we are left with the feeling that this is by no means the end of the story. In February the “How Have You Been? – The Tour” will continue with stops in Europe, UK and North America. All tour dates can be found at: www.giant-rooks.com.

JAMIE WEBSTER | 10 FOR THE PEOPLE

The scale of public support for the songs of singular, life-as-he-sees-it-singing, aspirational indie voice of Jamie Webster looks set to reach new heights with the release of his third
album, 10 For The People with Modern Sky UK. Confidently hoping his third Top Ten album chart finish early next year, Webster’s Pied Piper-pull is set to draw a previously unimaginable 40,000 fans to one place when he plays a HUGE
outdoor headline show at Sefton Park, Liverpool on Fri 12 July 2024.

Following the announcement of 10 for the People last year, Webster says,

“This next album is specifically for the people, it’s brimming with stories, lessons
and calls to action. It’s about making people feel like they’re not alone. It will evoke a lot of
questions about what is actually going on today. I’m literally just highlighting a lot of tales and
scenarios of different people that will speak of wider injustice.”

You can read our full review on 10 TO THE PEOPLE right now.

AMERICAN TEETH | A WAKE

American Teeth, the sonic alter ego of Elisha Noll, has released the A Wake EP today, February 2, via Fearless Records. Noll has quickly risen in the ranks as in-demand songwriter having worked on tracks for The Jonas Brothers, Nessa Barrett, Illenium, 5 Seconds of Summer, and more.

Speaking about the new EP Noll says, “I wrote this song about a day or two after my dad died, when I was walking on the beach and stepped onto the sand to find thousands of sand dollars sprawled across the beach,” the artist explains. “It was the first time I connected an event with my dad after he died, and gave me hope that he was still with me. I was reminded of this memory while working with Dewain Whitmore, Julian Bell, and Colin Brittain, and we decided to bring it to life. The outro lyrics were written a few years back in a session I had with Matthew Pauling. We were working in a similar chord progression and I felt the message at the end was a nice way to tie the whole journey up.”

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