Vol. 125
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Charlotte Sands
‘Satellite’
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CHARLOTTE SANDS – SATELLITE – ALBUM REVIEW
Charlotte Sands continues her musical journey with new album, ‘Satellite’, which represents another evolutionary step for the LA-based artist.
Sands isn’t your typical alt-pop singer though, with a steadfast DIY attitude and direct hands-on approach to everything that she creates. Every detail from the accompanying aesthetics of her output to the heart of the music itself is derived from painstakingly passionate dedication.
This new release again oozes with the love poured into its making and this shines through with immaculate modern pop-rock hooks comparable to artists such as PVRIS and Olivia Rodrigo.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘BACK TO YOU’
From the title-track onwards, each track brings something to the table and adds new layers to a record that ebbs and flows particularly well.
At just shy of half an hour and a succinct ten tracks, the album passes by in a flash but leaves a lasting impression which will have you returning to it just as quickly. This is an absorbing collection with the capacity to captivate ingrained into its sonic aura.
Many of these tracks feel made for the stage and with momentum growing for Sands, it’s good to know fans will have the opportunity to hear some of these songs live in the UK this October. Now certainly feels like the ideal time to join Sands on her journey!
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snake eyes
‘cash rich’
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snake eyes – cash rich – album review
Chances are if you’re a live music aficionado then you’ll at the very least have clocked the snake eyes over the past five years. There’s also a high chance that you’ll have caught them at a festival or supporting one of your favourite bands (You Me At Six, Kid Kapichi, Dinosaur Pile-Up, The Xcerts… the list goes on).
If you’re really attuned, then you may even have caught them on a headline tour because the duo have consciously been honing their craft on stages across the country. If you have already connected with the band then you’ll be particularly excited that now is the time for the band to release their debut album, ‘cash rich’!
A steady stream of singles and EP’s have whetted the appetite of fans but ‘cash rich’ presents an honest and engaging statement of intent from a duo with clearly defined morals and an entrenched glimmer of positivity.
Yes, openly addressing the dumpster-fire of a world that we live in with honesty and integrity but delivering your message in a light-hearted and uplifting musical style is a tricky balance to achieve. Yet somehow snake eyes have absolutely nailed it.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘HDTV’
The twelve tracks on this album represent a time-capsule of their career thus far with tracks written at various times over the past five years and even a couple of remnants from lockdown. Somehow the record doesn’t feel disconnected, it actually flows with precision and the duo’s knack of catchy choruses and raw intensity is at the heart of that feeling.
The likes of ‘jar full of wasps’, ‘no cars’ and ‘hdtv’ open the record with familiarity and lay the path for what follows. ‘i’m a daydream’ is a real gem and helps to settle the record in, before the duo really begin to stretch their legs.
The time taken to create this collection and the desire to include their best work ensures that there isn’t a bad track on the album. ‘swing away’ and ‘robot boy’ work incredibly well as the closing testimony of the album in a way which really demands your captivation.
For fans that have waited a while for this first album, ‘cash rich’ fully delivers on expectations. For those arriving late to the party – now’s the time to get behind a band who promise to become something really special.
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Vol. 124
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Rob Zombie
‘The Great Satan’
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ROB ZOMBIE – THE GREAT SATAN – ALBUM REVIEW
Rob Zombie returns with ‘The Great Satan’, his first album in five years, and he does so with a renewed vigour driven by nostalgia. That nostalgic feel doesn’t just come from early 2000’s metal undergoing a renaissance of sorts but from some recent line-up changes too.
With John 5 and Piggy D. both moving on (to Motley Crue and Marilyn Manson respectively) the door has opened for original members Mike Riggs and Blasko to return to the Zombie family. This means that ¾ of the line-up responsible for classic albums ‘Hellbilly Deluxe’ and ‘The Sinister Urge’ are present again.
That does lead quite nicely to this album sonically and aesthetically revisiting those hellbilly roots. The subsequent heavy rock/punk infused sound is much more akin to nu-metal era stylings then what we are used to with processed to death modern metal.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FOR ‘F.T.W. 84’
That means that these songs are loud, rough around the edges and grungy as hell. That though is the perfect premise for a Rob Zombie album and old school fans will feel instantly at home with these songs.
Equally those that are jumping on the nu-metal renaissance bandwagon will get much enjoyment from ‘The Great Satan’ and tracks like ‘(I’m a) Rock “N” Roller’, ‘Heathen Days’ and ‘Punks and Demons’.
Naturally theatrical and expectedly over the top this is the right Rob Zombie album for 2026 and as mad as it is, it’s also ideal for the mad world that we exist within in 2026!
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Gorillaz
‘The Mountain’
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GORILLAZ – THE MOUNTAIN – ALBUM REVIEW
Since playing the record in full at the “mystery” show during their House of Kong exhibition, the hype for ‘The Mountain’ has steadily risen. New Gorillaz albums always hit a bit different, and this new collection already feels like a monumental release for the group.
With much writing and recording happening in India, the influence of the regions culture is central to the sonic ambience of this album and helps to give these songs a unique identity compared to the big hitters in the Gorillaz back catalogue. This is of course still a celebration of world music; as recent Gorillaz albums have been.
Thematically, ‘The Mountain’ is very much a conceptual record based around the themes of life, death and the afterlife. This leads to some of their most emotive work to date with songs which we will all unfortunately be able to relate to.
As with any Gorillaz record, this is a collaborative project with many guests strewn across the album including Sparks, IDLES and Johnny Marr. A particularly nice touch though considering the themes of the record is the inclusion of unused vocal takes from previous collaborators who are sadly no longer with us such as Bobby Womack, David Jolicoeur, Mark E. Smith, Dennis Hopper and Tony Allen.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘THE HARDEST THING’
The collection is an album in the truest sense. Cohesively built and designed to be enjoyed as it’s put down. For those needing a reminder of how we used to do things before short-form media – that means to listen to the album uninterrupted, in order, from track one to fifteen. The album is a long one, needing your undivided attention, but it does reward you for your time completely with a fully immersive listening experience.
If you are viewing ‘The Mountain’ through modern music consumption lenses, then you’d say that the album is bloated and some fat needs to be trimmed, for example you’d say a near five-minute intro track is unnecessarily elaborate. That really isn’t the point of this album though! Every element adds to the grandiose, intense and spiritual aesthetic that gives the album its heart and soul.
What is somewhat amusing is that this is the album that has taken Gorillaz into Stadiums and it will be fascinating to see how the album is absorbed into their big summer shows, which tend to attract more casual fans.
That is a question for then though and the only question now is how Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewitt continue to evolve one of the most evolved projects in music. The term genius is thrown around too much, but you have to sit in awe at the pure creative force of nature that Gorillaz has become!
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Vol. 123
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New Found Glory
‘Listen Up!’
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The backstory to New Found Glory’s latest studio album, ‘Listen Up!’ is a truly remarkable tale.
The health battle fought by guitarist Chad Gilbert has been well documented. His ongoing battle with a rare form of cancer has led to his withdrawal from the stage, but whilst his bandmates hit the road, Gilbert hit the writer’s chair.
The result is an album thematically tied to the notion of offering hope to those going through hard times wishing to stir growth and strength. The title of the album is designed to get listeners to actively listen to the lyrics of these songs and absorb that encouraging meaning.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘100%’
Musically, this is very much classic New Found Glory. The pioneers of pop-punk focus their energy into a record which carries their signature sound and delivers it with confidence.
This is a genre of course which was rooted in youthful exuberance and therefore many of the bands’ contemporaries have struggled to deliver impactful albums during the later stages of their careers. If any pop-punk bands want to see how to do so with real worth then ‘Listen Up!’ should be the textbook example.
It’s a great moment to be able to celebrate the band and everything that they’ve brought their scene and everything that we hope they’ll offer in the future.
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The Enemy
‘Social Disguises’
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THE ENEMY – SOCIAL DISGUISES – ALBUM REVIEW
After making a strong impression with their early work, the career of Coventry’s indie darlings The Enemy petered out in 2016. After a lengthy hiatus however, the band re-emerged in 2022 and have been reintroducing themselves to fans via well-received tours since then.
The time has come though for the trio to back up their reunion with new music and that arrives fully in the shape of their fifth studio album, ‘Social Disguises’.
Their return has been accompanied by a humility and maturity which contradicts the brash youthfulness of their early years. When writing and recording this album however, the band have said that they tried to make it with the same frame of mind as their first.
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘TROUBLE’
That leads to their signature swagger being present but being structured by the added experience that they now possess. This manifests in songs which represent the best of both worlds and translate particularly well for an audience who have likely themselves also matured but will want to relive what drew them to the band in the first place.
The pre-release singles, ‘The Boxer’, ‘Not Going Your Way’ and ‘Trouble’ represent the album well, acting as a good indicator of what fans could expect.
The final run of ‘Serious’, ‘Innocent’ and ‘Finish Line’ is also particularly enjoyable. In fact, amongst the ten tracks (plus one interlude) there isn’t a particularly bad track. The album flows nicely and does their return the justice it deserved.
Where many bands in this scenario would fail to deliver something of worth, The Enemy can be proud of what they have created.
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Vol. 122
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