Tag: review

Thereafter the record lulls itself in a disappointing complacency that comparatively will result in most tracks being somewhat forgettable. That however feels more of a testament to the strength of their recent work. These are good Ghost songs, they just aren’t the great songs that we hoped for and the pre-release singles teased.

The likes of ‘Marks Of The Evil One’ and ‘Umbra’ do provide some more memorable moments, and you can’t really pinpoint a bad track. A better song order would probably help expel the feeling of Ghost by numbers that seeps into the middle of the album; but it’s all too easy to criticise. This is actually a decent album, you just enter into it wanting another masterpiece.

We’ve seen the momentum of other next big thing type bands killed by bad albums, but this is absolutely not one of those. The quality of the three singles alone ensures that this won’t stifle their seemingly unstoppable momentum.

Perhaps what this album does more than anything is confirm Ghost in the upper echelons of their world. With that they naturally loose the new toy shine and some of their once captivating buzz. Thankfully for them they can still fallback on a base of substance to ensure they remain liable to worship!

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Tags Album, Album Review, Ghost, Music, review, SKELETÁ

Album Reviews

Luke Spiller

Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes And Wine

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Luke Spiller – Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes And Wine – Album review

With his band The Struts, Luke Spiller has earned his pedigree as a classic rock ‘n’ roll frontman. Wowing audiences across the world, anybody watching Spiller on stage will note his penchant for showmanship. Spiller has always exuded a passion for the theatrical and grandiose and now as he releases his debut solo album, he is able to explore his love for the flamboyant in more depth.

Yes, the prophetically titled, ‘Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine’, features ten stunning tracks that gently walk the tightrope between intimate and grand. Whilst the instantly recognisable vocals of Spiller lend a small dose of familiarity for fans of his day job, these songs are correctly presented as something entirely different.

Spiller has always given off the vibes of someone you either love or hate. Any hatred however is usually driven purely by jealousy from those incapable of conjuring performances like his. These songs are shrouded in vulnerability and as Spiller sings the chorus of ‘Don’t Be Afraid To Love Me’, you feel he is almost offering this to those haters as much as he is any love interest.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘She’s just like california’

Luke Spiller – ‘She’s Just Like California’

Love is at the core of this collection however and the tracks carry a very personal sense of catharsis throughout. ‘The Ending Is Always The Same’, ‘If This Isn’t Love’ and the title track particularly hit that spot.

There is however an extremely cinematic atmosphere to this collection with the epic album closer ‘Angel Like You’ (which by the way features the last recording Taylor Hawkins made before his death) especially sounding like it was written with a Bond movie in mind.

That is the pure ambition and drive of Spiller on full display though, and this record is made by the freedom that he gains from moving away from The Struts formula.

‘Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine’ is the sound of an incredibly talented individual striving for greatness and getting pretty close! It provides a very precise listening experience and sets up a whole new platform for Spiller to explore his childhood influences further than ever before.

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Album Reviews

HIMALAYAS

BAD STAR

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HIMALAYAS – BAD STAR – ALBUm REVIEW

HIMALAYAS have been making their mark over the course of a decade worth’s of impressive live shows and increasingly intense releases. On their new album, ‘BAD STAR’, they are ready to complete their evolution into one of the must exciting bands on the circuit.

The four-piece have gradually evolved their sound from more indie beginnings into a now all-out thunderous rock bombast. The riffs are heavier, the grooves are cooler, and the overall package is grander. The band have stepped up on this new collection and they’ve done it in style.

Album opener, ‘Beneath The Barrel’, slowly builds over two and a half minutes to an atmospheric crescendo which perfectly captures the aesthetics of the record. There is a precision in the delivery of these modern rock anthems which only serves to elevate the album.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘AFTERLIFE’

HIMALAYAS – ‘Afterlife’

Whilst pre-release singles such as ‘What If…?’, ‘Surrender’, and previous Full Pelt Single of the Week ‘Nothing Higher’, all act as benchmarks for the remaining tracks; this is a record you can break out the clichéd ‘not a bad track on here’ remark.

It’s always refreshing to see a band such as HIMALAYAS demonstrating their growth and long time fans of the band will certainly relish in the grandiose nature of ‘BAD STAR’.

At ten tracks, it also feels important to note that this album doesn’t overstay its welcome. It’s here to deliver a knockout blow and that’s exactly what it manages to do. This is a band high on confidence and ready to kick down doors, so brace for impact and immerse yourself in this fantastic record!

Watch Episode 65 of The Full Pelt Music Podcast with guests HIMALAYAS!

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 65 – HIMALAYAS

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Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 82

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Album Reviews

The Pale White

The Big Sad

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THE PALE WHITE – THE BIG SAD – ALBUM REVIEW

The Pale White are proud to represent the Northeast of England and much like Newcastle United, the trio have had to overcome a lot of turbulence in order to reach for the stars!

Whilst Eddie Howe’s men have finally lifted a major trophy, The Pale White have focused on creating something memorable themselves in the shape of their sophomore album, ‘The Big Sad’.

Frontman Adam Hope of spoken openly of the brave creative strides taken to muster up what can correctly be described as an eclectic record. It would in fact be easier to list the genres not in scope on this collection then try to pigeonhole this set of songs into any singular pre-conceived genre or style.

Hope, alongside drummer brother Jack and bassist Dave Barrow, has built a musical merry-go-round which will command your attention over the course of thirteen tracks and a solid forty-five minutes of sweet sonic madness.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘Lost in the moment’

The Pale White – Lost In The Moment

To keep the metaphors coming after that sweet reference, you could liken this to a pick ‘n’ mix bag of goodies. That helps to ensure that this is an interesting and engaging listen but perhaps hampers any real continuity across the record.

You can sense the incredible passion poured into the album however and the results are simply astonishing. For a band who had established something of a signature sound, ‘The Big Sad’ sees them almost completely tear up the rule book and throw everything they have to offer onto a new blank page.

There are still some familiar moments but in general fans of the band will need to enter this experience with an open mind. There are lots of ideas spread across these fascinating tracks… some of them work, and naturally others don’t. You have to admire however the guts of the group to do things their way and bravely forge ahead with their renewed vision for the band.

The Toon Army didn’t win their first cup final of this new era, but the experience pushed them on to become the behemoth that they are now. ‘The Big Sad’ may not be their magnum opus, but it will surely be a key lesson on their way to future successes!

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EP Reviews

newshapes

a conversation with myself

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Tags a conversation with myself, Album, Album Review, EP, EP Review, Music, newshapes, review

Magazine

Full Pelt Magazine

Vol. 81

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Live Reviews

Frank Turner

Corn Exchange, Cambridge

Thursday 10th April 2025

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FRANK TURNER – CAMBRIDGE – LIVE REVIEW

📸 Denis Gorbatov

Cambridge has spent the day soaking up the lovely spring sun, but as the evening breaks it’s time to head into the beautiful Corn Exchange for an evening of song and revelry!

Frank Turner lives by the mantra – always on tour, and he remarks that this evening is his twentieth appearance in Cambridge in as many years! There is a reason that he can live his life on the road and that fans will always come to his shows, and that is the community that he has built.

Showing how attuned he is to the struggles of the industry, a portion of every ticket on this tour is going to the Music Venue Trust. More than that though, he has hand picked a local opening musician for every show!

MINNIE BIRCH

This evening the chosen act is Minnie Birch, who opens her set with a haunting a cappella number which instantly sucks the audience in. This of course is an audience of Turner community members, and they give this unknown opener the opportunity to showcase her clear talents.

Penultimate song, ‘Accident of Birth’ is a standout moment which brings forth thunderous applause from an appreciative audience. These opening slots are indeed a big opportunity for those selected and Birch can be proud that she nailed her chance to shine with aplomb.

AMIGO the devil

Special guest on this tour is Amigo the Devil who steps the noise levels up considerably with his full band bringing his folk-rock-country-metal-punk sonic explosion to life on stage. It doesn’t take long for that welcoming audience to fully embrace the charismatic singer, who holds the venue in the palm of his hand throughout his fantastic set.

Yes, the crowd really does hang off every word of his story-centric songs and particularly enjoy his captivating presentation of ‘I Hope Your Husband Dies’.

You can see that the entire band is having fun and that transcends to the whole venue as the show continues. When they leave the stage, you feel that every single member of the audience would’ve been happy having more Amigo the Devil in their lives and that’s job done for the support act!

FRANK TURNER

Time is really flying this evening and that’s usually a good sign too. It’s not long at all it seems before Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls hit the stage and break straight into two new tracks, ‘No Thank You for the Music’ and ‘Girl From the Record Shop’ from latest album, ‘Undefeated’. The fans though treat both tracks as if they are old favourites, before letting fully go as the band launch into the rousing ‘1933’.

‘Undefeated’ is Turner’s tenth album and comes at another time of change and reflection for a man who has battled through a lifetime of ups and downs. That fan and friend community that surrounds him however continues to ensure he still emerges undefeated as it were.

That record is the focus of the show, and the tracks selected are some of the highlights of the night including very personal tracks ‘East Finchley’ and ‘Somewhere Inbetween’.

With ten albums to pick from however, the science of setlists for Turner only gets harder. Obvious picks punctuate the set such as ‘Recovery’, ‘Photosynthesis’, ‘If Ever I Stray’ and ‘The Next Storm’. It’s the deeper cuts though that always keep Turner shows unique and special and tonight it’s great to see outings for ‘One Foot Before the Other’ and ‘Tattoos’.

There is of course a second reason why fans keep coming out to these Turner shows and it’s because a good time is as guaranteed as these things can ever be. Over the course of now 3000+ shows, Turner has perfected his craft and tonight he is again an unstoppable force on this stage.

That is perhaps demonstrated best during the final encore ruckus of ‘Polaroid Picture’, ‘Get Better’ and ‘Four Simple Words’. You could even go as far as saying that this feels like the best all-round version of Turner so far, which given his pedigree is certainly saying something!

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EP Reviews

Gallus

Cool To Drive

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Album Reviews

OK Go

Post author By fullpeltmusic
Post date April 11, 2025

And The Adjacent Possible

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OK GO – AND THE ADJACENT POSSIBLE – ALBUM REVIEW

OK Go are something of an anomaly in the music world, in that they are probably more famous for their videos than for their music. In a world that’s now consumed by TikTok and shortform videos, maybe that wouldn’t be such an oddity these days, but OK Go did it twenty years ago!

Yes, the original viral sensations are back with what is only their fifth studio album. This represents pretty lean offerings in what has been a 25+ year career, but for the first time in eleven years we have a new album, ‘And the Adjacent Possible’.

You could say that OK Go are very much a quality over quantity type act and this latest album again follows that mantra. Twelve tracks spread over forty-five sumptuous minutes; this is a record that will resonate well with their fanbase.

WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘LOVE’

OK Go – ‘Love’