Vol. 82
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Full Pelt Magazine
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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.
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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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newshapes
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Vol. 81
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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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Gallus
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OK Go
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.
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Easy to digest, these songs pull from across the unique OK Go soundscape and represent therefore a fantastic snapshot into their special musical mix. Alt indie rock with overriding pop pizazz, each track feels like it has its own identify and that only adds to the value of the overall record.
Ben Harper, Shalah Fearing, BEGINNERS featuring pre-release single, ‘A Good, Good Day at Last’ is sublime and fellow focus tracks ‘A Stone Only Rolls Downhill’ and ‘Take Me with You’ also standout. There isn’t a bad track in sight though, on what is a convincing return from the band.
With more fun videos in tow along with this record, the band will again have eyes on them, but again the music will likely to a backseat to the overall package. That’s a shame as the group have proven they have a real knack for this whole music lark!
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Vol. 80
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Air Drawn Dagger
A Guide for Apparitions
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AIR DRAWN DAGGER – A GUIDE FOR APPARITIONS – ALBUM REVIEW
At a time when it can be really difficult to be heard, Sheffield’s Air Drawn Dagger have cut through the noise and garnered much early affection. Now they are ready to take fans on a journey in every sense of the word as they release their debut album, ‘A Guide for Apparitions’.
The album is a passage of the mystic, the macabre and the spiritual which will unwittingly cast a spell on you with its chaotic charm and its atmospheric assault on the sonic senses!
This lyrical book of fables and defiant hymns is soundtracked by a genre-busting noise that embraces a range of musical influences which are all conjured up in an electro-rock cauldron.
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Legend has it that vocalist Maisie Manterfield and guitarist Lewis Budden began writing songs in the back of a cake shop… well with drummer Ross Dore completing the trio, they’ve certainly found a delicious recipe for their debut album!
There isn’t a bad track on the collection which starts out strong with recent single ‘Sanctifound’ and weaves it way around the senses until the emphatic Toni Duncan featuring ‘Apparitions’ and ‘Bellyaches’ serve as a memorable conclusion.
A stunning modern rock record served with generous slice of pop punk goodness; this debut album is an enormous opening statement from a band with potential of equal magnitude. Expect this to be just the beginning of what promises to be an epic journey for Air Drawn Dagger!
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Vol. 79
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