Reviews

Muse were in typically bombastic form

Muse, Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield
3OH!3, Millennium Music Hall, Cardiff

Muse show how to handle a huge audience, while an American duo are small fish in a large pond

Inside Reviews

Album: JLS, JLS (Epic)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

You already know what this sounds like. JLS, the they-seem-like-nice-boys losers (though probably, in the long run, winners) of the last X Factor, are being carefully slotted by LouisWalsh into a lucrative gap in the market.

Album: Luke Haines, 21st Century Man (Fantastic Plastic)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

The publication of his Britpop-based memoir Bad Vibes has increased the perception that all Haines' works, written or musical, are essentially autobiography laced with bitter socio-cultural critique.

Album: Basil Hodge, Sound Reasoning (Seal)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

Timeless (that is to say,emblematically 1960s sounding) and enjoyably unpretentious modal bop with strong themes, punchy choruses and spirited playing from the pianist/composer Hodge's London quintet of Tony Kofi on sax, Fulvio Sigurtaon trumpet, Larry Bartley on bass and the great Winston Clifford on drums.

Album: Jamie Cullum, The Pursuit (Decca)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

No one can accuse Cullum of resting on his laurels.The Pursuit finds the pint sized jazz-popper running the gamut of his musical meanderings from triphop to show tunes to a house number to straight up love balladry.

Album: Karin Krog, Joy (Meantime)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

"Mr Joy", the opening song of this 1968 album by Norwegian vocalist Krog, still sounds startlingly contemporary, like a newwave folk-jazz project referencing Robert Wyatt and early John Martyn.

Album: Julie Fowlis, Uam (Spit and Polish)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

There is degree to which Scots Gaelic trad music must remain a mysteryto non-Celts, but only a small degree.

Album: AA Bondy, When the Devil's Loose (Fat Possum)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

Too understated and unoriginal to find its way on to anyone's albums of the year lists, the second solo effort from the former Verbena (nope, never heard of them either) singer will, none the less, tickle these ears more frequently than many a "worthier" contender.

Album: Nguyen Le, Saiyuki (ACT)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

The Japanese title means "Journey to the West", which in this case indicates a journey – led by the Paris-based Vietnamese Nguyen – with the Japanese koto-player and singer Mieko Miyazaki, tabla-player Prabhu Edouard and the great Hindustani flute player Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Album: Robbie Williams, Reality Killed the Video Star (EMI)

Sunday, 8 November 2009

"It ticks all the boxes,"says Williams of hiseighth solo album. And itdoes – at times joyously(the first three tracks), atother times mechanically(pretty much the rest ofthe album). Trevor Horn'sproduction is blessingand curse: when thematerial's strong enough,Horn is more than up toit; when it's not, thewhole thing sounds a bit1980s (and not in a good,retro way). Essentially, aswith Russell Brand, it all comes downtowhatyou think of Robbiealready. A comeback ofsorts, then. But is theaudience still there?

Album: Biffy Clyro, Only Revolutions (14th Floor) (Rated 3/ 5 )

Friday, 6 November 2009

The progress of Ayrshire prog-metal trio Biffy Clyro demonstrates again that, outside of the short-term imperatives of Cowellised talent-show pop, the best way for a proper rock band to develop is through faith and persistence, rather than coaching and consultancy.

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