At face value, ‘Happier’ is a solid record, if a little generic in places, but it’s not easy to deliver simplicity well, and there’s a good reason we return to music that has a familiar quality. It’s comforting and it’s nostalgic, but that’s not to say there isn’t anything new to offer. Pay closer attention and there’s more at play, with the more obvious ‘vintage’ pop punk influences shining through alongside the more subtle hints of emo rock (which powerhouse vocalist Bethany Hunter more than holds up against).

Formed in Nottingham in 2014, As December Falls were advised to ditch the guitars and focus on synths. There’s a place for pop, but there’s still plenty of room for the raw emotion and energy that only comes from plucking strings and vocal chords. The heavier end of the pop music spectrum is not-so-subtly stomping its way back into the mainstream, with artists like Willow Smith, Machine Gun Kelly and even Olivia Rodrigo tapping into their angst (noughties styling in tow). It’s time that lens pulls a little wider to recognise the smaller bands that have been living this scene for years.

As December Falls are a true self-made success in progress – recording their first album in 2019 in a garage, to working with producer John Mitchell (Architects, Enter Shikari, You Me At Six) on the creation of the more mature and polished ‘Happier’. That killer opening track ‘Afterglow’ sets the bar high, a standard maintained through the fun, loud and mostly upbeat record.

In case you were getting bored by track four, ‘I Don’t Feel Like Feeling Great’ offers a surprise guitar solo from Ande Hunter towards the end – a defining moment on the album to prove that the genre can still push boundaries. Title track ‘Happier.’ is, ironically, the slowest song that shows a more soft and vulnerable side to the four piece. We see a glimpse of the synth they rebelled against in the intro to ‘Tears’, which lifts us back up gently into their signature sound against a backdrop of more personal lyrics.

“Heaven knows I need no saviour / ‘Cause I can only save myself” seems to perfectly encapsulate As December Falls’ bootstrap attitude – knowing what they want to do and not letting anyone tell them otherwise. And they’re right to believe in their vision – ‘Happier’ is a reminder of not only why we fell in love with pop punk many years ago, but why we’ll continue loving it for years to come.

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Traditionally, technicolor is a process used to colorize old film. In the same spirit, Covet have set out to take their progressive math rock sound, develop it and add richness through new textures, new techniques and an added vocal layer – which we see for the first time from guitarist Yvette Young. The band’s first EP, ‘Currents’ (2015), and full-length debut album, ‘effloresce’ (2018), were purely instrumental. This feels like a natural step forward and an expansion of Young’s talents, alongside bassist David Adamiak and drummer Forrest Rice.

Collectively, these ten tracks have a soothing and familiar quality yet, at the same time, offer something intriguingly fresh and new. There’s an effortless ebb and flow throughout the album, like a trailing thought pattern, which contrasts guitar pedal sorcery, feverish tremolo-picking and whammy bar dips with a dreamy vocal lull. With tracks ranging hugely in length and style, nothing feels too forced and everything is one hundred percent flawless.

The opening track, ‘good morning’, is exactly that: a soft awakening with beautiful, progressive guitar melodies – like a sunny haze on a hot summer’s morning. The next, ‘atreyu’, is heavier with more intricate, TTNG-esque riffs and rhythms. Young’s sugary sweet vocals are first introduced in ‘parachute’, with a six-string call-and-response which gives the impression of multiple instruments. Thematically, the track is about jumping and taking a risk. If this is compared with the album itself, Covet’s risk-taking has paid dividends.

The progressive and intricate track ‘predawn’ leads into ‘nero’, the first single from the album. Set within a game, the music video to ‘nero’ has a low-budget ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World’ feel with Young in a robot costume, using her music as a weapon against Adamiak and Rice. As her fingers nimbly manoeuvre the fretboard and strings, bursts of light and energy pour from the headstock to defeat the forces of evil. It’s clear that Covet don’t take themselves too seriously – nerding out in a junkyard to the sound of the darker, weightier song – and that’s exactly what makes them all the more likeable.

Offering a light and airy interlude at just over a minute and a half long, ‘pirouette’ spins into another heavier track, ‘ares’. One of TTNG’s best-loved albums, ‘Animals’ (2008), features single-word song titles named after animals. It’s possible, then, that ‘parrot’ is a nod to their work, a technically complex track with a jazzy outro that draws a number of parallels. Meaning wrathful or angry in Greek, ‘odessa’ is the longest track on ‘technicolor’, an emotive track that introduces strings. The album culminates with ‘farewell’, which is once again graced with Young’s vocals, and a gradual fade into the end.

The finesse demonstrated by Covet, and the breath-taking explosion of colour and emotion that they’ve captured on ‘technicolor’, is nothing short of extraordinary. This album is, truly, to be coveted.

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‘Swerving Out Wide’ was recorded at the tail end of 2019. It probably wasn’t in the Milton Keynes indie rockers’ plans to release new music while the world is topsy turvy, but a global health crisis won’t stop them in their tracks. The EP boasts six new songs that were recorded, produced, and mixed by Larry Hibbitt (who has also worked with the likes of Dinosaur Pile-Up, Sea Girls, and Bloxx), and a stripped down version of the fan favourite ‘Not Much Of Me’.

This so-called “band of brothers” have been together since they were 17, meaning the sound they’ve managed to create is just three years in the making. The coming together of flawless vocals, earworm guitar melodies and a strong rhythm foundation, results in a tightly-crafted EP that would hold up against far more experienced artists. The four-piece have a knack for writing songs that are incredibly replayable – each chorus more heartfelt and memorable than the next, and each track more instrumentally detailed and surprising. Naked Next Door have a heavier edge than your typical indie rock band, with a healthy dose of pop, making them a genuinely fun listen.

The opening track, ‘Save It’, is upbeat – although that doesn’t match the lyrical content. The accompanying video follows two parallel scenarios; a greyscale live performance and a boozy night out. In the latter, vocalist Euan Emerton is seemingly at a disconnect from those around him as he sings about taking it too far and filling a hole in his heart with alcohol, with advice from others to get some rest and “save it”. The line “it’s always gotta get dark before you see the morning” is imbued with regret, and feels like a reflection on personal experiences.

‘Halo’ is a highlight among the six tracks. Although still cheerful, there’s a wistfulness about it; no doubt destined to be on the soundtrack of an emotionally-charged television show or film. The lyrics are somewhat cliché, but are compensated by Emerton’s emotive delivery. At the heavier end of the band’s spectrum, ‘Noise’ is quite literally the noisiest track on the EP, alongside ‘Truth Is’ which is home to the rowdiest vocals, the strongest riffs, and the most eruptive drumming. The stripped back ‘Not Much Of Me’ is raw and touching, once again a showcase for Emerton’s voice – this time, complemented beautifully by Corin Schenks and Callum Petchey’s backing vocals. Listeners are gently picked up again with ‘Lying To You’, an anthemic final track that could easily become a set-finisher.

Naked Next Door already sell out their hometown shows in Milton Keynes, and it won’t be long before they’re filling venues around the country. After this release, the only thing holding them back will be how long it takes for live events to be safely reinstated. Until then, we’ll be eagerly waiting – and look forward to a full length album in future.  

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The first impression is that this release was written to be performed in stadiums, or somewhere big enough to accommodate its expansive sound, perhaps stemming from the mindset and energy in which it was developed on tour. The album provides quick, toe-tapping rhythms from drummer David Whitworth, clean, poppy guitar lines from Kurtis Starkie and James Ryan, finished off with intentional, well-enunciated vocals from Aaron Starkie – the kind that demand to be sung with full lungs and open arms.

Opening track ‘All I Hear’ was the first single release from the album, and offers an uplifting start without hesitation or unnecessary progression. It’s unclear exactly what the lyrics mean, but the repeated lines “Been trying to catch a wave for so long, you know this tale too well / Confined I am contained” could reference the band’s hard graft to date and their desire for continuing success.

Overall, ‘The Joy Of The Return’ is well put-together, not diverging too far from a core sound that’s upbeat with melodic bridges, anthemic choruses, and often dark lyrics. Hints of different genres and techniques can be found peppered throughout, supporting the album’s claim to ‘explore a vast swathe of sonic territory’.

‘Idols’ has a gentler start, with Starkie’s masterfully controlled vocals building to a musical crescendo that softly fades away. ‘No Surprise’ has an almost jungle-inspired introduction, whilst ‘Paris’ makes use of synthesizers throughout. An album highlight is the penultimate track ‘Zero Hour’, thanks to the stripped-back start and drum progression beginning at 00:29. It’s the shortest song on the album, but is perfectly formed with a light and poppy chorus. ‘Killing Me’ and the final track ‘The Wait’ are a little heavier and more brooding but, again, the same key elements are there.

Was this a joyful return for The Slow Readers Club? The album does lack a little in variety, in comparison to other bands that demonstrably stretch their talents across a wider range of styles. But, for those with a keen ear who can pick up the subtle influences throughout, or for anyone who enjoys a solid indie anthem, ‘The Joy Of The Return’ is undeniably a quality piece of work.

Having secured a loyal fan base in their northern heartland, with a sizeable discography and growing portfolio of gigs and festivals, ‘The Joy Of The Return’ could be the wave that carries The Slow Readers Club closer to the shores of mainstream success.

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The venue has an intimate feel – smaller than its nearby neighbour, Brixton Academy, who hosted PVRIS two years ago – and the freedom for guests to walk around the balcony and seating areas is a luxury on a Thursday evening. A friend of bassist Brian MacDonald has come to show their support and comments on PVRIS’ ‘badass’ rise to fame; a group of musicians from the ‘middle of nowhere’ in Massachusetts selling out a headline European tour.

PVRIS take to the stage at around 9:15pm to the dark and progressive ‘What’s Wrong’. Photographers are clamouring to shoot vocalist Lynn Gunn, who is effortlessly and iconically cool in leather trousers and a black tee. In fact, the whole set is stripped back with minimal theatricals, just a few lights to set the tone and let the three-piece band’s talent shine through. The crowd cheers, but is a little stiff to begin with though it doesn’t take long for the piercing vocals and groovy melodies to loosen the room until we’re bouncing, clapping and oscillating as one entity – a feeling that’s no more palpable than during ‘You And I’, for which Gunn asks that everyone puts away their phone and is present in the room. 

PVRIS have some incredible songs and the setlist could easily become a greatest hits album, dipping in and out of the 2014 ‘White Noise’, the 2017 ‘All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell’ and the new 2020 EP, ‘Hallucinations’. Each band member regularly changes instruments – MacDonald and lead guitarist Alex Babinski move seamlessly from guitars to keyboards, supported by energetic touring musician Denny Agosto on drums – to fulfill a performance that straddles multiple genres that make your feet move and your heart ache. The show culminates with an explosive encore featuring ‘Death Of Me’ and ‘My House’, with Gunn coming down to greet the front-row fans. 

The lights dim and Lizzo’s ‘Juice’ plays – bringing a smile that sees people on the Victoria line home still humming along. For a headline show, PVRIS’ performance comes in fairly short at just over an hour. It’s a shame as there’s no shortage of material from two studio albums and three EPs, and honestly – we were left wanting more. There have been murmurs of new material later this year, which we’ll eagerly await in the hope that next time PVRIS hits our shores, it’ll be even bigger and better.

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If you’ve never listened to InMe before, ‘Jumpstart Hope’ is a perfect starter for ten… literally. The record is made up of ten tracks of soaring highs and intricate lows; powerful vocals, meticulous instrumentals and emotionally-charged lyrics, fueled by lead vocalist Dave McPherson’s own experiences with mental health. Likewise, a seasoned InMe fan wouldn’t have anything to complain about either – McPherson himself suggests that it’s the first time the band has realised their true potential, as bold as that may sound.

After spending the band’s entire career as a quartet, InMe welcomed a fifth member for the first time last year; John O’Keeffe on rhythm guitar. Perhaps it’s his influence that was missing – not to discredit InMe’s stellar discography to date – but O’Keeffe is potentially just that pinch of salt that’s drawn out and enhanced the flavours and talents within the group.

‘Jumpstart Hope’ is a showcase for each band member; Dave and Greg McPherson’s’ vocals complement each other perfectly, with an incredible range from raspy and angry to clean and smooth. The guitar work from Gazz Marlow and Greg McPherson is flawless across the different genres within the album, and Tom Dalton’s drums offer everything from toe-tapping rhythms to progressive, explosive climaxes.

With what is arguably InMe’s strongest lineup to date, and years of passion to channel into an album, ‘Jumpstart Hope’ is the resulting journey through a multifaceted musical landscape. There are upbeat tracks with gorgeous melodies like ‘The Next Song’, ‘For Something To Happen’ and ‘Rogue Waves’, while tracks like ‘Blood Orange Lake’, ‘I Swear’ and ‘Shame’ stay true to their heavier, riffier roots. ‘Clear History’ and ‘Ancestry’ are more gentle and raw (while ‘Alone’ and ‘The Leopard’ are just solid tracks that fall somewhere in the middle).

There’s darkness and hope in almost equal measure, making this album unexpectedly strong and replayable; a powerful record that will surely mark a new milestone in the band’s career.

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The album begins with two shorter tracks, ‘Woodstock Snap’ and ‘Who Could You Be’, both with infectiously groovy melodies and catchy choruses. The latter was the first single released from the album, followed by ‘Boogie Juice’ and the title track ‘Natural Disguise’. ‘Know It’s Her’ provides 45 seconds of intimacy, a short ode to romance that leaves the listener craving more. This is somewhat quenched by the later track ‘Beautiful Someone’ and its gorgeously delicate guitar lead, contrasted against the peppier ‘Get Gone’. ‘The Groove Is Divine’ should have been nearer the beginning as it paints a picture of what Farro is thinking, or wanting listeners to think, throughout the 13 tracks: “It’s pretty funky, you know? It’s pretty fantastic, too, to be so deep inside the rhythm. You can bring other people in the rhythm with you and just have a lot of fun. It’s like a big party, you know? Just bouncing around to the groove…”

‘Natural Disguise’ is certainly a very easy and enjoyable listen, but is potentially lacking a little in lyrical substance. Farro’s earlier release, Paramore’s 2017 album ‘After Laughter’, offers a similar pink-hued and poppy sound, but is backed up with more cutting lyrics that explore grittier themes – like vocalist Hayley Williams’ battle with mental health. It’s unfair to directly compare the two, however; Paramore is a very different entity and has the weight of fellow musicians, whereas HalfNoise is written and produced entirely by Farro. This freedom seems to have taken him down a trippier path, led by the instrumentals and the creation of musical ambience, rather than using words to convey any particular message.

If thrift stores and vintage are your thing, this undeniably ‘hipster’ album – with an aesthetic that’s frequently likened to a Wes Anderson movie – is for you. But if dusty records and fuzzy, distorted sounds leave a sour taste in your mouth, maybe give ‘Natural Disguise’ a wide berth.

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Lyrically ‘Feel The Steel’ hasn’t aged well but, at the time, it had an element of novelty and drew a smile. ‘Heavy Metal Rules’ is a watered down version that would bore a seasoned listener with its relentless swearing and repetition, and has nothing new to offer the younger audience that it seems they’re swinging for. There’s something uncomfortable about a group of 40 to 50-something-year-old men opening an album with the voice of a teenage boy talking about how “punk shit sucks”. Not to mention the opening of track three, ‘Let’s Get High Tonight’: “Mom and dad are out of town / Call the whores it’s going down”.

In a cheap throwaway to the present day we’re reassured that ecstasy and shrooms are gluten free, but it seems Steel Panther haven’t got the memo that in 2019 misogyny (CC: ‘Gods of Pussy’ – “Gods of pussy / Gods of pussy / Give ‘em a slap / Give ‘em the clap”) and toxic masculinity (CC: ‘I’m Not Your Bitch’ – “Give me a back rub, snuggle after sex / This kind of stuff will turn you into my ex”, “Time may be here to lay down the law / Don’t make me beat you with my Panther paw”) aren’t acceptable, or that penis jokes aren’t funny if you’re over the age of 12.

It’s not even worth unpicking the rest of ‘Heavy Metal Rules’ in too much detail. ‘You’ll Always Be A Ho’ is somehow catchy and there are strong riffs in ‘Fuck Everybody’, but this album still isn’t worth listening to. It’s a shame because Michael Starr, Satchel, Lexxi Foxx, and Stix Zadinia have talent to rival the likes of their idols Van Halen and Judas Priest, but show an embarrassing unwillingness to evolve.

Humour is, of course, subjective, and the tropes of sex, drugs and rock and roll are the building blocks of the genre. But, it wouldn’t be that hard to turn the tropes on their head: celebrate sexuality and empower sex workers, explore rebellion and escapism, rejoice in the incredible over-the-topness of 80s-inspired hair metal; gratuitous riffs, catchy lyrics and excessive styling backed up with solid musical ability. Heavy metal isn’t dead yet, but it’s in dire need of a revolution.

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While ‘No Man’s Land’ has been met with some accusations of mansplaining, misfiring and an array of other insults, with further consideration, this reception may be misplaced. If any word comes to mind when thinking of Turner, it’s wholesome. He warmed our hearts when he covered ‘Under The Sea’ for his niece back in 2015, and has long been an advocate of initiatives like Safe Gigs for Women and Girls Against. The sheer depth and effort of creating hours of podcast material alongside the album makes ‘No Man’s Land’ an earnest marrying of his two loves, history and songwriting, rather than just a feeble attempt at throwing his hat in the feminist ring.

It can be all too easy to immediately discount such comments from a white male as being disingenuous, but if allies are shot down for using their positions of power and privilege to celebrate women, in collaboration with relevant and predominantly female experts, how can we ever progress as a feminist society? Turner himself often comments on the fact that nobody else is telling these stories (or at least not nearly enough), and the more ‘up-swell’, the better and he’ll happily admit that rock and roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the protagonist of track two, is a better guitarist than him, suggesting this statement has little to do with personal ego.

Some songs are clearly orchestrated to be catchy but music is an art form, and art was created to tell stories – whether imaginary or real – so in this instance it’s more about what the songs represent than what they sound like. While potentially not as rallying as Turner’s earliest albums, or as soothing as ‘Be More Kind’, the stories explored throughout ‘No Man’s Land’ are compelling and versatile, from the sea shanty-esque ‘Jinny Bingham’s Ghost’ to the hotel lobby jazz of ‘Nica’. Unified by Turner’s characteristic folk, ‘No Man’s Land’ takes influence from a smorgasbord of different genres to best represent each narrative. ‘The Hymn of Kassiani’ begins and ends acapella, a tribute to the original hymn that’s still sung in Greek Orthodox churches, whilst ‘Sister Rosetta’ features some of her most iconic, guitar-slinging riffs.

For anything to be truly understood it needs context, so Turner has managed to shine a spotlight on something much bigger than himself in ‘No Man’s Land’: witchcraft, religion, social hierarchies, the American frontier, forgotten empires and more in a whistle-stop tour throughout the centuries and around the world. If you judge this album purely on musical value alone then it’s very good, but not great; but, if you invest a few hours to really learn about archetypal femme fatale and WW1 spy Mata Hari, murdered dance hall singer Dora Hand, and the whole sisterhood, then you’ll love it – and you’ll want to share their stories too.

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