Album Reviews
UNKNOWN REFUGE – ‘FROM THE DARKNESS’
MARCH ALBUM OF THE MONTH With promise of the lockdown paralysis easing, the spring sunshine may well usher in a new era of hope, as we all slowly start to rebuild our lives – and, for some, to contemplate the prospect of a world with gigs once again. The end …
INGLORIOUS – ‘WE WILL RIDE’
FEBRUARY ALBUM OF THE MONTH Seven years in to Great Music Stories, I’m yet to write an ‘Album of the Month’ review for Inglorious – but this is absolutely the right time. ‘We Will Ride’ is both a step up and a departure for Inglorious who have created what is …
THE MARSHALL CHESS – ‘TIME AND TIDE’
JANUARY ALBUM OF THE MONTH Nothing like a bit of intrigue to get a New Year rolling! Richard Jones of Fireroad is back; but not as Richard, nor as Fireroad. It is Fireroad music but at the same time it’s not – it’s The Marshall Chess – and it’s marvellous. …
THE DUST CODA – ‘MOJO SKYLINE’
DECEMBER ALBUM OF THE MONTH To this day, I clearly remember the first time I heard a Dust Coda song. I remember too, the reaction after I first played that song on air the following week. When a song can take you back to the time, the place, the feeling …
MIKE ROSS – THE CLOVIS LIMIT PART 2
NOVEMBER ALBUM OF THE MONTH If you’re a fan of The Allman Brothers and early Clapton you’re in for a treat here. ‘The Clovis Limit Part 2’ is an album rich in sonic warmth and conviction that is both a celebration of retro influences and yet, in spirit, speaks for …
FISH – WELTSCHMERZ
The planets have fully aligned for this one: Narrative, vocal, music, arrangement and visuals work together in perfect harmony for an album that is both powerful and vulnerable, complex and yet stripped back. The party may soon be over, but with ‘Weltschmerz’ Fish bows out with his finest studio album in 30 years.
SCARLET REBELS – ‘LIVE AT SONIC ONE’
SEPTEMBER ALBUM OF THE MONTH It’s a year since Scarlet Rebels unleashed ‘Show Your Colours’ – an album we called as ‘Album of the Month’ in August 2019 – and, with hindsight, it’s proven to be one of the defining rock albums of recent years. Why? – because the music …
Thundermother – ‘Heat Wave’
August Album of the Month There are times when rock n roll needs to stand up to testify – and there are times when rock needs to offer escapism. After the dark months we have all been through, the new Thundermother album offers the latter, a rich welcoming oasis where …
JACK J HUTCHINSON – WHO FEEDS THE LOCKDOWN
JULY ALBUM OF THE MONTH We have been living through unprecedented times: for many a period of hardship, of risks and fears, yet it is also often during dark times that the enduring spirit of rock n roll can shine brightly. In the way that recorded music has helped so …
BAD TOUCH – KISS THE SKY
JUNE ALBUM OF THE MONTH At the moment, it’s getting harder and harder to pick just one ‘Album of the Month’ to review. In the last few months there has been a run of fine album releases from new and rising bands. As a collective, the material spans every spectrum …
BALEFUL CREED – THE LOWDOWN
MAY ALBUM OF THE MONTH Six years of showcasing a new generation of bands and its high time Northern Ireland got an accolade from Great Music Stories! My work with Wildfire has showcased Scottish bands and Wales has given us two of our last three Bands of the Year. This …
THIRTEEN STARS – FINEST RAMSHACKLE JAM
APRIL ALBUM OF THE MONTH Tired of Waiting. It’s a fine song alright – it also reminds us that it’s been a long wait for the follow up to Thirteen Stars last album ‘White Raven.’ But the good news is that it’s emphatically been worth the wait. Finest Ramshackle Jam …