Despite putting out their first material fifteen years ago, a five-year break since their last project, and an experimentalist attitude that sees them jumping back and forth between genres and sounds, the profile of Scottish trio Young Fathers has only continued to rise. Releasing on celebrated English label Ninja Tune, their fourth project Heavy Heavy … Continue reading Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy
Indie Pop
Louis Tomlinson – Faith In The Future
While one of his former bandmates becomes one of the world’s biggest artists, another gears up to drop his third album after some consistently moderate success and two more dramatically nosedive after scoring top 10 hits, the most unique post-OneDirection career trajectory yet has been Louis Tomlinson’s, who started out slow and has been steadily … Continue reading Louis Tomlinson – Faith In The Future
Joji – SMITHEREENS
Now on his third album since reinventing himself with a new persona, the king of lo-fi balladry has returned with his briefest project yet. The follow-up to 2020’s solid Nectar, which saw Joji fleshing out his sparse sounds and astute songwriting instincts with production that was slightly more involved and less disjointed, things have swung … Continue reading Joji – SMITHEREENS
The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language
After one of the most polarizing, provocative and sometimes pretentious bands somehow released a couple of its greatest works back-to-back after expanding the tracklist and letting frontman Matt Healy’s cluttered mind roam wherever it wanted to, it seems The 1975 have reversed course with their latest. Standing at only 11 tracks in length, that mind … Continue reading The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language
Maggie Rogers – Surrender
Three and a half years after a viral video of Pharrell reacting to her music made her one of pop’s most promising new figures overnight, Maggie Rogers is back with a new sound, a new haircut and a degree from Harvard. Sharing its name with her thesis in religion and public life, Surrender finds Rogers trying out … Continue reading Maggie Rogers – Surrender
Imagine Dragons – Mercury – Act 2
10 months after releasing their fifth studio album with an ominous “Part 1” subtitle, one of the planet’s most maligned bands are back with the sequel to what might have been their most unfortunate project yet. They haven’t been gone in the interim, scoring their first top 10 hit in half a decade by teaming … Continue reading Imagine Dragons – Mercury – Act 2
Vance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time
Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy is back after four years with his third project, In Our Own Sweet Time, but truthfully, not much has changed – if you’ve heard one of his songs before, you likely know what this album is going to sound like, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Recruiting a list of … Continue reading Vance Joy – In Our Own Sweet Time
Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache
After rising up from being the goofy frat-rapper who dropped “White Iverson” to scoring a couple of the most successful songs of all time during his 2019 Hollywood’s Bleeding era, Post Malone has achieved everything he possibly could in terms of commercial success and has given a couple interviews in recent years decrying the idea … Continue reading Post Malone – Twelve Carat Toothache
Florence + The Machine – Dance Fever
“Choreomania,” the title of the third track on UK baroque pop institution Florence + The Machine’s latest project comes from a kind of medieval mass hysteria known as the “dancing plague,” in which people would sometimes literally dance themselves to death. Over a decade into a storied career, and frontwoman Florence Welch’s latest set of … Continue reading Florence + The Machine – Dance Fever
Rex Orange County – WHO CARES?
For someone who was once dubbed “The Internet’s new favourite sad boy” after rising to prominence overnight following heavy contributions to Tyler, the Creator’s Flower Boy album, Rex Orange County’s latest project is exceptionally positive and uplifting. While the British indie-pop singer wastes no time diving into some of his usual topics of depression, imposter syndrome and crushing … Continue reading Rex Orange County – WHO CARES?
Ben's Beat - Music Reviews 