The thirteenth album from Welsh rockers Stereophonics is the first album in 20 years solely produced by singer and bandleader Kelly Jones. The band does not save the best for last with first track, “Make It On Your Own” being a highlight. Strings swell over a terrific (potential) radio single that includes just a touch of country guitar. “There’s Always Gonna Be Something” sees Jones sing, “I leave nothing for death but bones” on another country-ish rock song.
A synth adds a bit of an 80s flair to “Seems Like You Don’t Know Me”, a track that contemplates a relationship where “your lie is really my truth”. Jones’ raspy voice sounds the most like Rod Stewart here. From there, the record mostly plays out with catchy but fairly non-descript country songs. The band amp up the banal lyrics to match the mainstream country sound. While this is certainly a criticism, overall, the 30-minute album is a batch of unchallenging yet catchy MOR songs – perfect for unwinding with a domestic beer after work.
In 1981, Siouxsie and the Banshees reconvened to once again work with producer Nigel Gray on what became the band’s fourth album, Juju. The band further developed their mix of post punk, art rock, industrial, and goth into and intriguing mix of songs. “Spellbound” got a new lease on life in 2022 when it was used on the TV show, Stranger Things. The top 20 single sees intricate guitar playing and influential guitar tone from John McGeoch. Drummer Budgie powers the song underneath and replicates the sound of falling down the stairs one of the band’s finest songs.
Second single “Arabian Knights” sees the band continuing to fire on all cylinders. Scathing lyrics from Siouxsie about middle eastern culture and it’s treatment of women, once again powered by Budgie and a bass swing from Steven Severin. “Into The Light” is gloomier yet also contains arguably Siouxsie’s best vocal performance on the album while “Monitor” sees guitar bristle, introducing a bit of an industrial element to the sound.
On side two, “Sin In My Heart” starts as a bit of a dirge before picking up steam before the first verse starts, drums pounding, the track then sees the band in full rock flight. Most tracks on the album have a darkness to them, whether the song is about stepping into death’s light or on “Night Shift” about the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer, yet it never turns into a slog. Juju has been hailed as a classic in some circles and highly influential on future alternative rock bands, many specifically citing the guitar work of John McGeoch. Another must hear album from this inventive band.
It’s been 24 years since the last Pulp album, the very good We Love Life from 2001. In between there have been scattered concerts, festival gigs, singer Jarvis Cocker’s solo albums, Russell Senior leaving, and unfortunately the passing of bass player Steve Mackey. Getting the rest of the band back together, Pulp enlisted mega producer James Ford to help in the recording.
First single and track, “Spike Island” explodes out of the speakers where Jarvis sings, “I was born to perform… I exist to do this” – and the listener believes him. “Tina” is a quintessential Pulp song about crushing on a girl but always just missing her, perfect indie pop in the chorus. From there the album goes a bit disco in spots with the house like anthem “Got To Have Love” and the throbbing bass of “Slow Jam”.
The band also includes several slower, midtempo tracks like “Background Noise” that sounds like a holdover from 20 years ago plus the saluting of their Northern home of Sheffield (“The Hymn of the North”) and an ode to the beauty of the sunset (“A Sunset”). It’s a good album that adds in the dance elements from some of Jarvis’ solo work but also sticks to what they do best. Sophisticated pop music that touches on the dark corners in life. That used to be at the club then the bedroom afterwards but now it’s at the “Farmers Market” remembering those younger times instead.
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris published in 2018 was a New York Times Bestseller and seemed to be everywhere for a few years. Originally written as a screenplay, it was instead produced in novel form. It follows the life of concentration camp prisoner Lale Sokolov and his love for fellow prisoner Gita. The Slovakian Jews end up at Auschwitz-Birkenau a few weeks apart in 1942 and were there for three years. Lale takes on the role of tattooing numbers onto the arms of prisoners as they show up at the labour camp. The role offers a few small perks in an otherwise dismal situation.
Reportedly, the book has faced scrutiny as it is was based on the information told by Lale to the author and at times does not match up to factual events. Regardless, what does make the book interesting is that it focuses on the relationships rather than strictly the atrocities these people suffered. The fleeting interactions with Gita that Lale cherishes are contrasted with his interactions with SS guard Stefan Baretski who at times offers the smallest bits of kindness but was otherwise was a wretched person. Baretski was later sentenced to life in prison for the crimes he committed during the Holocaust. The book is hard to put down and offers a glimpse of humanity during one of the saddest periods in human history.
For rock music, 2025 is the summer of Oasis with Noel and Liam Gallagher returning for reunion shows that are sold out across the world. Early in the week they announced a 30th anniversary edition for their sophomore album, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? With just a few unplugged versions of songs included, the lackluster offering will still be purchased by diehard fans of the band. Back in 2014, the band released a jam packed three-disc version of the album that is filled with B-sides, live versions, and rarities.
The first single released from the album in April 1995, “Some Might Say” was their first to reach to the top of the UK charts and last to have original drummer Tony McCaroll before being replaced by Alan White. Britpop mixed with a glam rock stomp, it’s an instant singalong classic. Harder in sound is opening track, “Hello”. It’s no surprise that this was the first song the band played at their first reunion show in Cardiff on July 4th. At that show, it was followed a few songs later by the darker, “Morning Glory” and its line, “All your dreams are made/When you’re chained to the mirror and the razorblade”.
All classic songs but it’s the ballads from this era that carry the day, all three of which closed the first reunion concert. With first album Definitely Maybe being the fastest selling debut in the UK at that time, it was a cult classic for anglophiles in other parts of the world. It was the single “Wonderwall” that broke the band into the North American mainstream. The beginning acoustic guitar line has been copied on several other hits for other bands before Liam’s rough voice comes in to sing the sweetest love song, appealing to both the girls and bricklayers in equal measure.
In the past few years, the Noel sung “Don’t Look Back in Anger” has nearly eclipsed “Wonderwall” in popularity. It has become a soccer stadium knees up for the punters while also sung by those in mourning. It’s become a standard that people can turn to at various points in their lives. Nipping at the heals of those two songs is album closer, “Champagne Supervova”. The skyward looking song takes on a celestial vision of life, one that also contains the inspiring yet nonsensical lyric of “slowly walking down the hall/faster than a cannonball”. Caught between a ballad and anthemic rock song, the seven-minute epic is one of their finest.
Following the same template from the Definitely Maybe deluxe edition, disc two is mostly devoted to that era’s B-sides. It’s these songs that helped cement the band’s legacy, with several becoming live staples and just as popular as the A-sides. Sung as a duet, the amped up “Acquiesce” with its line, “Because we need each other/We believe in one another” has always sounded like Noel singing to Liam, though he would never admit it. Left off the album due to Stevie Wonder wanting a major cut of sales, the Noel sung “Step Out” is lifted by a terrific chorus.
Like the album itself, it’s the major ballads that rightly grab most of the attention, both sung by Noel. Dismissed at the time by Liam as sounding too American, “Talk Tonight” is an acoustic track that details the night that Noel disappeared from the band on a tour of the US before returning several days later. It was a feature of Noel’s live acoustic set on tours throughout the 90s. Hailed as a classic from the jump, “Masterplan” is another of what Noel does extremely well – a song stuck between ballad and anthem. The string laden verses is matched by a banger chorus.
The last bit of the second disc and third feature the rarities including the vinyl only “Bonehead’s Bank Holiday”. Originally it was to be sung by guitarist Bonehead until a night of drinking to steady his nerves thwarted those thoughts. Instead, Noel takes the lead on the frivolous sing along. Another rarity appears in the Noel sung version of The Beatles’ “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”.
Further highlights include a demo version of “She’s Electric” where further comparisons to The Beatles are warranted and a fuzzy live version of single, “Roll With It”, famously held off of the #1 UK singles position by blur’s “Country House” released on the same day. The disc then closes with a spellbinding take on “Cast No Shadow” recorded at their famous 1996 Maine Road gig in Manchester and the Knebworth concert version of “Masterplan”.
Looking back, this was the apex of Oasis. The buildup from the debut to the group going supernova with (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, all with the solid background of some of their most beloved B-sides that still form the basis of their live shows both as a band and as solo artists. More pop in nature, this is the sound of a band at the peak of their recording powers singing songs that have become rock and roll national anthems the world over.
The Light Appears 