The covers album seems to be that most frequent hot potato to bash where pop music is concerned. Somehow, years of elitist rock critics have had open season, pouring scorn on such releases for being a mark of coasting on a 'safe' or more commercial banker at the expense of being 'cooler' or more worthy … Continue reading #CrazyStupidAlbum: Emma Bunton (@EmmaBunton) – ‘My Happy Place’
If there's one thing you can be guaranteed of with Dido, it's that you're usually in for a long wait for new material. 2013 was when we last heard from her, with her fourth studio album 'Girl Who Got Away'. And the album before that, 'Safe Trip Home', arrived in 2008, a whole five years … Continue reading #CrazyStupidAlbum: Dido (@DidoOfficial) – ‘Still On My Mind’
There are some utterly delicious moments in the human experience that can't quite be accounted for in words alone: bare feet sinking into gloriously soft shagpile carpet, the smell of bacon frying on a Sunday morning, and the sound of your favourite band or artist releasing the album they were born to make. It's the … Continue reading #CrazyStupidAlbum: Busted (@Busted) – ‘Half Way There’
Happy Boxing Day dear readers! We hope you've all had a lovely Christmas so far. As is always tradition on this corner of the internet, today we bring you our most important blog of the year, as we hand out our prizes to those we've loved across music, TV, books and film this year. This … Continue reading Alex’s End Of Year Prizes 2018
Rare is the pop artist these days who can make it to a whole decade in music. Rarer still, are the ones able to make it to a sixth album and bundle it up with an album full of their own previous huge hits. But then, in the best possible way, Olly Murs isn't most pop … Continue reading #CrazyStupidAlbum: Olly Murs (@ollyofficial) – ‘You Know I Know’
If 'Red Flag', 2016's superb renaissance album (we don't like saying comeback, it doesn't seem right in this context) was the sound of All Saints rediscovering their musical identity, then 'Testament', its follow up, is almost certainly the sound of them taking that rediscovered, timeless sound, and running full tilt with it. Although even 'full … Continue reading #CrazyStupidAlbum: All Saints – ‘Testament’
A lesser blog or website than our own may usually start a review of a new Kylie Minogue album by listing the numerous tags she's had to her name over the four decades she's now been at the top of the pop tree: 'Cute Kylie', 'Sex Kylie', 'Dance Kylie', 'Indie Kylie', 'Disco Kylie', 'Kraftwerk Kylie' … Continue reading #CrazyStupidAlbum: Kylie Minogue – ‘Golden’
He makes it look easy, doesn't he? Nearly four years on from his chart topping debut, 2014's Wanted on Voyage, and George Ezra has just delivered a second album that's perhaps even better than that debut was. Recorded over the last 18 months, Staying at Tamara's takes its title from the Airbnb house of a … Continue reading #CrazyStupidAlbum: George Ezra – ‘Staying At Tamara’s’
There is a question that has been on the lips of many for the last three years. Namely: just how has Craig David managed to pull off the comeback he has when, back at the start of this decade, labelless and living out in Miami, it appeared to be all but over? The present writer … Continue reading #CrazyStupidAlbum: Craig David – ‘The Time Is Now’
Happy Boxing Day people! Hope your Christmas is going spiffingly festive so far. It's time, as always, for our annual End of Year Prizes for 2017. This is the time for us to hand out our awards to the great and good that we've loved in music, TV, film and books over the last 12 … Continue reading Alex’s End of Year Prizes 2017
The Niche Reference 