fri 25/07/2025

New Music Reviews

Reissue CDs Weekly: Lesley Gore

Kieron Tyler

 

Lesley Gore California NightsLesley Gore: California Nights

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Perfume Genius / Jenny Hval, RFH

Matthew Wright

Neither the name, the look, nor the recorded sound of Perfume Genius (*****) seems like the thing to set about a packed Royal Festival Hall with shock and awe, though there was plenty of both in last night’s show. The Seattle singer, known to his mum as Mike Hadreas, has developed a cult following for his ability to combine fragility and scorching power in lyrics of intelligence and versatility. Live, he displayed extraordinary vistas of emotional and techncial breadth.

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The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead

Thomas H Green

What Wes Orshoski’s new documentary points out, above everything, is how much pop success relies on an ordered narrative and an easily understood package. First-wave British punk band The Damned, on the other hand, wrote as many great songs as their peers, but their career has been a mess of random creativity, changing line-ups and dreadful business decisions....

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Reissue CDs Weekly: The Mothmen

Kieron Tyler


The Mothmen Pay Attention!The Mothmen: Pay Attention!

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Songlines Encounters, Kings Place

Tim Cumming

The fifth Songlines Encounters Festival at Kings Place brought together artists from around the world, offerering a powerful cultural kick-back against all manner of extremist positions. The opening Thursday featured young Portuguese Fado singer Gisela João, with Cypriot trio Monsieur Doumani, and the closing Saturday paired the Shikor Bangladesh All Stars with the Anglo-Bangladeshi Afrobeat Latin grooves of Lokkhi Terra.

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The Beach Boys, Royal Albert Hall

Matthew Wright

You might think that the carefree, gleeful melodies of sunny Californian surf-rock giants The Beach Boys would render them immune to the kind of egotistical wedge-driving that sunders most rock groups eventually. You would, of course, be wrong.

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Fatoumata Diawara and Roberto Fonseca, Barbican

Thomas Rees

Though they're separated by thousands of miles, Cuba and Mali share a common musical connection. Right at the heart of Cuban music lie rhythms from sub-saharan African and last night the two traditions were united once again when Havana-born piano virtuoso Roberto Fonseca (of Buena Vista Social Club fame) took the stage with Fatoumata Diawara, a Malian singer and guitarist who is fast becoming a giant of the world music scene.

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CD: Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard - Django and Jimmie

Tim Cumming

Merle and Willie – these kind of senior country summits can either be a bit of a coaster, all well and good underneath your tumbler of Bourbon, or actually something to write home about. Keep this one away from the liquor.

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Reissue CDs Weekly: Marvin Gaye

Kieron Tyler

 

Marvin Gaye 1961–1965Marvin Gaye: Marvin Gaye 1961–1965

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Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular, SSE Hydro, Glasgow

Lisa-Marie Ferla

It seems a peculiar conceit to pack up a full symphony orchestra and choir and take them the length of the UK solely to perform suites of music from a popular television show – and I say this as a fan of the show in question.

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