mon 09/06/2025

New Music Reviews

Album: Vadim Neselovskyi - Odesa: A Musical Walk Through a Legendary City

Sebastian Scotney

Odesa (Sunnyside) is a deeply-felt and wonderfully played solo piano album with a massive emotional and stylistic compass. New York-based composer/pianist Vadim Neselovskyi has made a strong statement in homage to the city by the Black Sea where he was born, and to its unique cultural and musical heritage.

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Music Reissues Weekly: Ban the Bomb - Music of the Aldermaston Anti-Nuclear Marches

Kieron Tyler

“The case is quite simple. We think that the policy which is being pursued by the western powers is one which is almost bound to end in the extermination of the human race. Some of us think that might be rather a pity.”

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theartsdesk on Vinyl 71: Sparks, Ibeyi, Amy Winehouse, The Residents, Hanterhir, Astor Piazzolla and more

Thomas H Green

Summer has arrived outside and sunny sounds are blasting from the speakers at theartsdesk on Vinyl. But not just sunny sounds, to be truthful, also sounds that cover most of the human emotional range, all from plastic discs in varying colours. Check in below for over 8000 words on music, from Afro-electro to Cornish rock to tango to genres beyond naming. Dive in!

VINYL OF THE MONTH

Shelf Lives Yes, Offence (Sorry Mom)

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KITE Festival, Kirtlington Park review - engaging speakers and tunes aplenty in the Oxfordshire countryside

Guy Oddy

The label of "Guardian man" or "Guardian woman" is one that is bandied about as something of an insult these days. But if you can get past the name-calling and think about what might appeal to this imaginary couple (and possibly their kids) while standing in lush, green parkland in Oxfordshire, you might well come up with the line-up of writers, celebrities and music for this summer’s inaugural KITE Festival.

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Pat Metheny & Side-Eye, Eventim Apollo review - energy and melodic clarity

Sebastian Scotney

Nobody could ever force guitarist Pat Metheny into doing the touring schedule he imposes upon himself. The 67 year-old still does well over 100 concerts a year. The current European tour alone, which started at the end of April and finishes in 10 days' time contains no fewer than 44 dates.

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Harry Styles, Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow review - pop prince lets the music do the talking

Jonathan Geddes

A guessing game could be played prior to Harry Styles taking to the stage at this gig, the first night of his UK tour and, as he later noted, his first stadium show as a solo act.

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Music Reissues Weekly: Barney Wilen - Zodiac

Kieron Tyler

In 1966, the combo fronted by French sax player Barney Wilen issued an album of musical interpretations of each sign of the zodiac. In the US in 1969, Mort Garson released 12 albums, each dedicated to a single sign.

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The Great Estate, Redruth review - Cornwall's finest festival extravaganza

Katie Colombus

For those wishing to avoid the bloated plutocracy of #PlattyJoobs, the Great Estate Festival was the perfect antidote. Set in the beautiful estate of Scorrier House in Redruth, Cornwall it is described as “the most rambunctious garden fete”.

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Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Brighton Dome review - screams, not whispers

Nick Hasted

The usherette’s hands are clamped over her ears, and Elvis Costello is playing like it’s 1996, when the briefly reunited Attractions played a pummelling last stand, burying fatal internal rifts with punk thunder.

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Album: Shearwater - The Great Awakening

Kieron Tyler

The title The Great Awakening is a metaphor for America’s switch from its previous presidential administration to the current: the arrival of a new era and, with it, a fresh phase of life. Emblematic of this is the xenarthran, a type of armadillo, which lends its name to the album’s third track. Native to South America, it slogs its way into Texas where it deals with a new environment.

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