Tag: Album of the Week

Album of the Week: Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – Against The Wind (1980)

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE or on the web player.

We usually highlight a new album but this week we’re stepping back to one of Bob Seger’s pivotal albums Against The Wind from 1980. Following on from three massive albums, this is a slightly more polished album. The ballads are incredible (“Fire Lake” triggered some childhood memories when I heard it again a few years ago, “Against The Wind” is phenomenal musically and lyrically) but there are still some rocking moments (e.g. “Betty Lou’s Gettin’ out Tonight” ). Rolling Stone called it “the worst record Bob Seger has ever made, but an absolutely cowardly one as well”. It can’t have been too bad however is it made number one on the US Billboard 200.

Album of the Week: Grian Chatten – Chaos For The Fly

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

This album came a bit out of the blue for us (and that’s not intended as a terrible pun on the cover) although one track had crossed our radar recently. This is a superb atmospheric singer-songwriter from the UK, slightly Sam Fender-ish at moments but definitely with his own sonic pallette and style. The singer from well known band Fontaines D.C. we love his unadorned Cumbrian accent. Its hard to better Pitchfork‘s summary (even if they’re obsessed with his Fontaine’s background rather than taking this album on its own terms): “Chatten has made a bold claim here as a folk auteur, whose classical songwriting and tender, veracious touch resonates now and into the past.”

Album of the Week: The Revivalists – Pour It Out Into The Night

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

The Revivalists are a roots band from New Orleans dating back to the 2000s. This is their fifth album and is a really solid collection of catchy well performed rock. This album just hasn’t had enough attention in our view and could turn out to be a bit of a sleeper (although the first single “Kid” has done well on the streaming services). Check it out this week with us.

Album of the Week: Noel Gallagher & The High Flying Birds – Council Skies

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

Noel is back – with a slightly more ‘traditional’ sound for him than his last effort. Its a really solid collection of songs. The critics complaining about a lack of singalong chorus’ might need to listen again, there are plenty of catchy numbers. The Deluxe edition is very generous with some neat remixes and a nice cover of John Lennon’s “Mind Games”. Enjoy this album that AllMusic called “unusually satisfying”.

Album of the Week: Lewis Capaldi – Broken By Desire to be Heavenly Sent

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

“If anything, it shrinks his already narrow proposition”. So Pitchfork described this second album from Lewis Capaldi, the chart sensation of 2019/20 in their 4/10 review. We get it – this is a repeat performance. However it is a repeat performance of a resolutely successful popular songsmith with a belting voice and another selection of catchy numbers. If you’re a critic who demands reinvention and ‘pretty new baubles’ on every release (and thus contributes to the second-album mental anxiety many artists experience and that Pitchfork describe so effectively early in their eviscerating review) then you’ll be disappointed. We’ll look forward to checking out solid pop gold this week!

Album of the Week: Ed Sheeran – – (Subtract)

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

Ed Sheeran has followed in Taylor Swift’s shoes in turning to Aaron Dessner to help with a simpler sound, a return to his singer-songwriter roots for this album. Fewer songwriting collaborators and deeply personal lyrics about loss (two friends passed away over the last year) and the challenge of his wife’s cancer diagnosis make this a strong heartfelt album. Written over an astonishingly short period this is evidence that Sheeran’s creativity is as strong as ever. Alex Petridis of The Guardian even called it “easily his best album ever” in an excellent review. We look forward to investigating it this week.

Album of the Week: Everything But The Girl – Fuse

New Zealand Net Radio plays a song from our irregularly updated #albumoftheweek every hour from 9am to 12pm. Listen in @tunein at http://tun.in/sfAtE

Everything But The Girl are back after 24 years – with Atmos and auto tune! Seriously though, this is a fantastic and delightful treat. Tracey Thorn’s voice is as sumptuous and velvety as ever. She and husband Ben Watt have actually released seven solo albums between them over the years, but felt it was time to rekindle the old magic, something they do with aplomb here. Pitchfork describes it as “a moving, handsome album” in an excellent review. We look forward to checking it out this week.