March Round-Up

Like everyone else, I hate it when French people pretend they do not understand the English language. That said, the biggest problem with Marlon Magnée's debut solo album Dark Star is his insistence to sing some of these songs en anglais. Sadly, this affliction also hit La Femme's last album Rock Machine which traded a certain French mystique for a bunch of English cliches. Still, these are some of his best songs since La Femme's second album, and any fan of that band's work will feel right at home with these catchy little tunes that merge stylish synthpop with a motorik heart. Plus, "La première" is pure magic. 7/10

The new album by The Delines was a mild disappointment. Perhaps The Set Up was rushed a little - coming as it did merely one year after their previous LP (the excellent Mr. Luck and Ms. Doom). The relaxed, Americana-tinged vibes are still there, and Amy Boone's soulful vocals hit as hard as ever, but this particular set of melodies seems remarkably weaker. 6/10

Other than the obvious hits, I've never been a big fan of Squeeze. Which is why Trixies, their latest, is such a pleasant surprise. This is not an old band sounding dull and irrelevant - instead, it is Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook re-recording songs they wrote in 1974, four full years before their official debut. Back in the 70s, this concept album set in a fictional London nightclub was rejected, but here in 2026 it just sounds exciting and fresh. Trixies is playful art pop with certain glam and psychedelic undertones (I mean, "The Place We Call Mars" is basically David Bowie). Perhaps other 'older' bands should follow suit and release stuff they did in their teenage years? 7/10

Earlier this month, I wrote the full review of Morrissey's Make-Up Is A Lie, and I would say that subsequent listens haven't made me love it less. Really, as long as you don't compare it to Vauxhall & I, this is really strong material that stands up against some of his more acclaimed work. Paid critics are slowly coming round, too. 8/10

Back in their day, Voxtrot did not exactly set the world on fire - but they had this great knack for an irresistible melodic flow. Their run of EPs was amazing, and "The Start Of Something" was the best song that The Smiths never wrote. Where they faltered was a fully-fledged LP. Despite having a few great songs ("Kid Gloves", "Firecracker"), their self-titled album was the result of a burnout rather than of true inspiration. Does Dreamers In Exile right the wrongs? Well, they sound exactly like they did in their heyday in mid-00s, and the melodies are as free-flowing and beautifully long-winded as ever, but I can't get rid of the following thought: there is a brilliant EP here ("New World Romance" / "The Times" / "My Peace" / "Rock & Roll Jesus") but beyond that the levels of their sugar-coated power pop get too high. Good stuff though. 6/10

With some terrific post-punk crunch and a few great guests (Luke Haines, Lee McFadden of Television Personalities), Swell Maps return with C21. These days, the band is basically Jowe Head with a bunch of friends, and the album does not come especially close to their two classics from 1979 and 1980, but this is still a good reminder and a convincing set of tasteful freak-outs. 6/10

The New Pornographers are back with their 10th (!) album. The Former Site Of marks the first release without their disgraced drummer, and it is perhaps their most subdued and least flashy LP ever. Which does not mean, of course, that AC Newman has stopped being one of the best songwriters currently working in indie music. The hooks and vocal melodies are still there, they just weave their magic into you slowly rather than knock you off your feet from the get-go. And while "Pure Sticker Shock" may feel a little too repetitive and uneventful for my tastes, "Ballad Of The Last Payphone" and especially the closing epic title song are some of their best work ever. Also, "Wine Remembers The Water" could have been written by Dan Bejar. But it wasn't. 7/10

Finally, House Of All stick to their plan of releasing one album every year. Inklings is still good, and I enjoy these grooves as much as I enjoyed them previously, but for how long can this go on without straying away from the formula? Or is that a wrong question? 6/10

Songs of the Month:

"La première" by Marlon Magnée

"Dilaudid Diane" by The Delines

"The Place We Call Mars" by Squeeze

"The Monsters of Pig Alley" by Morrissey

"Rock & Roll Jesus" by Voxtrot

"Johnny Seven" by Swell Maps

"The Former Site Of" by The New Pornographers

"Wrecked" by House Of All

A few words about Marty Supreme

It's been a strange year for films in the sense that I don't think I've been truly impressed by any single one of them. Sinners had great sound and visceral energy but ultimately seemed a little confused about what sort of film it wanted to be. Sentimental Value felt like a wonderfully executed Bergman pastiche. One Battle After Another is not even a top 5 Paul Thomas Anderson film. Hamnet tried too hard. Quite honestly, if it were up to me, I'd give the Oscar to Train Dreams. Which, incidentally, nobody is even talking about anymore.

Instead, everyone is talking about Marty Supreme. Again, a very good film - but just how good, really? 

Take a look at the running time. Why on Earth is it two and a half hours long? What is the dog story even doing here? Shave off 30 minutes at least, and you get a much better film.

Or let's consider Timothée Chalamet. A truly convincing performance that works well within the context of this breathless, highly entertaining film. The problem is - his acting remains remarkably depthless. And no, the last scenes did not fool me.

Overall, it just felt like this panic-stricken style of filmmaking (see Josh Safdie's previous film Uncut Gems) replaces real emotional content with attractive tension and never-ending anxiety. So much so that when something actually emotionally charged appears, like the honey story, it is no more than a technical anecdote. Worse, it feels empty.

So again - a fun film, an entertaining film, but also one that amounts to very little.  

Album review: MAKE-UP IS A LIE by Morrissey

Nobody even listens to Morrissey's albums anymore. Why would you? If you are working for The Guardian or The Irish Times, you only need to say that the guy is a wanker (the language will be different, but you get the idea) with despicable political views and that one of the songs on his new album expounds the conspiracy theory that the fire in Notre-Dame de Paris was not accidental. You need to say that the guy remains a pompous, miserable, Islamophobic narcissist and give the said album a one-star rating. Maybe two stars, if you are feeling generous. 

Which is not to say that Morrissey does not invite such perfunctory criticism (he does like to present himself as a martyr, and the lyrics of "Notre-Dame" are indeed nothing to be proud of) - but can we please get below the surface level and see that Make-Up Is Lie is, in fact, a tuneful, diverse, instrumentally rich collection of songs (some of his best in a while)? Sung in that inimitable voice that hasn't lost any of its power? 

My biggest criticisms of the album are the following:

- The cover isn't great.

- The title song compensates a sparse, non-descript verse melody with a catchy but obnoxious chorus.

- While full of energy and featuring some fiery guitar freakouts, the cover of Roxy Music's "Amazona" was not really necessary. 

And that is that, really. Despite the dodgy lyrics (which he actually made slightly more palatable - the original version would have got him buried even deeper by the British press), "Notre-Dame" is actually a brilliant synthpop single. Elsewhere, "Headache" is one of his best and most melodically rich ballads in years (clever guitar insertions, too). "The Night The Pop Dropped" is funky and intense. "Kerching Kerching", despite its abrupt ending, is a sweeping symphonic pop-rocker with decent lyrics full of bitterness and false hope. Best of all, though, is the closing "The Monsters Of Pig Alley" whose deceptively upbeat melody and wistful lyrics will break your heart. The song is a true masterwork and an early contender for my song of the year.

Humour is, as usual, in short supply - even if the autobiographical "Zoom Zoom The Little Boy" could probably qualify. It is a tale of an impressionable boy (young Morrissey, obviously) who wants to save all animals in the world ("squiggles of the deep" is an amusing turn of phrase, I will give him that). The song is somewhat silly but very infectious. Otherwise, the only hint at Morrissey's sardonic humour is the "naked ladies on the wall" line in "Lester Bangs" - but that one is more awkward than good. 

How does Make-Up Is A Lie stand up against Morrissey's past albums? Well, it is clearly not as great as Vauxhall & I or even Your Arsenal, but how much worse is it, really, than the relatively well-received World Peace Is None Of Your Business? Or even something as beloved as You Are The Quarry? Honestly, just listen to the goddamn music.