May Round-Up

I've still not been able to detect the 'genius' in Aldous Harding's songwriting. Her latest, Train On The Island is generally proclaimed to be her best, but to my ears this is all pleasant foreplay with little payoff. The lyrics are quirky (or should I say self-consciously odd?) and the melodies occupy that slightly uncomfortable space between intricate and underwhelming. I don't mind artsy, I just need a little more substance in my music (which you would probably describe as chamber pop with folk-ish vibes). So what remains is a good album a little skimpy on hooks. "The Barrel" remains her best song, comfortably. 6/10

Speaking of underwhelming, Tori Amos certainly fits the bill. I did not mind her ripping off Kate Bush on her early 90s albums, but Times Of Dragons is just dull. The songs are endless (the whole thing goes on for 76 minutes) and melodically uninteresting. A few instrumental hooks aside (mostly courtesy of her piano playing), this is a little too close to adult contemporary for my liking. 4/10

There are not too many artists whose albums I anticipate as much as Alela Diane's. She never disappoints. No, I don't expect her to reach the same heights as she did on The Pirate's Gospel and About Farewell, but Who's Keeping Time? is another collection of charismatic, self-confident folk tunes that just sound timeless. While not her best work, the album features career highlights like the opening "California" (that whistling hook is divine) and "Dusty Roses" (Christ what a tune). All that said, the verse melody of "Spring Is A Fine Time" was definitely borrowed from an old song whose name escapes me at the moment. 7/10

My annual listen to a new Guided By Voices album yielded no revelations. Crawlspace Of The Pantheon (bizarrely, Robert Pollard hasn't used that title yet) is tastefully distorted power pop that many fans will probably view as GBV's best since Isolation Drills or something. It is not. But a good Guided By Voices it certainly is, whatever that even means at this point. The best is probably the single "We Outlast Them All". Who cares, though. 6/10

Oddly, we have to turn to the 84-year old Paul McCartney to provide us with the best album of the month. Lyrically, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane is clearly a nostalgic trip and melodically it is all over the place (in a good sense). It is all in here: his adventurousness ("As You Lie There"), his acoustic balladry ("Days We Left Behind"), his poppiness ("Ripples In A Pond"), his rocking-out spirit (the surprise ending of "Mountain Top"), his granny music ("Life Can Be Hard"), his sappiness ("Momma Gets By"), a little filler ("First Star Of The Night") and even a good old-fashioned duet with Ringo ("Home To Us"). So how does it stand against his latest output? I'd say it is his strongest set of songs since Memory Almost Full, and if it turns out to be his last, then it's an excellent farewell. 8/10

Steve Kilbey has never been as prolific as he is now (the new Church album is on its way). Things We Did On Earth is his latest collaboration with Martin Kennedy and was released under the Kilbey Kennedy moniker. As ever, the man has taste and one hell of a melodic gift. Some of his stuff can get a little too dreamy and spacy on occasion, but this collection is very tight and to the point. The guitars, too, sound incredible. 7/10

Also, American Football continues to put me to sleep and the guy from Bleachers keeps writing almost good songs that almost work.

Songs of the Month:

"Disobey" by Kilbey Kennedy

"Dusty Roses" by Alela Diane

"Blowin' Up" by Kiwi Jr.

"As You Lie There" by Paul McCartney

"A Hard Lesson" by Peter Gabriel 

"The Beast" by Patrick Wolf

"You You You" by Arab Strap

"My Life In England Pt.1" by Dexys Midnight Runners 

"Red Hook Rain" by Alex Cameron

"We Outlast Them All" by Guided by Voices

Psyop, Geese, etc.

If there is anything that the psyop situation with Geese has proven to me, it is that the narrative culture has gone too far. I love a good story as much as anyone, but these latest accusations are the direct result of people having too much free time on their hands. It feels like this free time has to be filled with conspiracy theories and a bunch of far-fetched narratives that go nowhere at all. 

Or maybe I have just gone soft and started to take this dangerously utilitarian approach when it comes to art. If there is a critic who murders my favourite films but then gives me one recommendation that will knock me off my feet, then the said critic is worth reading. Equally, if Grian Chatten wraps himself in a Palestinian flag at every Fontaines DC concert, that will not make me stop listening to the excellent Chaos For The Fly. Really, I'm happy that Hitler's art was terrible, or I could be in very dangerous waters here.

Now coming to Geese... I find the story of someone using a deliberate psychological operation to affect my appreciation of a band mildly intriguing but also somewhat irrelevant. Because the music is actually good. Because the narrative should never override the art, and Getting Killed is one of the most exciting albums in recent years. 

April Round-Up

I really do not know why I still bother with these Ringo Starr albums. A few songs aside ("It Don't Come Easy", "Vertical Man"), none of his music has ever appealed to me. His latest, Long Long Road, is country pop with zero personality attached to it. A few high-profile guests (Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent) can't save it either. It's okay, I guess, as a background listen on a long car ride. 4/10

My New Band Believe (has to be the worst band name I've seen in a long time) is adventurous chamber folk music which is both charming and a little unfocused. The self-titled album is the brainchild of Cameron Picton from black midi, and you can certainly feel the melodic and instrumental complexity associated with that band. There is a lot of orchestration here, whimsical lyrics and vaguely pretty melodies running awry. Sadly, the meandering nature of Cameron's songwriting prevents me from truly enjoying this. 6/10

They Might Be Giants return with their latest, The World Is To Dig, and it is 18 outbursts of nerdish vocals, quirky lyrics and terminally catchy melodies ("Character Flaw" will probably eat at your brain). I have never been a huge fan, but it is impressive how effortlessly they keep doing this. 7/10

There's a part of me that thinks Foo Fighters have never been good. I know they probably have, two or three times, but mostly their brand of alternative rock mush is just a few steps above Nickelback. "Window" is passable, I guess, but overall Your Favorite Toy is terribly mediocre. No subtlety, no charisma, no tunes. 3/10

Mercifully, there is a great album from the end of March that I missed one month ago. It is by the British band Memorials who specialise in beautifully sung post-punk that is well-written and just endlessly inventive. The way the melodies in the opening "Life Could Be A Cloud" flow and ebb should give you a good idea of the album's sound. There are powerful Stereolab vibes here, but the vocals are even more elegant, almost folk-tinged. All Clouds Bring Not Rain is a fascinating album that keeps getting better with each listen. 8/10

Songs of the Month:

"Till Your Mind Is Shining" by Peter Gabriel

"Outside Brain" by They Might Be Giants 

"I Am This Thing" by Robyn Hitchcock

"Dropped Down The Well" by Memorials (from March)

Marlon Magnée in Warsaw, 21.04

You have to give it to them - Poles have a sense of humour. As a sweaty, exhausted Marlon Magnée finishes doing "Elle ne t'aime pas" (which is the song that once started my love for La Femme), he turns to the audience. "Guys, could you recommend the best bar in Warsaw? One I should go to while I'm in the city?"

"Rusałka!" is the loudest scream. 

"Okay", he says. "I will go there". 

Oh dear. I hope he googles the place before he does. But then he probably won't remember the name once the concert is over and he is done with the extended encore that includes a few classics like "Sur la planche 2013" and "Tatiana".

Incidentally, Rusałka (Polish for mermaid) is a good title for a new La Femme song. It is also a cult bar młeczny, an old-school cafeteria-like eatery with traditional food, low prices and the sort of decor that will transport you back into communism in no time at all. And the exterior? Let's just say if Marlon does remember the name of the place, he won't dare to go in. 

And yet it is hard to imagine the district of Praga without this place. Just as it is hard to imagine it without the cozy little yard off 11 Listopada St. that includes a mural titled "You Will Never Be Younger Than Now", a nostalgia vintage shop, an atmospheric bar with strong Twin Peaks vibes and the bizarrely named club called Hydrozagadka. The latter is the perfect venue for a Marlon Magnée concert. The demented, dilapidated streets of Praga-Północ with a Soviet-looking milk bar called Rusałka in close vicinity. The intriguing late-night thrill of the little yard. The weed-smelling little club with a small stage but a lot of attitude. Really, you wouldn't want to see Marlon Magnée in another setting.

The warm-up act is a pleasantly eccentric Polish band called BEMY with a singer who looks like a wild version of Bill Evans and a bunch of highly entertaining songs in French. The performance is full of brilliant energy and a brief setlist full of Zbigniew Wodecki's repertoire adapted for a small club in Warsaw.

After which comes Marlon Magnée, and we start with the single "Plus fort que toi" off his excellent solo album Dark Star (released earlier this year). After a few lethargic La Femme records, it is a real return to form, and the energy exuded by the visibly pumped Magnée proves that he, too, knows that. He then does "La fureur d'Annie" followed by the slower, classic-sounding "La première", and quite soon it becomes clear that he is doing Dark Star in its entirety. The songs feel as good as they are on the record, if not better. I would probably welcome some more variety (the club ambience is relentless and intense), but I'm still caught up in all this high-octane, motorik-imbued nonsense. 

The audience are into it, too, and alongside the beer-wielding, weed-smoking teenagers there are also people of older age and even a couple of random French people who are visibly happy to see their compatriot in this wild, dark heart of Varsovie (speaking of which, Marlon gets into the habit of saying dziękuję after each song he does). Not to jump or at least sway like a madman is nearly impossible, and I don't think I have experienced anything quite like this since the good old days of The Menzingers blowing the roof off a small club in Dublin ten or twelve years ago.

The beautiful respite comes by way of the self-penned timeless gospel tune "Cause There Is No Time" that brings the concert proper to its stylish end. Except there is also an extended encore, and Marlon is clearly thrilled to do more songs. "Are you ready for "Tatiana"?" he asks after a brief pause. And oh God yes we are. Then another song. And then, after the last goodbye, he does two more. He doesn't want to leave, and neither do we. And no - he won't be going to Rusałka tonight. Polish milk bars close at 5 pm. 

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.