Meat Loaf – Braver Than We Are
There has never been a more Meat Loaf album than this album. Particularly noteworthy is Speaking In Tongues, an album track to which the lyrics read “Is there time to start a fire, and then go and make it good? We’re overflowing with desire; you’ve got the spark, I’ve got wood”. Yeah, seriously. Read the full review here.
Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence
Devin Townsend’s new album is every bit as bonkers as you’d expect and want it to be, fusing “a holy cathedral of guitars” with “a bombastic rapture of angelic choirs” and “the dark drone of metaphysical black metal”. It’s little wonder his fans call him God. Read the full review here.
Teenage Fanclub – Here
The Creation Records stalwarts have made another album that sounds like a Teenage Fanclub album should sound. If you want something new, this one probably isn’t for you, because as our reviewer points out, this is “‘just’ another routinely radiant TFC album”. Read the full review here.
Whiskey Myers – Mud
These Texan tearaways specialise in hard’n’heavy southern rock that would make Skynyrd proud, their songs littered with references to partying, drinking, hunting, getting out and about in nature and other such macho American pursuits. The music’s not bad either. You can read the full review here.
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Brijitte West & The Desperate Hopefuls – From NY With Love
Brijitte West was raised by the NY punk scene, and it’s where she made her name, so it should come as no surprise that this album has its influence running through its veins. Brijitte is as direct as she’s ever been, with self-aware references of broken dreams and washed-out rock stars. Read the full review here.
Faith No More – Reissues
Sure, sure, you’ve heard it all before… but not like this you haven’t. While We Care A Lot was reissued at the end of August, it’s joined now by King For A Day… Fool For A Lifetime and Album Of The Year, all filled with remixes, extra tracks, and B-sides from the era – all as exciting now as they were back then. You can read the full review here.
The Beatles – Live At The Hollywood Bowl
This long-lost live set was recently rediscovered, remastered and, this week, will be released into the world. Showing the Fab Four at what could most feasibly be called their ‘punk phase’ (it was 1977, after all), our reviewer commented that “the great lost Beatles album just became the essential new Beatles album”. Read the full thing here.
Free – The Vinyl Collection
What do we want? Free! How do we want them? Well, on vinyl, obviously. Which is handy, because their entire back catalogue (including the “stop gap” live album) has been released this week as a handsome vinyl box set. As our reviewer points out, “there’s no question of whether you should buy this vinyl collection, it’s only a matter of when”. If you still need more convincing, read the full review here.
The ultimate buyer's guide to Devin Townsend
