Articles by David McElroy

It’s rare that an album manages to entirely live up to its name. I’ve never been fully convinced by M83 as Saturdays = Youth lacked a punch and Hurry Up We’re Dreaming suffered from the […]

11 albums in and Primal Scream show no signs of slowing down. Chaosmosis is , ultimately, a pop album, the moment where the Scream shed most, if not all, of their rock n roll swagger […]

A second album is always a challenge, especially after near universal love for your debut. Some bands wilt under the pressure and present a near carbon copy follow up, others soar. In facing this challenge, […]

What is it with Canada at the moment? There is so much good music pouring out of that country that it’s getting increasingly hard to take it all in. Meter Bridge are a synthpop duo […]

With her work initially with the wonderful The Delgados and after that as a solo artist, Emma Pollock has made an indelible mark on the Scottish music scene. The Delgados‘[ music inspired a legion of […]

Suede’s 2013 album Bloodsports was a sensational comeback for a band whose last album, 2002’s underwhelming A New Morning seemed destined to be a flat end to what was a wonderful catalogue. Bloodsports showed that Suede […]

Ost & Kjex are a Norwegian electro duo whose new album Freedom Wig amply shows how difficult it can be to translate electronic music from DJ sets to an album. They are obviously influenced by […]

Toronto’s Beliefs release their second album Leaper on 13 November on the ever impressive Hand Drawn Dracula label. Leaper is an album of shoegaze influenced indiepop that pays homage to the likes of The Pixies, […]

It’s a strange notion that a show in a sold out arena is a small affair for a band, but when you consider that the world’s stadia are U2’s usual stamping grounds, shows in the […]

The Deadline Shakes are a Glasgow based sextet whose debut album Zealots is released on Flowers In The Dustbin records on 29 November. Quite simply, it’s an album that you want, no, have to hear. […]

Rodney Cromwell’s Age Of Anxiety album is one of the finest electronic records of the year and, without spoiling any surprises, is pretty much a shoo in for a highly placed finish in this blog’s […]

John Grant’s last album, Pale Green Ghosts, was a superb thing with its feet firmly rooted in electronica, moving his sound on in a fascinating direction after the more sombre Queen of Denmark. It was […]

Death Of Hi Fi are an Oxford based electronica and hip hop influenced three piece whose first single with new singer Lucy Cropper was released on 9 October. Swim Away is a dream-pop like piece of woozy […]

Chvrches arrival on the music scene in 2013 was a wonderful thing. Their debut, The Bones of What You Believe, was one of the finest electronic pop albums since the Pet Shop Boys’ ‘Behaviour’, and […]

Firstly, a couple of New Order confessions. I’ve never been that upset about New Order carrying on without Pete Hook. Their live shows in 2012 were re-energised, hugely enjoyable and didn’t actually miss him. The […]

Taylor Swift’s 1989 is one of those rare albums that unites the vast majority of music fans all of whom rightly bow down to its pop majesty. No matter how hard you might try and […]

Battles’ third album La Di Da is a curious beast. Unlike 2011’s Gloss Drop, this album doesn’t feature guest vocalists; instead the band serve up 12 instrumentals, some better than others, giving the album a […]

The Light In You from Mercury Rev is their first album since 2008’s Snowflake Midnight and, where that album seemed to indicate a band that had run out of steam, The Light In You sees them recharged […]