Vasudeva – ‘No Clearance’

It’s been three and a half years since Vasudeva released their debut record and they certainly haven’t used those intervening years in vain. ‘Life In Cycles’ introduced the band as an upbeat, vibrant, instrumental act but for all its energy it became a little one dimensional. ‘No Clearance’ shows

A Lot Like Birds announce a new chapter in the most personal way

A Lot Like Birds released one of my favourite records of all time with ‘No Place’ in 2013 but a lot has changed for the band since then. Vocalist Kurt Travis left the band, citing a dislike for the band’s seemingly altered style and when co-vocalist Cory Lockwood explained

Deference – ‘False Awakening’

From the outset it’s clear where Southampton-based five-piece Deference take influence from. Opening track ‘Scavengers’ could’ve been lifted straight from an Architects album; starting with a shout of ‘bleugh’, a sound that has become a signature of Architects front-man Sam Carter, the track rifles through low end, punchy riffs

LIVE: Create to Inspire / Far From Home / Skies in Motion / Faces of Eve @ Mulberry Tavern, Sheffield

Essex-based Create to Inspire are on the cusp of making a breakthrough. Having impressed with their well received debut EP ‘Home is Where My Heart Dies’ in March 2016, the band are building up to their first full-length ‘Sickness’ on 26 May and if latest single ‘Adjust’

Create to Inspire have got the balance just right

Mixing clean with screamed vocals is nothing new in post-hardcore but often the melodic parts feel shoe-horned in to provide a bit of extra accessibility or an easy-to-digest hook. When it’s integrated well though it’s highly effective, as Essex quintet Create to Inspire prove with ‘Adjust’. The balance between

LIVE: Fatherson / Trueheights @ The Zephyr Lounge, Leamington Spa

Indie/alternative three-piece Fatherson deservedly appeared on many ‘Best of 2016’ lists with their fantastic album Open Book. To keep the momentum going into 2017, the band have been touring mainland Europe in support of the record and this show at The Zephyr lounge is the first show of this headline tour

Mannequin Mishap have a minimal line-up but maximum impact

It’s not often you find a math-rock band without a guitarist, but that’s exactly what I stumbled across with Mannequin Mishap. When I first heard the track I had no idea that this array of noise was coming from only two people and it took the music video to

Rory Indiana dish out some ‘Tough Love’

If you’ve been wowed by the alt-rock mastery of Arcane Roots and In Dynamics over the past couple of years then you’re going to want to turn your attention towards Rory Indiana. ‘Tough Love’ is the first track they’ve released since their breakthrough EP ‘Ruling Class Crooks’ in 2016 and it

Elasea – ‘Lesson Learnt’

After a promising start with their debut EP ‘Where I Belong’ in 2015, Reading-based Elasea are back with another batch of hard-hitting alternative tracks. The first record showed promise but its nomadic wandering through various styles lacked a clear identity; ‘Lesson Learnt’ is an appropriate name for

Acres: “It’s become its own monster; the happiest accident.”