A Few Words on... Hurts - Surrender

I'd say I have a complicated relationship with Hurts, but that would imply I know them rather than simply enjoy their music, despite them sounding like a lot of the generic dross that refuses to leave the mainstream charts.

A Few Words on... Editors - In Dream

Before giving Editors fifth album a spin, I was pretty much settled on the idea that the record would be more of a continuation of the electronic, synth heavy In This Light and On This Evening rather than their good if sometimes flat americana fourth album The Weight of Your Love.

Ten Things Learnt from the First Ten Episodes of Dragon Ball Super

If you were to tell my younger self that Dragon Ball GT wouldn't be the end of Akira Toriyama's magnum opus and that a new series would take it's place, I'd probably write you off as one of the gullible idiots who believes in Dragon Ball AF and all the obviously fake recolours of Super Saiyan 5 (although ironically, a recolour does now make up a new power up).

If you were to tell myself that at your near thirties, you'd write an article on it because you have nothing better to do, I'd probably take up that drug addiction that always seemed out of my grasp, but alas, here we are, in 2015 with a 'sort-of' new Dragon Ball storyline in the form of Dragon Ball Super with ten points, observations and opinions of the new series (not for each episode, because we'd be here all day).

The Libertines - Anthems for Doomed Youth Review

The Libertines sit in a bizarre state of overexposed and mythical. The only band that I can think of to even come close to them is The Smiths and even that feels weird.

The foursome exploded on the NME scene with all the hallmarks of headline grabbing escapades away from the stage with the occasional glimmer of musical brilliance on it. Of course, I say foursome, but it was the song writing partnership of Barât/Doherty that was most intriguing.

Like their forefathers Lennon/McCartney, Marr/Morrissey and Sylvester/Tweety, it couldn't last and by the time their self-titled second album hit the big time, the working relationship of the pair had spectacularly exploded for all the world to see.

In the post Libertines world, the band struggled to either break their previous shackles or live up to them. Whilst it only took two years before the NME ditched their previous prodigal sons in favour of the Arctic Monkeys, Doherty kept the press entertained with his beleaguered, drug-induced antics until, they too, grew bored with him.

The View - Ropewalk Review

The biggest fault I had with 2012's Cheeky for a Reason was how familiar everything felt and in-turn, how everything had been done better before it.

Three years and a greatest hits album later (normally a death rattle unless a jealous record label cash grab), The View are back again with album five. Ironically within a week of The Libertines' long awaited return who arguably had the biggest impact in the band's aesthetic prior to Hats off to the Buskers, you know, the one that everyone likes.

Despite my...reservations due to Cheeky for a Reason, I had hopes for Ropewalk. Kyle Falconer went to rehab which from a heartless listener standpoint, meant that we might get some introspective songs regarding his condition instead of another iteration of Wasted Little DJs (that and obligatory best wishes etc).

Beach House - Depression Cherry

Beach House have always, on paper, been a duo I should like. I'm a sucker for Dream Pop and Beach House follow all the traits and stereotypes to the nth degree.

Sadly, I first listened to the duo in 2012 when Bloom was making rounds as a defining record but, for the life of me and multiple listens later, I couldn't understand why. Sure, Bloom had its moments and sounded somewhat distinct as much as two souls trying to create a universe on an eight track in a bedroom can, but it lacked polish, vocally wasn't too distinct, lyrically not strong at all and sadly, I fount their more mainstream contemporaries more fun.

Foals - What Went Down Review

Foals' fourth album What Went Down was a bit of surprise release for me, I expected there to be a typical three year gap for development, but the announcement was a welcome one.

Despite the fact I fount Holy Fire a wee bit disappointing, it still had some tremendous songs, some that would easily sit in a top ten list had I ever bothered to write one and after hearing the title track, I was again left pondering whether the band could deliver another shot at the converted album of the year title.