T P A

PoiL Ueda – Yoshitsune

Eight months to the day after the release of the fantastic collaborative album from PoiL Ueda, a second volume has arrived, entitled Yoshitsune. The initial release is hands down my favourite of 2023, underlined by the two shows I saw…

David Cross Band – Ice Blue, Silver Sky

If you know your lyrics, then the title of this record gives a clue as to its heritage, although opener Nurse Insane charges out of the traps with its prog metal armour shining in the half-light, to throw you off…

Moon Safari – Himlabacken Vol.2

“Welcome back to Heaven Hill. Same old sounds, same old thrills.” Thus sing the band from Skellefteå, Sweden to open their new album, Himlabacken Vol.2, released on 8th December 2023 by their own label, Blomljud Records. If those lyrics sound…

Dandelion Charm – Scream Inside The Tear

Four years on from their last full length album, Newhaven duo Dandelion Charm return with album number three, Scream Inside the Tear. Although primarily a duo, DC are in every respect a band delivering a rich blend progressive folk rock,…

Jon Gomm / Jo Quail

Sin City, Swansea Monday, 11th December 2023 Music is the best. Frank Zappa’s words continue to resonate, and seldom is music better than what was delivered on this particularly rainy night in Swansea – it was wetter than a haddock’s…

Looped Squares – Looped Squares

Looped Squares is a German-based band with roots from diverse musical and geographical backgrounds. I recently spoke to the band who gave an insight into their meeting, origin and the Looped Squares album. “We met when we worked at Thomann…

Lene Lovich – Toy Box: The Stiff Years, 1978-1983

Lene Lovich, whose work experience included providing screams for Hammer Horror Film Productions, earned her 15 minutes of fame on the back of a surprise hit single with her first release for Stiff Records. Over the course of her time…

Dave Kerzner – Heart Land Mines, Vol. 1

The very first review I ever submitted to TPA was for Dave Kerzner’s 2022 effort, The Traveler. Fast forward a year, and here we are again, this time with Kerzner’s latest release, Heart Land Mines, Vol. 1. From his time…

Anton Corbijn – Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)

It’s a bit of a sad image: this elderly man attending a matinee performance alone in the tiniest room of an old cinema in his hometown. I went to the cinema with some degree of embarrassment, but luckily I wasn’t…

Various Artists – We Can Work It Out: Covers of the Beatles, 1962 – 1966 [3CD Box Set]

As a reviewer, wrapping your head around new music and finding the words to explain it can be exhausting, especially if the music in question is no bueno. It helps when there are already some assurances of quality, and this…