Reviews
Since leaving university in 2012 I've worked in a wide range of professional writing roles. From drafting ministerial correspondence at the Department for Education, to developing marketing strategies for independent organisations, my experiences have enabled me to develop a distinctive writing style.
Alongside these positions, I have continued to produce copy for a number of national and regional publications, including, but not limited to: DIY, Drowned in Sound, Clash, Loud & Quiet, NARC and Bearded magazine.
If you'd like some more examples of my work, please feel free to drop me an email at: [email protected].
Cheers!
Reviews
The term "World Music" is painful. A clumsy, outdated, catch-all phrase for artists that don't fit into the Western ideal of pop. It's easy to see how Sampa The Great might have one become pegged into this slightly bizarre genre black hole. Her influences are vast. Her sphere is global.
Pop music is great and all, but every now and then, the words, they get too much. In a world of increasing volume, sometimes all we need is the humble instrumental; a soothing escape from the human voice. London four-piece Dog Unit understand this completely. Turn Right And Right Again is a Wordless Rock™ delight.
It feels lazy to mention Donald J. Trump's apocalyptic presidency in an album review these days, but sometimes the source material demands it. Since the election of 'The Donald' in November, the music world has been waiting for the first post-Trump record.
New York City, the birthplace of hip hop, has been screaming out for an heir apparent for years, ever since Jay Z went all weird on us with his multi-millionaire verses. Since then the city has been subject to a whole host of pretenders and false prophets, seeing the city turn its back on rap and start to embrace its rock and roll roots.
In some circles, 'going pop' is frowned upon. Elitist tendencies dictate that any swing away from the leftfield is to be punished. Most of the time this is complete nonsense, but every once in a while an album comes along that makes a strong case for the anoraks.
In cinema, the best scares lie within the unknown. Chuck a death zombie flesh eater on screen too early and it's game over. The reveal kills it all. What the audience really crave is the slow burn, the threat of a dark, destructive force that rarely, if ever, reveals itself.
Palate cleansers. Fancy restaurants can't get enough of them, but in music they're a completely foreign concept. Until now. Tether, the debut album from The Natvral, attempts to bring the idea of the cleanser into the world of indie rock, one reverberated guitar strum at a time.
Other
I've been going through a bit of a rough patch recently, what with Sarah leaving and everything, and, well, I guess I've been looking for some sort of escape, a project to take my mind off the situation at hand. I never thought that project would be joining Hetton-Le-Hole's Premier Lazer Tag League, but then...
If this piece sounds like an obituary, it's because it is. The sacking of Bielsa is the death of a dream. The end of a four-year rocket ride into the stratosphere. It's all very raw right now. It's almost impossible to put into words just how much Bielsa has done for Leeds United.