Released via Run for Cover and Keeled Scales, Sun June’s second album finds the Austin, Texa-based five-piece expanding on the ‘regret pop’ (their term) that served them so well on the ‘Years’ LP. Focusing on how love evolves and shapes our lives, the band describe the new record as ‘prom’ music: ‘Prom isn’t all rosy…
Possibly the longest month yet during this pandemic? At least there was some great music to keep all of our spirits up – from the New Year’s Day release of a new album from The Dirty Nil to the gorgeous new single from Loney Dear and the industrial art pop of Albertine Sarges. Here’s a…
Berlin-based artist Albertine Sarges explores the concepts of growth, self-fulfilment, sexuality, gender and the importance of mental health on ‘The Sticky Fingers’. The record, named after her pet name for her closest friends and band mates, also celebrates the importance of companionship: ‘So much of this album is about the experience of togetherness vs. fighting…
Melodic art pop-rockers Kiwi Jr. have now signed to Sub Pop and are set to release their latest album ‘Cooler Returns’ on 22 January. The album is full of storytelling and characters that will live long in the memory – taking in everything from true stories of local arson and insurance fraud to the dark…
Cheekface kick off 2021 with the release of their second album, ‘Emphatically No’. The Los Angeles trio – made up of Greg Katz, Amanda Tannen and Mark ‘Echo’ Edwards – are renowned for their wry, witty and observational lyrics and throughout this album, they offer up opinions on mental health, fascist governments and political hypocrisy.…
It’s been a tough year, but so many of us were kept going by the phenomenal amount of music released over the past 12 months. We won’t claim any of these to be the ‘best’ – music is not a competition, especially in 2020 – but the following were all on constant rotation at Spectral…
Black Foxxes release their third album following a number of personnel and personal changes. Mark Holley has always been open and honest about his physical and mental health challenges and this continues through these nine songs – recorded quickly with a new rhythm section (drummer Finn McClean and bass player Jack Henley) and producer/mixer Ade…
Royal Mountain Records (Mac DeMarco, Orville Peck, Pottery) founder Menno Versteeg is set to release the debut full-length record, ‘Strangers Like Us’, under his Mav Karlo moniker. Menno says: ‘The goal with the album was to take a good hard look at myself and my behaviour and really get to the heart of the matter.…
Tugboat Captain spent the past year secretly using free studio hours at Abbey Road to record their debut album, ‘Rut’. The four-piece have long been acclaimed for their work ethic and gorgeous pop hooks but now they’re ready to take their sound to new – often orchestral – height’. The cabaret-style announcement of ‘Please excuse…
Formed in Tallinn, Estonia, back in 2013, Holy Motors have gained praise from Pitchfork, Stereogum and Bandcamp and have played shows with bands including Low. Now, they’re set to release ‘Horse’, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed ‘Slow Sundown’, via New York City’s ever-brilliant Wharf Cat Records. The slow-burning opener ‘Country Church’ finds Eliann Tulve…
Spectral Nights - alternative music, indie music, music reviews, new music, music blog 