Newport, Wales quintet The Nightmares follow their 2023 debut album ‘Séance’ with new record ‘Fire in Heaven’ (released on 14 February, 2025 via Venn Records). With its title inspired by a quote from Killing Joke’s Jaz Coleman, The Nightmares vocalist and guitarist Adam Parslow said: ‘This record explores the curiosity between the struggles of human…
New York duo Frog follow up 2023’s ‘Grog’ with ‘1000 Variations on the Same Song’, out via Audio Antihero Records on 14 February, 2025. This is an eclectic record that takes in themes of parenthood, living and finding yourself in your home city, with Frog singer-songwriter Daniel Bateman saying: ‘1000 Variations on the Same Song…
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Sam Sodomsky releases ‘Melody Trail’, the latest album under his The Bird Calls moniker. Packed with astute observations, dark humour and a slab of Americana, it’s a record based around the concept of idly waiting around for some kind of revelation. There’s a touch of Wilco in the country-tinged opener ‘God Bless These…
Singer-songwriter Bryony Williams releases her debut album ‘You Are Here’ on 5 February, 2025. The record explores themes of love, self-discovery and resilience while also looking back at the battles you work through to get through this thing called life… ‘Trip Me Up’ opens the record with Postal Service vibes, an air of sadness (‘Taken…
Out on 14 February, ‘Critical Thinking’, Manic Street Preachers’ fifteenth (!) album, finds the legendary Welsh trio celebrating conflicting ideas colliding. Nicky Wire says: ‘While the music has an effervescence and an elegiac uplift, most of the words deal with the cold analysis of the self, the exception being the three lyrics by James (Dean…
Jasmine.4.t releases her debut album ‘You Are the Morning’ via Phoebe Bridgers’ Saddest Factory Records on 17 January. Produced by boygenius, the album is a celebration of queer friendship and how it helped Jasmine deal with the lack of acceptance shown towards her after coming out as trans… There’s a very introspective sound as almost…
It’s that time of year again. Yes, the Spectral Nights Top 5 albums of the past 12 months. There have been some exciting new releases and long-awaited returns in 2024. Now it’s time to celebrate some of our favourites. As always, it’s important to note music is not a competition hence we’re hesitant to use…
Portland, Oregon-based singer-songwriter Haley Heynderickx follows up 2018’s sublime ‘I Need to Start a Garden’ with ‘Seed of a Seed’, an album that – you can see this from the title – again takes inspiration from nature and our surroundings. It’s a record that Haley says honours everything from flowers and friends to forests and…
With influences ranging from the Breeders and Broadcast to Dolly Parton and ‘Kristen Stewart’ already on its way to becoming a queer anthem, Sassyhiya’s debut record ‘Take You Somewhere’ promises to be a glorious celebration of modern life. The wonky, woozy pop melodies of opener ‘Boat Called Predator’ bring back memories of indie legends Bearsuit,…
Sophie Allison, aka Soccer Mommy, returns with ‘Evergreen’, an album she informed and inspired by loss with the goal of making ‘a snapshot of a moment’s feelings, to portray the sadness or beauty, survival or hope that bobs there’. Breezy and gentle acoustic sadpop strums signal the start of album opener ‘Lost’, a song that…
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