So January is finally coming to a close, and it’s been a superb month for music with so many good albums being released! Here are our top 5 Albums / EP’s of the Month! Would love to hear your thoughts on the list!
5. Peach Club – ‘Cherry Baby’
‘Cherry Baby‘ was the debut EP from Peach Club, and after hearing it’s consistently been calling back to me. The EP is packed with attitude from the first song to the last, and each of the of the vocal performances are impeccable. The title track ‘Cherry Baby‘ is the stand out track on the album, mixin story with melody perfectly. With a plethora or riot grrrl bands started to make moves now, Peach Club have definitely put themselves on the radar as ones to look out for.
4.Dream Wife – ‘Dream Wife’
After hearing Dream Wife for the first time, I was immediately looking forward to their debut album. The record has a real riot grrrl edge to it, but at the heart of it’s just stunningly good guitar music with some very poignant riffs. It has a unique sound to it, especially with the vocals and the pleasant Icelandic twang that hangs off every word. The whole album is very tight and follows a very punchy theme, and it’s clear that these songs would play out well in front of a live audience.
3.Dead! – ‘The Golden Age of Not Even Trying’
This album was late to the party, as it was released towards the end of January and was very nearly not listened to. However, it’s a relief that it found its way into my ears. The album is just filled with pent up anger along with aggressive drum work, and some talented guitar parts. With songs like ‘Enough, Enough, Enough’ and ‘Any Port’ providing a perfect soundtrack for complete madness at any live event! The fast paced album is a complete whirlwind and flies by too quick, forcing on several more listens.
2. Jeff Rosenstock – ‘Post-‘
Jeff released his third solo album ‘Post-‘ on New Years Day, which caught a lot of people off-guard as they weren’t ready for this new record. However a New Years Day hangover couldn’t keep me away from this. The album has everything you’d want from a Jeff Rosenstock album, still keeping with his post-punk roots and erratic style. The final track ‘Let Them Win’ is a great song, as it goes on it’s as if Jeff slowly giving up and losing the fight, much like the title of the song.
1. Shame – ‘Songs of Praise’
After some time plotting their debut album, Shame have burst onto the scene with their debut record ‘Songs of Praise’. It has garnered strong reviews all round from several publications, and are being dubbed the best act to come out the UK this year. Although the praise is deserved, it’s important to give the band time to grow and not get to ahead of ourselves. That being said, the album is a monster of its own. With these big heavy guitars combined with know-it-all lyrics, each song follows the same swagger, which is something similar to what SLAVES have done. This album deservedly gets album of the month, and hopefully we can look forward to more great stuff from the South-London band.