Mike J. Wheeler

stunning second album from Johnny Flynn, 14 Jun 2010

Well I got this a week ago now and I know it's a cliche to say "it hasn't come off my CD player yet" but that's pretty much true. It really is something special this.

I bought 'A Larum' last year and thought it fabulous so the usual trepidations surfaced approaching this follow-up. But I needn't have worried. This is such a good effort. It really is. If you haven't come across Johnny Flynn before it might be helpful to know he's intrinsically part of the London scene labelled by some as 'nu-folk' which also includes Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and Noah and the Whale. Much as I like Mumford & Sons album and really love Laura Marling's second album I have to say I reckon this to… Read more

Brilliant, 23 April 2010

Well just like Jonsi did a few weeks back, The National are giving us a sneak preview of their new album a few weeks before release just to whet our appetite. It's being streamed through via the New York Times if you get the chance - got to be worth it yes?. Well, I just couldn't wait. It seems a while since the last album 'Boxer' came out. In fact it was three years ago. Things move on in that time obviously. One thing is a constant though. The quality of this band's output. OK so 'Boxer' maybe didn't capture the heights of 'Alligator' but it was still a great record. I've been looking forward to this for a while....

Just on the first listen now so I'm writing this as I listen… Read more

Beautiful, 1 April 2010

Well it was always going to be pretty good wasn't it? The musical output that Jónsi has achieved over the past decade or so with Sigur Rós has always been extraordinary in its breadth and its beauty. There's certainly no diminution of quality with this solo effort. Jónsi's voice is as beautiful and otherworldly as ever. There have been 'whisperings' over the past weeks that this album will be too 'poppy' (is that so bad?). Don't listen to the whisperings. This fits in as well as 'Me� su� í eyrum vi� spilum endalaust' to the Sigur Rós canon in my opinion. Yes the epic nature of Sigur Rós maybe not so up front at the beginning ('Grow Till Tall'… Read more