P. Haslehurst

A great album, 14 April 2010

Right from the off this album sets a very high standard from which it barely deviates. Frenetic, pacey and full of great dynamics, this is the kind of album you'll come back to again and again.

Sound-wise, this offering sits somewhere between bands like The Coral, Cold War Kids, and Arctic Monkeys. Certainly in the case of those first two bands, this album is stronger than anything either of them have produced so far.

Songs like "The Drawing Board" and "Temporary Blues" are convincing explanations of youthful frustration and pain. But whilst the subject matter can be weighty, the tunes are effortless and brilliantly catchy. These guys know how to write a song… Read more

Sometimes, Rarely, You Can Trust The Ads, 21 Jun 2006

It's a risky business, trusting TV advertising. You could end up buying any number of useless items. Nowhere is this more true than in the world of music, where it is safe to assume that 97% of albums advertised on TV are pure, unadulterated rubbish. Countless R&B; compilations, unstoppable series of "Essential" Trance collections. When oh when does it end?

It ends now. If you're looking at this, it's probably because you've seen an advert for Ray Lamontagne's "Trouble" and realised that perhaps it's not the next in a long series of boil in the bag hi-fidelity sacrilege. Perhaps it's good.

It's hard to tell from the advert, because you only hear a snippet of a… Read more

Stellar Performances, Stellar Show, 22 April 2006

"Arrested Development" is a show with such wit, originality and hilarity that it's all too easy to forget that it's not British. Indeed, it wouldn't be altogether ridiculous to suggest that "Arrested Development" gives "The Office" - my particular nomination for best British Comedy Ever - a serious run for it's money.

Michael Bluth is a single Dad in the family from Hell - a corrupt father, permanently drunk mother, a sister who has never worked a day in her life, and two bizarre brothers, one a washed up magician and the other a neurotic Mummy's boy incapable of maintaining his confidence for long periods.

The show's primary focus is Michael's desperate effort to… Read more