Casisdead at Koko review | Dark, futuristic rap magic in the flesh
★★★★☆
UK rap’s greatest enigma celebrates the long-awaited release of his debut album, Famous Last Words.
Review
1989 (Taylor's Version) review | Swift's classic gets better still
Already the pop star’s magnum opus, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) sounds better than before, with tracks from the vault improving it further still.
The Silver Cord review | King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ditch guitars for a cosmic robo-rave
★★★★☆ Genre-bending psych outfit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard engage an arsenal of synthesisers for their 25th studio album, leaving their comfort zone for a galactic robo-rave.
My Big Day review | Bombay Bicycle Club breach new frontiers
★★★★☆ Nearly two decades in, Bombay Bicycle Club offer a thrilling reinvention with their sixth studio album. It goes beyond indie boundaries and jumps headfirst into pop and electro territory.
The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light review | The Streets return with brilliance
★★★★☆ After a 12-year hiatus, The Streets have returned with a welcome blend of old and new. The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light is comfortingly familiar and yet betrays subtle strands of maturity.
Lahai review | Sampha soars from a bird’s-eye-view
★★★★★ Sampha's Lahai is another work of art, a hand-built universe of clocks, birds and spaceships, as Sampha seeks out the meaning of life.
Something To Give Each Other review | Troye Sivan's gift to modern pop
★★★★☆ Five years in the making, Troye Sivan's latest album serves as a sophisticated, vibrant exploration of love, sexuality, and human connection. Here's our Something To Give Each Other review.
For All The Dogs review | Drake’s arsenal of hits misfires
The “old Drake” was supposedly going to reappear on For All The Dogs. Sadly, it's the “new Drake”: bloated, hollow and directionless.
The Dark Side of the Moon Redux review | Roger Waters' agreeable new take on an old masterpiece
★★★★☆ Roger Waters tackles life, time, and warmongering in a revisit of Pink Floyd's classic that offers a blend of nostalgia, political commentary, and undeniable musical craft. Here's our Dark Side of the Moon Redux review.
Falling or Flying review | Jorja Smith's spellbinding return
★★★★☆ Jorja Smith is finally back, five years on from her debut album. With records like Falling or Flying, she can take all the time in the world.
Darren Harriott: Roadman review | Lots of laughs but lacking narrative
★★★☆☆ Darren Harriott’s 2023 Fringe offering Roadman again proves the Black Country native’s ability to be very funny, but it also sees him struggle to form any kind of narrative or tension.
One Man Band review | A safe haven of fuzzy riffs from longtime indie-rocker Miles Kane
★★★☆☆
Miles Kane returns to his guitar roots, and ultimately his comfort zone, on his fifth studio album. Read our One Man Band review.
Pusha T at Hammersmith Apollo review | Concise and relentless set from the veteran rapper
★★★☆☆
After nine months and two postponements, Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry tour finally touched-down in London, with the rapper delivering a no-nonsense, if slightly short, set.
Wizkid at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium review | A slick performance that lacked special guests
★★★☆☆
Wizkid celebrates Africa at his historic Tottenham Stadium concert. Despite dazzling with his stage presence, he largely neglects his latest album – and isn’t joined by any special guests onstage.
Unhealthy review | Chaotic, personality-fuelled pop from Anne-Marie
★★★☆☆
The third album from Anne-Marie, Unhealthy, follows her trend to-date of relatable lyricism – but its pop potency sometimes gets lost amid the chaos.
Blur at Hammersmith Apollo review | New album and deep cuts
★★★★☆
Parklife not required: Damon Albarn’s band played The Ballad of Darren in full, plus some ridiculously rare songs.
DEN7 review | Underground stalwart and production supremo unite for debut Miss Tiny project
★★★★☆
Creative kindred spirits Benjamin Romans-Hopcraft and Speedy Wunderground chief Dan Carey compile a well-balanced five-track EP with DEN7. You hope this is merely the beginning of their “anti-recording” Miss Tiny project.
Hozier at Alexandra Palace review | Rich resplendence from the Irish troubadour
★★★★☆
Ahead of the release of his third studio album Unreal Unearth next month, Hozier laid out the lyrical and vocal wealth of his near-decades’ long catalogue to an outdoors crowd at Alexandra Palace.
Starcatcher review | Greta Van Fleet are Led Zeppelin incarnate on third studio album
★★★☆☆
Josh Kiszka’s vocals are Greta Van Fleet’s prized possession on the Michigan rocker’s third studio album Starcatcher.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) review | Taylor Swift takes another powerful act of reclamation
★★★★☆
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is interested in rewriting history in the process of reclaiming it. Moving away from the formula set by Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now takes more liberties, twists and tweaks rather than being a carbon copy of the original. Changing lyrics and tracklists, the singer remains true to the spirit of the original album – staying interested in herself as the main topic, and reintroducing that 20-year-old self in a bigger and broader way.
I Inside the Old Year Dying review | PJ Harvey delivers an ode to beautiful naivety
★★★★☆
Following the meticulously-planned political observations of Hope Six Demolition Project, Dorset’s singer-songwriter has gone in the opposite direction, making an ode to inexperience and improvisation.
Iron Maiden at Motorpoint Arena review | Thoroughbred heavy metal majesty
Honouring 1986’s Somewhere in Time and 2021’s Senjutsu in equal measure, the British metal masters are still finding new ways to integrate decades-old music into a must-see live show.
The 1975 at Finsbury Park review | Controversial frontman makes the music quell the criticisms
★★★★☆
On the Sunday evening of a packed weekend at Finsbury Park, The 1975 played their largest UK headline show to date. Love him, hate him, condemn his actions, Matty Healy knows how to put on a show with his tight-knit bandmates in tow.
Pink Tape review | Lil Uzi Vert delivers a lengthy rap-rock rollercoaster that was worth the wait
★★★★☆
Pink Tape is as distinctive as it is extensive, running over 90 minutes and fusing genres under a peculiar umbrella that is Lil Uzi Vert’s and Lil Uzi Vert’s alone.
Messy review | A triumphant genre-spanning debut from Olivia Dean
★★★★☆
Embracing the highs and lows of romantic relationships and family history, Olivia Dean’s debut album Messy certainly lives up to the hype, writes Hannah Mylrea.
Yusuf / Cat Stevens at Glastonbury 2023 review | Wise soul taps into Worthy Farm’s spiritual roots
★★★★☆
There’s something cleansing about witnessing Yusuf/Cat Stevens wander onto the stage in his 75th year and strum through his soulful repertoire. It’s an experience that triggers an emotional response.
Elton John at Glastonbury 2023 review | One of the very best, from a truly all-time great
★★★★★
Elton John closed out Glastonbury 2023 with a set for the ages, in front of a mammoth Pyramid Stage audience. If this really is his last ever live UK, he goes out on an almighty high, writes Ali Shutler.
Lana Del Rey at Glastonbury 2023 review | Exceptional talent, terrible timekeeping
★★★☆☆
Lana Del Rey certainly made her return to Worthy Farm last night with a spectacle. Nine years on from her first Glastonbury performance in 2014 and with her UK shows scarce, the singer, born Lizzy Grant, delivered an intense and confusing hour-long set, writes Millie O’Brien.
Arctic Monkeys at Glastonbury 2023 review | Prodigious rockers kick-off headline proceedings
★★★★☆
After allaying fears they wouldn’t be able to perform, Arctic Monkeys showed why they’ve been called upon three times to headline Glastonbury – with a crooning, charismatic Alex Turner at the helm and a set that weaved greatest hits with fresh additions.
Foo Fighters at Glastonbury 2023 review | The Churnups reveal themselves as fiery rock heroes
★★★★☆
In a not-so-secret set, Foo Fighters turned out to be the mystery band The Churnups, playing an hour-long set at Glastonbury 2023.
