U2: Songs of Surrender – A cynical cash grab? Put your preconceptions asideThese ‘reinterpreted’ tracks are a reminder that, whether you like them or not, U2 have some exceptional songs in their back catalogueFri Mar 10 2023 - 00:01
Joesef: ‘I feel like I’m poised for action no matter what anyone throws at me’The Scottish singer is verging on the big time, feted by Elton John and now building a North American followingWed Mar 08 2023 - 06:00
Telefís: Special Report — Remix project only for the most ardent fansCompilation of alternate versions and remixes by Cathal Coughlan & Jacknife Lee doesn’t quite landFri Mar 03 2023 - 05:30
Damon Albarn: ‘I’ve lost one of the loves of my life’No matter what else he’s working on, Albarn always comes back to Gorillaz, so the death of one of the virtual band’s key collaborators is a shockSat Feb 25 2023 - 06:00
Gorillaz: Cracker Island - Damon Albarn squeezes as much joy and pathos as possible into their best album to dateThe virtual band’s LA-influenced eighth album is one of their best to dateFri Feb 24 2023 - 05:30
Inhaler: Cuts & Bruises – Exciting glimmers of greatnessDublin band attempt to break away from the Bono and U2 family connections with solid second albumFri Feb 17 2023 - 05:30
The Academic: Sitting Pretty – Heard this one beforeWestmeath band’s second album is packed with big melodies, but lacking originalityFri Feb 10 2023 - 05:00
Shania Twain: Queen of Me - Too solid, too safe and heavy on the score-settlingTwain strays away from her country roots but already sounds a decade behind her peers, both in theme and soundFri Feb 03 2023 - 05:20
Adam Lambert: ‘Good music is good music, and people want to be entertained’From his duties as vocalist with Queen to his new covers album, the singer is showcasing the power of his voiceWed Feb 01 2023 - 05:00
Young Fathers: ‘We were once called an experimental rock band’Latest album Heavy Heavy echoes how life has changed for the Scottish groupSat Jan 28 2023 - 05:00
Sam Smith: Gloria – close but not quite their magnum opusSmith’s fourth album is more emotionally mature, with some glorious moments and a few bangers, but also too many dudsFri Jan 27 2023 - 05:00
The Murder Capital: Gigi’s Recovery – Woozy, nightmarish, nervy anthemsA gloomy atmosphere pervades the Irish post-punk band’s second albumFri Jan 20 2023 - 05:15
Måneskin: Rush! - Eurovision winners break out the big gunsThird album from Italian rockers has energy and charisma wedged into English-language songsFri Jan 13 2023 - 05:05
Gabrielle Alpin: Phosphorescent – An album of two halvesEnglish songwriter's fourth album is either inconsistent or enjoyably varied, depending on where you standFri Jan 06 2023 - 05:00
White Lung: Premonition – Punk-rock trio bow out with a whimperCanadian band’s swansong is forgettableFri Dec 30 2022 - 05:00
Circa Survive: Two Dreams – Untethered collection of prog rock and electronicaAn untidy and untethered collection of prog rock and electronica by American bandFri Dec 30 2022 - 05:00
NOFX: Double Album – Determinedly louche and stuck in the pastThe LA punks remain stuck in the past as they approach four decades as a bandFri Dec 23 2022 - 05:00
Leland Whitty: Anyhow – Instrumental album packs hell of a punch Canadian’s debut solo experimental jazz album is a palate-cleansing antidote to sugary, syrupy excessFri Dec 16 2022 - 05:00
The Busk: Bono, The Frames, Damien Rice and more sing a song for the homelessFolk, rock and spoken word collide on this pleasant charity albumFri Dec 09 2022 - 05:15
Maverick Sabre: Lonely Are the Brave - a fine reminder of the soul singer’s firepowerThis rebound to the past recaptures the essence of the original recording while showing new depthFri Dec 02 2022 - 05:00
Harry Hill: Last time I was in Ireland I played God save the Queen on car horns. Everyone booedThe comedian is embarking on his first tour in almost a decade with Pedigree Fun!, ‘an all-singing, all-dancing one-man spectacular’Thu Dec 01 2022 - 05:30
Amy Huberman: ‘Power couple? I spend half the day just lying on the couch’Actor on family life, the first Christmas without her beloved dad Harold and how she’s not one half of a power coupleMon Nov 28 2022 - 06:00
Crash Ensemble [Reactions]: An aptly challenging journey for audiences to mark collective’s milestoneA fitting testament to an ensemble who have challenged their audience for 25 yearsFri Nov 25 2022 - 05:20
Tommy Tiernan: ‘I know that I’m a nosy bastard’The comedian talks Derry Girls, reacquainting himself with his motormouth side and spending Christmas in bed with his wifeThu Nov 24 2022 - 05:00
Weyes Blood: And in the Darkness - Second instalment of ambitious concept The second album in Natalie Mering's intended trilogy is reliable, if occasionally overdoneFri Nov 18 2022 - 05:03
David Keenan - Crude review: Swept up in storiesDundalk musician's DIY approach pays dividends on his third albumFri Nov 11 2022 - 05:03
Dermot Kennedy - Sonder reviewAnother solid but uninspiring collection of emotional pop songs by the former buskerFri Nov 04 2022 - 05:00
Cursed Murphy: Republic of the Weird review - Literary dystopia in the modern ageThe Wexford collective explore themes of kooky dystopia in the modern age on their second albumFri Oct 28 2022 - 05:00
The 1975: Being Funny in a Foreign Language — Laughably pretentious rehash, with extra cheeseThe English band's fifth album offers nothing new except added affectationsFri Oct 14 2022 - 05:00
Gilla Band: Renamed, refreshed and ready for anythingDublin musicians explain the change and how they’ve coped with The Irish Times awarding them Best Irish Album of All TimeSat Oct 01 2022 - 05:00
Björk: Fossora — Magical songs about mushrooms, motherhood and mortality Icelandic musician’s 10th album was written after her mother’s death and the birth of her grandsonFri Sept 30 2022 - 05:00
Scullion: Time Has Made a Change in Me - A beautifully pitched affairVeteran Irish trio release their first album of original material in more than a decadeFri Sept 23 2022 - 05:00
Tim Burgess may be a Charlatan, but he likes to stay busyThe Charlatans frontman is happy to ruminate on his solo career and listening parties, but remains coy about reports of his relationship with Sharon HorganSat Sept 17 2022 - 05:00
The Proclaimers: Dentures Out - Scottish duo still baring their teethThe Reid brothers deliver some angry, scathing lyrics - but remain steadfastly melodic - on their 12th albumFri Sept 16 2022 - 05:00
Daithí: I’m Here Now review — Optimistic, celebratory returnThe Clare musician’s third solo album is a journey through his past, present and futureFri Sept 09 2022 - 05:00
Robbie Williams: ‘I was a fully-blown, self-medicating addict. It wasn’t a lot of fun’The pop star reflects on 25 years as a solo artist ahead of the release of a new orchestrated Greatest Hits collectionSat Sept 03 2022 - 05:00
Two Door Cinema Club produce a musical pick-me-upThe trio have a tendency to plod, but when their fifth album is good, it’s really goodFri Sept 02 2022 - 05:00
Stephin Merritt: ‘Being a gay person who writes lyrics is enough to invite Morrissey comparisons’The once-prolific Magnetic Fields frontman on his grumpy reputation and Covid-related writer’s blockWed Aug 31 2022 - 05:00
Muse: Will of the People review — extravagant, preposterous and occasionally enjoyable Devon trio has produced another collection of beefy rock songs with ridiculously overdone riffsFri Aug 26 2022 - 05:00
‘I’m probably the only person that’s thought about Fleet Foxes every day for the last 15 years. Hopefully’Frontman Robin Pecknold on the band’s ‘joyous’ return to live music ahead of the band's Dublin gigWed Aug 24 2022 - 05:30
Anna Mullarkey: Falling review — Galway native embraces two genres, but it doesn’t always workVery few songs are shrouded in mystery, although some are influenced by unusual sourcesFri Aug 19 2022 - 00:00
Danger Mouse & Black Thought: Cheat Codes — Punching below its pedigreeAn impressively star-studded collaboration, but not the modern classic they’d hoped forFri Aug 12 2022 - 05:00
Kiwi Jr: Chopper – Likeable wacky warble from Canadian absurdistsThird album by the Canadian indie absurdists shows some promise amidst the scrappy plodFri Aug 05 2022 - 05:00
Surrender: Maggie Rogers has talent but fails to make connectionA confident second offering, but Rogers' radio-friendly songs lack emotional heftFri Jul 29 2022 - 05:00
Markéta Irglová: ‘Glen Hansard always treated me as an equal, but I didn’t see myself that way’ The Oscar winner, best known as half of The Swell Season with Glen Hansard, is releasing her third solo albumWed Jul 27 2022 - 05:00
The Kooks: 10 Tracks to Echo in the Dark — A forgettable collection of indie pop songsThe band’s incorporation of 1980s synths is probably as close to experimental as you’re likely to hearFri Jul 22 2022 - 06:00
Gavin James: The Sweetest Part - Winning formula but standard fare Dublin musician turns in another reliable collection for his third albumFri Jul 15 2022 - 06:00
Black Midi: Hellfire - a compelling albumAn extraordinarily compelling third album by the experimental London trioFri Jul 15 2022 - 06:00
Myles O’Reilly: Cocooning Heart - Compelling artefact shaped by Covid lockdownDublin film-maker and musician builds atmosphere around songs born of lockdown drudgeryFri Jul 08 2022 - 06:00
Paolo Nutini: Last Night in the Bittersweet — A more grown-up approachAlbum review: The Scottish musician returns with a sprawling album of slowburning charmFri Jul 01 2022 - 06:00
