Zzzahara 'Spiral Your Way Out' (ALBUM REVIEW)

"Spiral Your Way Out is a rapid-fire (half the tracks come in at under 3 minutes) journey of a love lost and a person beginning to rebuild. It’s not perfect, but if you allow yourself to be picked up by its swooping melodies and feel the sun on your skin, it’s somewhere close".



Zzzahara is American singer-songwriter Zahara Jaime; part Filipino, part Mexican, all California; or more specifically, Los Angeles. Waves of sun and grit spill out of this, their third album; a sound so uniquely Angeleno you can almost hear the traffic. Defiantly formed in the ashes of an ill-fated relationship, the emotion is thick and palpable. It’s a cliché to talk about sun-drenched guitar melodies, but the dreamy, beachy sound is undeniable. There are hints of Girls in there, of early Grimes, of Sky Ferreira's better produced moments.

Orbital: A Beginner’s Guide (ALBUM REVIEW)


I can still recall the moment Orbital first entered my life. Coming to after kipping on a friend’s floor after a night on the tiles, the room suddenly filled with the delightfully ethereal sampled vocal of Kirsty Hawkshaw, expertly fucked about with on Orbital’s slowest of slow burner introduction to ‘Halcyon + on + on’. A somewhat lengthier and bouncier mix of its original, arguably the track’s definitive version and of course, the delicious denouement of Orbital’s magnificent second album commonly known as ‘Brown’, my gateway to Phil and Paul’s unique variety of Hartnoll techno heaven.

Lazy Day 'Open the Door' (ALBUM REVIEW)


Lazy Day’s first full lengther Open the Door is the culmination of a ten year journey by Tilly Scantlebury, formerly of Brighton band Hella Better Dancer. An art historian by day, they have built on previous lo(wer)-fi releases, to curate a tightly bound and far slicker collection this time.

 

Evan Dando - (LIVE REVIEW) Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, October 21st 2024



Prior to this show, the not-entirely-positive reviews coming out of recent US tours had given me a sense of foreboding, which was not entirely justified. Strong support came from Ella Raphael; beautiful sunbeam tinged blues, reminiscent of Hope Sandoval at her hazy best; and Juanita Stein (formally of Howling Bells), with her nostalgia soaked, perfectly constructed Americana.