BMG Vinyl & CDs

Review: Seven strong San Francisco rock band Counting Crows have always walked a fine line between intimate storytelling and grandiose soundscapes. This time - taking the four tracks from their Butter Suite pt 1 Ep and adding five more new tracks - they sound like a band utterly in control of their own narrative. Adam Duritz's lyrics reflect a certain self-assurance as they weave through themes of reinvention and regret. Musically, the band brings a tighter, more focused intensity, merging rock, folk and even hints of alt-country with the ease of a band at their peak. 'Spaceman In Tulsa' takes its time, unfolding languidly, savouring every detail before pushing forward. And in moments like 'Boxcars,' it's clear this is the most cohesive they've sounded in years, with every instrument serving the story rather than competing for attention. They've done the work, and now, it's all paying off.

Review: A true return to form, Renascence is a standout in the band's iconic discography, now available on limited edition transparent coral vinyl. Serving as a spiritual and sonic successor to their 1974 album Promised Heights, it brings a fresh, modern edge to their foundational sound, which helped shape early hip-hop and funk scenes in both the US and UK. Renascence tells the story of a band reclaiming the recognition they never fully received, staying true to their rootsipolitically aware, spiritually positive and delivering infectious grooves. This indie exclusive edition is a must-have for any serious collector.

Review: A true return to form, Renascence is a standout in the band's iconic discography, serving as a spiritual and sonic successor to their 1974 album Promised Heights. It brings a fresh, modern edge to their foundational sound, which shaped early hip-hop and funk scenes in both the US and UK. Renascence tells the story of a band that never received its full recognition but is now reclaiming the crown by staying true to their rootsipolitically aware, spiritually positive, and delivering infectious grooves that stand the test of time. A jewel in the crown of their legacy.

Review: Originally released in 2005, and considered to be the second solo full-length from nine-fingered metal guitar pioneer Tony Iommi, Fused celebrates its 20th anniversary just a tad early with these revitalised remasters pressed to wax for the first time ever. Written in collaboration with vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (former Black Sabbath frontman during the mid-80s who would assume vocal duties on 1986's Seventh Star; released under the band moniker but long perceived as Iommi's first solitary creative endeavour), and legendary session drummer Kenny Aronoff (The Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Seger, Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, Bon Jovi etc), this limited translucent cobalt blue vinyl 2xLP pressing comes complete with three sporadically dispersed bonus cuts finally locked down onto own complete home.

Review: In October 2024 Lady Blackbird, producer and guitarist Chris Seefried, Foundation Music label head and A&R Ross Allen and Blackbird's travelling band of Kenneth Crouch (keys), Tamar Barzilay (drums) and Johnny Flaughers (bass) took a break from extensively touring her prior album, Black Acid Soul, to lay down several tracks in Los Angeles. Decamping for a week-long recording session in the legendary recording studio complex East West, the fable goes that an uninterrupted spate of session magic ensued, out from which five acid jazz and soul bursters sprang forth. A curt selection of just five tracks, of which there were many more recorded during the LA session, the likes of 'Purify', 'It Must Be Love' and 'When The Game Is Played On You' span the whole gamut of modern soul, from the bright to the bare-bones but beguiling.

Review: Slang Spirituals is soul singer and producer Lady Blackbird's latest full-length album, following up the EP of the same name released earlier in 2024. A collaborative wall of sound, scaled in collaboration with producer and guitarist Chris Seefried - as well as her very own, devoted session musical retinue, consisting of Kenneth Crouch (Keys), Tamar Barzilay (drums) and Johnny Flaughers (bass) - this bright, yet equally, extimately melancholic record is a twin paean to two superficially opposed themes: soul-purgation and soul-complication. 'Let Not' and 'Purify' make up the former front face, heliolatrically facing up to the brighter sides of life with yellowed guitar fuzzes and boundless vocals, while B-siders 'Whatever His Name' and 'When The Game Is Played On You' prefer to explore the darker side of the moon, deploying various mellotrons, pump organs and cross-sticks to acoustically muse on the inverse pains that are betrayal, longing, and graft.

Review: In 1984, Gary Numan launched Numa Records and started a new phase in his career with the release of Berserker. This album introduced a harder-edged digital sound into his canon while maintaining the analogue textures of his earlier work. It's a testament to the fact that Numan's creative evolution never stopped and blends both personal and fictional narratives into haunting tracks like 'My Dying Machine,' 'This Is New Love' and 'Berserker.' The remastered double vinyl edition includes the original album with bonus tracks that add extra perspective to this pivotal period in his career.

Review: Ras Jammy from Suns of Dub has curated a special release for Trojan Records that celebrates the deep cultural and historical ties between dub music and cannabis, all rooted in Jamaican music and Rastafarianism. This album, which arrives just in time for the stoners' best day of the year, 420, features iconic tracks from pioneering dub dons King Tubby, Scientist, Dennis Bovell and Roots Radics. These are the legends that helped shape the genre and this compilation highlights how they did it and what influence they had on the development of dub music. So, when the day comes, light up a fat one and turn this one up loud.