Concord Vinyl & CDs

Review: Originally forming in 2016 as a YouTube parody band providing metal renditions of well-known pop songs, it wouldn't take long for Bloodywood to realise their full potential as India's most successful metal act to date. Following on from their 2022 debut full-length Rakshak, the group return with their highly anticipated sophomore effort Nu Delhi, serving as both a tribute to their city of origin as well as their embracing of nu-metal and rap metal styles, combining low-end grooves and bilingual verses delivered in both English and Hindi, though the language palette is expanded to Japanese for the BABYMETAL featuring 'Bekhauf'.

Review: Clifford Brown is one of history's finest trumpet payers. Here he adds his style to nine engaging tunes recorded in 1955 with the Max Roach Quintet. One of the leading hard bop gangs of the time, tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Richie Powell, and bassist George Morrow all featured and gave rise to these lively and energetic cuts. The likes of 'Cherokee' certainly blow away any cobwebs with the fluid and florid trumpets dancing over sizzling drums, and the more swinging (and excellently named) 'Gerkin For Perkin' is super short but sweet.

Review: Nubya Garcia is one of the icons of the current, thriving jazz scene. Her album Source was a deserving Mercury Prize-nominee and here she reworks it through a series of new collars with the likes of DJ Harrison, Moses Boyd, Dengue Dengue Dengue and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Each of the new versions retains plenty of the soul and invention of the originals but adds in a range of other influences that take them in a more driving, groove-orientated direction. The results are stunning, with plenty of great options for DJs who like to play slow and sensuous. The Kaidi Tatham remix of 'La Cumbia Me Esta Llamando' is our personal pick.

Review: The first hard rock album to land at Number One on the Billboard 200 in four years, Swedish rock occultists Ghost make their grand return with sixth full-length Skeleta, serving as the highly anticipated follow up to 2022's acclaimed and super camp-by-design stadium-goth rock opus Impera. Still the singular vision of Tobias Forge, renowned for his charismatic vocals and immense versatility, but primarily for his adorning of different guises, characters and monikers for each album cycle, the Papa Emeritus IV who pontificated on empirical fallacies throughout their previous outing has since been usurped by Papa V Perpetua, who along with his band of Nameless Ghouls deliver their "most unflinchingly introspective work to date" while showcasing "distinct individual emotional vistas", touching on "demonic possessions" and the allure of succumbing to "dark forces". In other words, expect a gloomy gauntlet of anthemic riffage, epic refrains, gargantuan levels of cheesy theatricality, and Satanic Panic bell-ringing on-the-nose song-titled such as 'Satanized'.

Review: Skeleta marks the sixth full-length from Swedish theatrical goth rock entity Ghost, following on from 2022's retro stadium-goth swing for the fences Impera. Known for their high-concept aesthetic solely credited to mastermind Tobias Forge, who undertakes differing mantles and characters pertaining to each era and project, Papa Emeritus IV who fronted their preceding work has now been replaced by Papa V Perpetua, and while his predecessor was said to have been driven by ruminations on empirical reigns, the latest leader of the band of "Nameless Ghouls" is more concerned with "demonic possessions" and succumbing to "dark forces", with the album promised to be their "most unflinchingly introspective work to date" while showcasing "distinct individual emotional vistas". With big riffs, soaring hooks and a lead single as brazenly titled as 'Satanized', it's time for yet another era of overtly gothic and purposefully cheesy occult-rock.

Review: Serving as the follow up to 2022's critically acclaimed and super cheesy by design stadium-goth opus Impera, Swedish rock occultists Ghost make their grand return with sixth full-length Skeleta. The vision of Tobias Forge, renowned for his charismatic vocal cadence and immense range, but more so for his undertaking of different characters and monikers for each album cycle, the Papa Emeritus IV delving into empirical fallacies on their previous outing has been usurped by Papa V Perpetua, who promises to deliver his band of Nameless Ghouls' "most unflinchingly introspective work to date" while showcasing "distinct individual emotional vistas", touching on "demonic possessions" and the allure of succumbing to "dark forces". In other words, expect mammoth riffs, epic refrains, large doses of overt theatricality verging on camp, and on-the-nose song titles such as 'Satanized'.

Review: Whether you like it or not, the festive season is fast approaching which means we are starting to get a number of seasonal classic land, new and old. This one is a rather non-traditional holiday release that brings a weight and musical funkiness to a genre and time of year that is often seeped in campy or classic holiday motifs. It is the work of modern jazz heavyweight Robert Glasper and finds him working with a top list of frequent collaborators including PJ Morton, Sevyn Streeter, Cynthia Ervo, Tarriona Tank Ball, Alex Isley, Andra Day and The Baylor Project. It is a real joy to listen to and brings great warmth to the cosy months.

Review: Robert Grasper very much announced his arrival on the world stage with Black Radio 1. And Black Radio 2 only took him into the stratosphere. Both records proved him to be a master of hip hop, broken beat and jazz and able to call upon some of the biggest names in those scene from Jill Scott to Erykah Badu. Both of those timeless records, as the title suggest, are steeped in Black music traditions and so is this third one. Here the award winning Glasper (nine Grammy nominations and four wins) works with modern greats such as Gregory Porter, Q Tip, BJ The Chicago Kid, Ty Dolla Sign and many more to cook up another powerful statement for these troubled times.

Review: Michael & The Mighty Midnight Revival return with a ten-track collection that serves as a powerful conclusion to the three-time Grammy-winning MICHAEL era by addressing lingering questions following the events of February 4. Killer Mike explains, "This is the epilogue to MICHAEL. It reflects what comes after February 4th. Living with MICHAEL for a year, I realised I wasn't finished exploring this sound before moving forward." The album delivers a soulful blend of reflection and closure and encapsulates the essence of a transformative period in Killer Mike's career while also setting the stage for what's to come.

Review: Originally released in 2014 and celebrating its ten-year anniversary this year, Cope would serve as the fourth full-length from Atlanta alternative rock outfit Manchester Orchestra. Following on from the breakout success of 2009's Mean Everything To Nothing, and the critical and commercial acclaim awarded to 2011's sombre and expansive Simple Math, primary songwriter Andy Hull sought to restore some of his project's earlier post-hardcore proclivities with this raw, jagged-edged batch of crunching indie-core bangers, all recorded in-house at their (at the time) newly built home-studio. Both self-described as an "unrelenting and unapologetically heavy 38 minutes of rock" and elaborated upon as "Whereas Simple Math was a different palate with each song, a different colour, I wanted this to be black and red the whole time;" utilising their expanded platform and popularity, Cope was the sonic risk necessary to rediscover creative self-fulfilment and deliver some of Manchester Orchestra's darkest, most cathartic, and emotionally charged material to date.

Review: Released in 1960 on Riverside, The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery was recorded in just two days at Reeves Sound Studios in New York City. With a small group featuring Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Albert Heath on drums, this album showcases Montgomery's groundbreaking thumb-picking technique and use of octaves. Praised as the pinnacle of his studio work, the album was a game-changer on the US jazz scene and cemented Wes Montgomery as one of the era's most influential guitarists.

Review:  Legendary Brazilian musician Milton Nascimento is often hailed as one of Brazil's greatest ever musical exports and for this album, he collaborated with NPR's "21st Century's jazz genius," Esperanza Spalding. Milton + Esperanza is an album produced by Spalding and one that blends urgent and timeless sounds together into something interesting and new. The album features guest appearances by Dianne Reeves, Paul Simon, Lianne La Havas, and others while fusing Nascimento's enduring musical vision and Latin spirit with Spalding's innovative approach to jazz.

Review: The 11th full-length from California pop-punk royalty The Offspring comes three years on from 2021's Let The Bad Times Roll, and shall serve as their first project to feature bassist Todd Morse as an official member as well as multi-instrumentalist Jonah Nimoy and drummer Brandon Pertzborn (who has previously toured with Black Flag, Marilyn Manson and Suicidal Tendencies), while drumming duties were split with the legendary Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle). 10 tracks, spread out just over a half hour, Supercharged looks set to live up to its title following the band's road break and creative pandemic-enforced respite, with a succinct in-anthem-out mantra.

Review: There are few finer alto-sax players in the world than Art Pepper. By the time of his death run 1982 his legacy was already assured after a fantastic run of albums such as his standout Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section. Plus 11 is right up there too, though: the 1960 jazz record saw Art work with an ensemble of 11 other musicians arranged by Marty Paich. It's one of a number dates the two played together that year but the only one with Pepper leading. Pepper's clarinet performance on 'Anthropology' and the alternate takes of 'Walkin'' are real standouts.

Review: Yet another first time reissue of a classic, Mongo Santamaria's 'Sofrito'. Don't be confused by the pico de gallo on the front cover; this isn't a salsa album, but rather a career-defining jazz, Afro-Cuban music and funk selection of delights. First released in 1976, it was the master conguero's (conga player's) most defining album, and now gets a proper remaster by Kevin Gray.

Review: A powerhouse combination , Taj Mahal and Ken Mo join forces once again as TajMo and show why fans consider them two of the finest American musicians of their respective generations. Their first collaboration since 2017's TajMo, which won them a Best Contemporary Blues gong at the Grammy Awards, this is journeyman, soul, rock & roll, country and - of course - blues, at its most modern and finest. That said, Room On the Porch is resolutely rooted in the origins of the canons. At times, like the sax-heavy 'Blues'll Give You Back Your Soul', you can almost feel the balmy heat of a night in a Deep South bar and taste the sour mash. 'Rough Time Blues' even comes with the crackle and raw sonic aesthetic of an original early recorded music tome, adding to the sense of authenticity.

Review: Preceded by a single of the same name last year, The Tipping Point marks the return of one of the most inventive pop groups to ever do it. In the 1980s, Tears For Fears expanded the possibilities of what a commercial song could be with sophisticated songwriting, unabashed bombast, unexpected curveballs and jaw-dropping hooks. Given the influence they've had, they might not sound so revolutionary amongst the generations of pop acts who have followed their lead, but they return vital and full of purpose. Embracing new sonics but staying true to the songwriting as the central focus of the Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal's project, it's a triumphant return from a truly seminal group.

Review: Whether you're reading this and thinking Christmas seems a way off, or here because there's a next day delivery and time is ticking, A Charlie Brown Christmas is quite possibly one of the most exquisite scores to the silly season you're likely to come across. Better yet, it's a complete curveball, with this Peanuts cartoon score hardly topping the list when it comes to famous Yuletide music.

Sophisticated stuff, imagine slow drinks in a late night jazz bar. Surprisingly sexy, refined, laidback to the point where you can almost see flames dancing in a fireplace, and shadows licking at the walls. Of course, we do get 'Hark, The Herald Angels Sing' and 'Christmas Time Is Here', taking us back to the best parts of school age winters gone by, both delivered via vocal choirs. But, overall, this is a truly tasteful example of how to do festive well.