Proper Vinyl & CDs

Review: By the time Shift-Work came along, The Fall had put out 13 studio albums and been going for 15 years. Apparently ready to switch things up, Mark E Smith sacked guitarist Martin Bramah and keyboardist Marcia Schofield after the Australian leg of the tour for Extricate, cutting the lineup to four, for the first time in the band's history. Then he set to work finishing a record that had been started while on the road. Few would fail to pick up on the difference between here and before. While there's still plenty of those mesmerising, experimental, punk-not-punk goth moments, Shift-Work also embraces more pop sensibilities and seems to take more time to pay respect to rock & roll, or a gritty interpretation of it. Meanwhile, tracks like 'Edinburgh Man' and 'A Lot of Wind' feel introspective than ever.

Review: Originally released in 1979, The Crack is an album that should require little to no introduction for any punk aficionado worth their salt. The debut LP from homegrown heroes The Ruts still serves as a cornerstone genre gem, sporting the classic hit, 'Babylon's Burning', while the "white reggae" of, 'Jah War', has only seasoned with natural finesse and its anti-Metropolitan messaging retains major relevancy more than four decades on. The only true full-length from the band during their tenure with original vocalist, Malcolm Owen; the work has gone on to become a much-adored entry into the seminal, formative years of the punk scene. Even mega-fan and friend of the band, Henry Rollins, embarked on a long, arduous journey to track down the original iconic painting which adorns the cover. Now that's commitment.