Silver Arrow Us Vinyl & CDs

Review: There's not a huge amount of background we can share on Mysterium, a startlingly beautiful and complex self-titled six-tracker on the always reliable Silver Arrow. A collection of music that lulls you with its blissful moments but still manages to maintain an air of uncertainty about it. A guitar-led dreamscape filled with achingly serene sections, yet underpinned with a real atmosphere that's neither relaxing nor intense, but is ever so-slightly unsettling at times. At least that's true of 'April Food' and 'I Am The Chaos', two tracks that open scoring here. Both seem to build a subtle darkness in comparison with closer 'Turn In', with its quietly rousing and affirming key changes. Taking elements of shoe gaze, beach pop, psychedelic rock, trip hop and more, it's an intoxicating ride through a spectacular unknown.

Review: Atlanta blues-rock figureheads The Black Crowes were one of the most exciting and influential jam bands of the 1990s, with a sound that blended classic rock, blues, and soul into a fervent cocktail. Shake Your Money Maker: Live captures the band during their reunion tour embarked upon in 2021-22, tearing through a set of hits, covers and deep cuts with raw power and swagger - and with no loss of energy or talent. A special live video of the grumbly fan favourite 'Twice As Hard' comes in tandem with this gargantuan live album.

Review: The Black Crowes have never been ones to hide their inspirations. The classically-styled US blues rockers have turned their hands to plenty of covers over the years, and this time they're offering up a short album's worth of renditions under the banner of 1972. The year doesn't so much nod to the songs specifically as the feeling, and a particular era of sound they were aiming for. Given their skin in the game, it's no surprise to hear them nail the likes of 'Rocks Off' and 'Papa Was A Rolling Stone', paying homage and doing their own thing in equal measure.