Category: Album/Single Review

Micko & the Mellotronics – The Trinity – album review

July 23, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I’d love to go for a pint with Micko Westmoreland. Funnily enough Micko is the sartorially elegant and distinctly left field genius behind Micko & the Mellotronics, who have recently released their third, and best, album to date in the fittingly titled The Trilogy. So why the “go for a pint” statement? Quite simple really, I find him to be quite an intriguing character, with a background, among other things, including playing Jack Fairy in the glam-rock inspired epic Velvet Goldmine, several musical scores recorded under the name Bowling Green and of course his three most recent works under the Mellotronics banner, which, to state the bleeding obvious is where we’re landing at today. … Read the rest

Dead Pioneers – Wagon Burner- album review

July 17, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I’m currently listening to Wagon Burner for the umpteenth time on my commute to work, while at the same time reading Chris Brookmyre’s latest novel, Quite Ugly One Evening. Music and books, two of my favourite pastimes. As I listen and read, it becomes apparent that there is a link, howevertenuous it may seem, between the two, based on the social commentary that forms the core of them both.  

Wagon Burners is the third vitally unapologetic and intensely passionate album from the forthright Dead Pioneers on which they continue to kick against the pricks, the pricks in this case being racism, the rise of right wing and the conveniently brushed under the carpet and, if it wasn’t for voices like Greg Deal’s, conveniently forgotten genocide of the indigenous people of America and the theft of their land.  Quite… Read the rest

Gichard – Chins For Lefty – album review

July 7, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

When I listened to Gichard’s debut album, Chins for Lefty for the first time, I wasn’t quite sure what I’d just heard. I knew I loved it, but my head was full of questions, mostly along the lines of what the hell did it all mean? 

Since then, and having listened to the album dozens of times now, I’m still not sure I fully comprehend. And I love it for that. It’s one of these records that probably asks more questions than it answers, and I hear something new or different each time I listen, whether that be a little musical nuance or a rethink of what the lyrics actually mean, sometimes they question the absurdity of life, and are often seemingly obscure.… Read the rest

The Termites – Square Go – album review

July 5, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

After a long hiatus since their last release, 2008’s Kicked in the Teeth, The Termites will shortly release their first album in eighteen years on 13 Deluxe Records in the shape of a live album, Square Go. The record is a celebration of their recent return to the live stage with gigs in a big top in the grounds of Kilmarnock’s Dean Castle, from whence this album recording comes, and Glasgow’s Audio, which I was fortunate to have attended.  

The album’s title was initially planned as the name for a new studio album, but Square Go was far too appropriate a title to pass up for a recording that catches for posterity the raucous nature of those live shows with wrecking pits of heaving bodies slamming into each other, chicken dancing elbows akimbo in a good natured square (dancing) go… I admit that despite my advancing years, I was sorely tempted to join the melee in Audio but my sensible head took over telling me I’d probably have needed about a week to recover.… Read the rest

Saint Sappho – Between the Lines – album review

June 29, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Between the Lines, is the debut album from Saint Sappho, the Glasgow based duo of Zoe Young and Tammy Bryson. an entirely DIY project recorded and produced in their home studio and independently released on vinyl and CD as well as on streaming platforms. The result of their hard work and commitment to the cause is a stunningly atmospheric collection of 13 sublime surging anthemic songs with an existential edge whose lyrics ponder identity, belonging, grief and the meaning of life and death. The soul of the songs is deeply rooted in 1980’s and 90’s alternative rock, with the duo carefully cherry picking a variety of elements from a range of diverse genres of the era, from trip hop to grunge, indie rock to baggy/indie dance to create their very own distinctly rich and vibrant sound, moody and sweepingly vast in equal measures, while also maintaining a mysterious air of hypnotic hazy dreaminess.… Read the rest

Carla J Easton – I Think That I Might Love You – album review

June 23, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

Carla J Easton has had a busy few years, co-writing/directing and narrating the wonderful Since Yesterday documentary, and the promo that went along with it, and a Hen Hoose Collective album, The Twelve, in January (review here). Now she has followed up her 2023 solo album, Sugar Honey with the excellent I Think That I Might Love You in May. Taking her motivation from many of the inspirational women featured in Since Yesterday, and being encouraged to pick up a guitar by Eugene Kelly of The Vaselines, who Carla has toured with since 2017, on this new record she has stepped out from behind her synths and keyboards to play guitar for the first time, and the results are a captivating new chapter in her glittering career.… Read the rest

The Countess of Fife – New Phone, New Car, New Man – album review

June 22, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

As I finally get around to reviewing this album it comes with with a sense of sadness owing the sudden passing of guitarist Brian McFie, a beautiful soul who has left an indelible mark on both the Scottish music scene and on the hearts of everyone who had the fortune of knowing him. Only a short time before his untimely passing I had the good fortune to witness his heartfelt playing with Fay Fife’s Countess of Fife guise alongside bandmates Kirsten, Al and Willy and Fay’s unrivalled vocals they created a glorious celebratory sound in Glasgow’s intimate Southside venue The Glad Cafe at the second of their two gigs to celebrate the release of this album.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Part 4

June 17, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

The latest part of May’s singles is another smorgasbord from across genres and spanning the Atlantic with a good sprinkling of up and coming Scottish bands and there is an undercurrent of rock n roll/rockabilly and blues in several of the songs in this part of the round up…

First up, having collaborated on their previous single with The Interrupters, Dead Pioneers have joined forces with Sleaford Mods Jason Williamson for The Worst Among Us. The message behind the song is as valid for the UK in our present times as it is for Gregg Deal’s home in the  USA. US Presidents and parties like Reform with their racist narratives are emboldening the far right… “The worst among us cast shadows long” …as seen by recent events in Belfast and closer to home in Glasgow.… Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Part 3

June 9, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

The first couple of songs in this part were actually April releases which I didn’t pick up on at the time and there are a few others from earlier in the year that I didn’t pick up on…

Based on the current state of the world and the behaviours of some sections of society I’m beginning to think that the name of this next band is something that really should be considered, anyway… Veto Humans debut single Belong to Glasgow, is a moody brooding track with low key vocals that deliver the refrain of the song’s title repeatedly throughout, the vocal soundtracked by darkly glitchy driving dance beats interspersed with some sonorous guitar riffs. … Read the rest

Singles Round Up 2026 – May – Pt 2

June 6, 2026 By neilho27@sky.com

I keep thinking I’m getting there then something knocks me back again… so here we are in June and I’m only on part 2 of May’s singles round up’s with the remainder of April and all of May’s album reviews languishing uncomplete… Anyway here goes for part 2 of May’s singles

Something a bit different from Verse Metrics this month with the multi-textured and hypnotically atmospheric Robin Southby remix of their track Arcane Spillage. A slow burn intro breaks into delicate piano parts, before the rhythm builds and the urgency increases, the refrain of “like I’m being gently pulled apart” glitching and repeating until the full blown thunderous beats and synths opens up.… Read the rest