Annie Hart 'A Softer Offering'

Annie Hart's new solo album A Softer Offering is out on Friday 13th December.

Annie Hart is back with her latest solo record, and for the end of the year it is a lovely album perfect for reflecting upon the last hectic 12 months, when we are off work and give ourselves the chance to contemplate on the year past.

The nine-track album is a construction of beauty and effortless composition and yet full of sophistication and poetry; this is certainly for fans of Daughter, who encapsulate that pursuit for low-fi with a stylistic combination evoking wonder and awe.

Working with keyboards, synthesizers and electronica; Hart sets her stall out from the opening track 'Wilderness Hill' at times haunting, melodic yet charming in its balance, with an almost acapella vocal from Hart.

Hart herself states:

“I wanted to give listeners that chance to breathe, to relax.  A soundtrack for painting or lying in the grass. I thought a lot about what music I play for myself when I want to make a moment feel complete. There’s just something different when you play soft music during these ordinary spaces in life, and I wanted to make a soundtrack for that. Sounds that undulate in minimal movement, that you can pay very close attention to, or leave space around if you need to have your own thoughts.  I hope this record helps stretch those unfortunately rare times in our lives when we have moments to be peaceful.” 

Based in New York; Hart has written the most un-New York album you could imagine, one of softness compared to the epicness of the Big Apple. Her work as part of David Lynch favourites Au Revoir Simone has helped her branch into a glistening solo career. Her minimalistic style with pieces of new wave and shoe gazing culminates in her soundtrack work featuring on two 2020 film release 'Olympic Dreams' and 'Banana Split'.

Her ear for a good soundtrack can be heard on 'Longing to Care Less' a song that breathes as it slowly builds to crescendo, and the perfect marriage of vocal and sound is seen on 'Don't Breathe For Me' a song that sounds very much from the early 1980s - the stripped back nature of the composition is a winning combination.

'Clean Floors' is a wonderous track as Hart's vocals again take centre stage; a personal take on relationships which will be able to appeal to a wide audience as the song instructs you to pay attention to what this artist is saying without coming across pompous or clingy.

Hart is certainly an artist to watch out for, an album such as this deserves attention and patience; and if you are patient you will certainly return to this offering regularly; the potential offered in this album is startling, it is easy to see that Hart has a big future ahead of her, here is hoping this album can connect with a larger mainstream audience.

A Softer Offering is out on Friday 13th December on all streaming services.
My thanks to OneBeatPR for the review opportunity.

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! - Trailer Preview

SUPER SIZE ME 2: HOLY CHICKEN available on Demand in UK 

from 9th December

When Morgan Spurlock went on a life changing odyssey involving eating nothing but McDonalds for one calendar month, many could not believe what would happen and the gradual sea change he helped document in the renowned Super Size Me.

What started as a joke, became a global phenomenon turning Spurlock from a guy with a punchline of an idea into a respected film-maker culminating in garnering an Academy Award nomination (losing to Born into Brothels) for Best Documentary Feature.

Much like his forefather, Michael Moore, Spurlock injects himself into the narrative as a subject and focal point investigating the harms eating junk food for one month has on his body. In the original, Spurlock is a healthy person and his fiancée a devout vegan and health fanatic, so the pain she goes through when his body morphs into this bag of saturated trans fat is horrifying for her.

Spurlock is back and this time he is attempting to open up a fast food restaurant serving fried chicken which is now grilled chicken (the same thing), and going into how branding warps consumers minds with key words and colour spelling. All at a perfectly reasonable price.

  Super Size Me 2 - Official Trailer from Samuel Goldwyn Films on Vimeo.

Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken (graphics by the team behind Despicable Me) is available on demand in the UK from this Monday 9th December from Samuel Goldwyn Films.

My thanks to AR:PR Publicity for the preview opportunity.

Mark Ingram Rolls Along

While the clamour of the Baltimore Raven’s 9-2 start to the 2019 season will be reflected upon the trajectory and warranted hype surrounding Lamar Jackson, there is another player in the Ravens offense who is having as good a season and far exceeding expectations in his first season with a new team.

Mark Ingram moved to Baltimore from the New Orleans Saints in part due to the elevation of another running back which meant Ingram was no longer the lead back in the Big Easy. The arrival of Alvin Kamara – his dynamism as a pass catcher out of the backfield as well as his twinkle toes meant Ingram needed a fresh start.

This led Ingram to become the bell cow in Baltimore, a traditional three down back where necessary and becoming an integral part of the Ravens’ offensive schemes. With a dynamic fast quarterback under centre, you may wonder what does Ingram a violent downhill runner offer a high powered offense.

The evidence can be seen in the numbers, as Ingram is enjoying his best season in two years when he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017, that was a season when the Saints were beaten by the Minnesota Miracle and denied the league’s best offence a Super Bowl berth. Last year, the Saints were again high scoring but the infamous non-pass interference call at home to the Los Angeles Rams again denied the Saints a big game ticket. 

This season Ingram after 10 games before the demolition of the Rams away from home is averaging 13.6 attempts a game, 4.9 yards per attempt and 66.7 yards per game with 8 touchdowns on the ground.  Last year in 12 games played for New Orleans following a four-game suspension to start the season; he had 138 rushes all season, he has 136 so far; for 667 total rushing yards compared to 645 yards last season in 12 games.

Ingram is seemingly reborn as the lead back, the onus is on him to pick up big first down yardage – he has 36 carries to make first down thus far - to make the play calling for Ravens and Lamar easier with less yardage to cover; the option of having Lamar who is able to run himself makes it almost impossible to defend. Like the Chiefs and Mahomes last year they are scoring at will, none more so than the fourth touchdown of the half against the Rams which was in the last two minutes to take a 28-3 lead at half time. The Rams had no answer and no idea whether to defend the run or Lamar who had no incompletions in the first half.

Further, he is getting involved in the passing game, something he is not renowned for. Thus far he has had 19 pass targets for 162 yards – last year he had 170 total receiving yards all season – for 9.5 yards per catch.

Ingram’s importance was never more relevant than in the third quarter when on 1^st and 18 he ploughed through the Rams who despite attempting to box in he and Lamar he found plenty for the first down, leaving three would be tacklers on the turf when he posed for the first down. Albeit, the score was 35-6 at that point but it was emblematic of the Ravens’ dominant rushing display, 285 yards total rushing (off 48 attempts, 5.9 yards per carry) last night against a Rams defence that averaged close to 80 yards rushing all season. That defence was blown out the water and the tone setter was Ingram who had 15 carries for 111 yards and one touchdown, averaging 7.4 yds per carry. 

The point remains while Lamar is going to be the League MVP, it appears his main hype man and fellow Heisman Trophy recipient deserves as much acclaim for the importance of his role.

The Sprinters 'Struck Gold'

The new album Struck Gold is released by Meritorio Records on 15th November

The second album from the Mancunian four-piece is led by Neil Jarvis who initially conceived the band as a solo project; yet the injection of band mates culminated in the release of the self-titled album on the Icecapades label in 2017.

The follow up Struck Gold released on Meritorio depicts new territory for the band but nevertheless still incorporating Jarvis' love of surf and indie pop.

While the general feel of the album is one of rose-tinted summer feels, there is an underlying air of melancholy in the subject matter; none more so than on single '3's & 4's' a song about in Jarvis' words, 'about accepting an awful situation, though it catches you off guard becaue its pretty upbeat and poppy', this is encapsulated in the lyrics, 'It is what it is. There's no escaping'.




Throughout the album, there is a heart on your sleeve element to the construction of these sumptuous compositions, and Jarvis is not afraid to let the listener know of his influences; this listener was smiling at the borrowed riff of Cornershop's Brimful of Asha to open the album on the title track.

The other day this blog posted a review of the compilation by The Springfields, and that American group were heavily influenced by the Hollies and Byrds with the 60s feel of nostalgia resonating.

This exudes throughout again in this album with a combination of shoegazing internality with sunshine externality - none more so than the one-two punch of tracks 'The Light' and 'Ending' which appear halfway through the album. The richness of the tracks calling back to each other is a wonder and infuses the album with a real sense of belonging in the big time.

It is a shame that this album has been released in November and not the end of March when a summer release would have been better suited to the general feel of sunshine throughout the release, calling back to indie pop stalwarts The Coral and Guillemots; bands who were buoyant yet not afraid to call out their swinging sixties influences.

The ambition is seen most in 'Undone' and the desire to go bolder is heard on 'Scream 2' a song of real bite which is in contrast to the softness of the majority of the album, yet this juxtaposition of tones is not a criticism but more a greater anticipation of what this band will have in store in the future, and this is a band you cannot wait to see live when they do go on tour in the not too distant

However, this is an album of real confidence and tightness, a band in not afraid to show fragility for the cause of melody touched by sunshine and displaying a heartfelt intimacy throughout.

Struck Gold is released by Meritorio Records on 15th November

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

The Springfields 'Singles 1986-1991'

A Greatest Hits compilation of famous Boston band The Springfields 

out on 15th November from Slumberland Records

There are few more renowned names in indie-pop history as Ric Menck and Paul Chastain, who together helped path a road for pop music to take a guitar route which started around the corner from Fenway Park.


This would be a band who most likely have been under the radar for many, yet for lovers of stellar songwriting such as The Byrds and The Hollies, this is an album for those in love with songs.  From the gorgeousness of 'Sunflowers' to the appropriately enough wonder of 'Wonder', this is a band whose legacy carries on from such bands as Major Murphy and Lawn.

On the album are perfect little nuggets of pop and rock mixed together; so do not be put off by the November release date and bring some sunshine into your life.

A must for fans of Graham Nash and Matthew Sweet, The Springfield are a band who are ripe for a rebirth and perhaps this collection of singles will help reward new listeners and bring a smile to old fans.

Singles 1986-1991 is out from Slumberland Records on 15th November.
Slumberland Records are a Californian based indie label who released the album Used To Yesterday by Smokescreens - an under the radar classic

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Private Life by Tempers

New York based duo, Tempers, have released their new album Private Life on Dais Records.

The duo comprise of Jasmine Golestaneh and Eddie Cooper, and the band are nowned for incorporating dark indie, electronica and synthesizers into their three albums to date.

Private Life though is something far different than their previous work; they have honed their minimalist craft to create this unique document of living in this melancholic world at the moment.

From the opening track 'Capital Gains' there is a sense of opening up from an internal world of liking other people's interests and focus on your own.

The song titles back this up an introspective notion from 'Peace of Mind' to 'Push/Pull', these are songs about loneliness and melancholy whilst living in the big city.

While some songs can be described as electronic dirge, this is integral to creating the soundscape necessary to an album; which breathes when you listen to it in one sitting. It may be sombre but there is a sense of uplifting by the time of track 8, 'More Than You Realized'.

All in all, electronica is a difficult genre to nail as it can become out and out dull, yet Tempers have created a unique atmosphere that personally would be great to hear on an album and one that is befitting the current mood of alienation travailing across the many spheres.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Things Can Only Get Better - David M. Barnett

Following on from his best seller CALLING MAJOR TOM, David M. Barnett is back with a new novel set in the mid 1990s.

Our lead protagonist is Arthur Calderbank, an elderly widow who is not living in a chapel that overlooks the cemetery where his deceased wife, Mollie lays now.

Arthur is the custodian of the cemetery, keeping gravestones clean and making sure the proper respect is paid by those who visit and those merely passing through. In his elderly years, life has one more surprise for Arthur. It is Christmas time and his wife's birthday is December 23rd, every night of her birthday an unknown person leaves moonflowers on her gravestone.  Arthur is perplexed as he has no idea who it could be as they had no children and no living family members.

Meanwhile, Arthur encounters four teenagers - Kelly, Gemma, Nicola and Timmy - who through will and determination believe they can be a rock and roll band reminiscent of Oasis and other Britpop bands of that esteemed era of popular music.

Tension ensues as the days wind down to the night flower mystery, the children have their own bad luck to contend with as bullies from all sides make themselves known.  All the children have dreams but living in a former mining town, their parents are out of work and looking to blame someone for it; they feel they have to dream to be able to leave the town, Kelly visits along with her mother to her factory job and has this vision of being the unlikely sprocket, the cog that is not wanted but can still get out of the system.

Barnett writes wittingly and lovingly, he is assured in writing genuine dialogue for both teenagers and the elderly getting the write back and forth between all generations spot on, which is difficult in these times nevermind trying to time capsule how people actually did speak, one teenage girl constantly says, 'He is well fit' which memory serves as a correct term of endearment over twenty years ago.

The author is a self-confessed cinema geek and his filmic references are great to spot throughout the novel from the little nod to a pharmacist recalling Its A Wonderful Life to the British cinema mining town Brassed Off to the youngsters wanting to make something of themselves a la Sing Street.

He also does a clever trick of talking about today by looking into recent history - the ground swell of opinion on immigration, entitlement of youth - and the past being lost to newer generations. Barnett makes a comment that we should all remain strong as a community of support and respect.

Barnett writes so well that this reader devoured the book in merely a couple of days, his recall and use of historical events help set in stone an entertaining piece of work that will be enjoyed with relish by many a new reader.

Things Can Only Get Better is published by Orion Books on November 14th.

My thanks to them for the review opportunity

Pendant 'Through A Coil'

Debut album out on 8th November from Tiny Engines

Pendant is the solo project of Oakland based musician, Christopher Adams, a collaborator of many strings most recently with Never Young.

Following the dissolution of that band in early 2018, Adams started writing material and it soon become clear it was a venture that he had to share as a solo passion.

“In the past, my default strategy was to love something and then share it with others,” said Adams. “I needed another level of fulfillment. And that was to follow the notion of taking all my favorite ideas and dedicating them to my own music.”

Adams started writing material for his one man band in 2016 and released a four track EP, then it grew from 2018 onwards as he wanted to play every instrument and write every word of the album moving forward.

The album Through A Coil is a work of ambition primarily but one that befits the DIY nature of its genesis, moments of introspection collide with rollicking rock ear-catchiness from the title track to lead single 'Rubber Band' fittingly a song about finding your identity in one's self.  The album is full of this candid openness as Adams' explores his psyche in going it alone on this album. 


This pursuit for identity is key to the album and is a discovery for those who will come across it, again it marks another great addition to the Tiny Engines label.

Tender and personal, Pendant has made an album that can stand along other recent lo-fi works by Rayland Baxter, another who went solo on a project to make their best work to date.

Through A Coil is released by Tiny Engines on 8th November.
My thanks to them for the review opportunity.

Ghoster by Jason Arnopp

The second novel by Jason Arnopp is out now on all formats

This novel is a sophomore effort following the 2016 release, The Last Days of Jack Sparks.

This story is about Kate Collins, a paramedic from Leeds, who believes she has found true love with Scott Palmer from Brighton, when they meet on a digital detox weekend in Wales.  Following a period of courting, the couple decide that Kate should move in with Scott in his swanky flat apartment near the city centre on the South Coast.

Kate has moved jobs, and moves all her stuff in a van. She arrives at the flat and finds it is completely empty, there are no furnishings and no sign of Scott.

Scott though has left his phone, and with that Kate decides to find out what is exactly going on, and with that the novel dives into a tale of addiction and social media.

Kate is a young, independent woman; one who is knowledgeable and steadfast, good at her job and yet one who does not refuse to put her phone down. The heartbreak of a relationship break-up leads her to stalk the ex online and this puts her colleague at work in jeopardy; Izzy her best friend suffered an injury at work while Kate was on her phone.

Throughout, we are made to witness these sorts of interactions by characters, those who are stubborn in living vicariously through online personas while the world flies by around them. We see them all the time in our own personal lives, those whose heads are down in the screen oblivious and ignorant to others. Those who cannot say thank you to someone serving you coffee and the reluctance to make eye contact.

In this 21st century, people are wary to make real connections with people without being honest and real. This is clearly on Arnopp's mind in the character of Scott, a young individual lacking in self-esteem and with an addiction of his own that finds him lacking in striking up meaningful relationships with women.

As Kate delves deeper and deeper into Scott's web of lies that brought her all the way to his doorstep in Brighton, we are sucked also into her world - the flipping back and forth of narratives, as we have the running parallels of her going from day to day with the realisation that all is not what it seems with their courtship. The twist then comes when we are made aware of Scott's addiction and we start reading his TrooSelf diary entries; these open up again all their encounters in hindsight from a different angle.

Reading like the long treatment of a nightmare episode of Black Mirror, the horror of the situation and the grip that it holds upon you is like a tightening of the chest or neck, as the circle of truth draws in upon Kate

Part urban horror, part ghost story, part social commentary and part critique on the pressure(s) facing the millennial generation, Ghoster is a unique reading experience and one that will stay with you long after you switch off the bedside lamp.

Ghoster is out now from Orbit Books.
My thanks to Compulsive Readers for the review opportunity.

Marion Todd - See Them Run

Published by Canelo, Marion Todd's debut novel is out on 31st October

Set in the plush and lovely surroundings of the illustrious St. Andrews, DI Clare Mackay is in a new job having relocated from Glasgow following a firearms incident.

Mackay is trying to get back in the saddle and find a reason to work, the relocation to the supposed quiet surroundings of the famous golf resort should hold her in good stead, as she gets over the trauma of the shooting mishap.

The quiet gets disrupted by a hit and run case at a local wedding one Saturday night; a supposed mistake becomes a criminal case and apparently pre-meditated as a card with the number 5 on his body. Once they delve into the deceased's history they find that he simply disappeared every Thursday evening with no reason.

So a hit and run, no surprise. Accidents can happen, but then another attack occurs the next day with a number four on this victim.  With the second victim being a local business mogul who owns the renowned brewery, and a friend of Mackay's superior; the attention turns to finding the murderer quickly. Mackay knows there will be a third victim and suddenly a serial killer is on the loose

Mackay must navigate all manners of boundaries; be they constructs of her gender, her class and the fact that she is coming from the gritty Glaswegian streets to the quaint St Andrews countryside. Throughout the book, a great trick is Mackay learning her way around the town and surrounding locations, she constantly has to ask for directions and how far away places are.

And yet as Mackay tries to keep her head on straight, more bodies start to turn up with the same vehicular modus operandi - knowing that a third would turn up soon enough, it could have been prevented yet her eagerness scuppers the preventative measures.

Todd has written a unique character in Mackay, one who is secure in her position as an authority figure, confident in her decision making and respected for her work.  The camaraderie of her team is one that will build up in more novels in the future, yet it is good to read a book with a leading female protagonist defined by her job and not her being a women coupled with a fish out of water narrative.

For a debut, Todd has written a well crafted thriller with genuine moments of jeopardy faced by our St. Andrews police force as they track down the killers.  The use of the Scottish town is clever in that it translates the worst of human nature into a microcosm of a small town, as if St. Andrews is a petri dish of all that is wrong with the world.  This is something that could be developed in further tomes but it is clear that DI Mackay will be able to handle anything this bad world can throw her way.

See Them Run is released from Canelo on 31st October.
My thanks to Tracy Fenton for running the book blog tour

Night Flowers - 'Fortune Teller'

Night Flowers release their second album FORTUNE TELLER from Dirty Bingo Records on 25th October

Following on from the critical acclaim of their debut release Wild Notion, the transatlantic five piece have returned with another pop-tastic album that does well to overcome the nerves of any second album syndrome.

For this album drummer Zebedee Budworth mixed originally at Tie Dye Studios (Sheffield) with Adam Jaffrey taking final production reins on the album which again finds Sophia Pettit leading the band on vocal duties with support from lead guitarist, Greg Ullyart.

While the first album had a real mix of electro dream pop with little nuggets of pop goodness filled with nostalgia and appreciation for musical heritage such as 'Hey Love' and 'Sandcastles', this album is definitely an alternative feel in that it takes more of a rockier road on the journey to pop magnificence.

From album opener, 'Night Train' the sense of respect to the school of rock is apparent and with a female vocalist the similarity to Fleetwood Mac will not be mistaken, yet throughout the album there are nods to many an American sound of years past be it Tom Petty or the boss himself, Bruce Springsteen.

Album track, 'Fortune Teller' tells a tale of travelling with the seven sins on your shoulder and this mix of lyrical mysticism and a rock soundtrack would not look out of place from even a Dave Grohl back catalogue.

The impassioned reverence to these rock gods are worn proudly on their sleeve as seen by 'Lotta Love' a remembered hook from a bygone era, with synths leaving you dreaming of a highway. This is further encapsulated by 'Merry-Go-Round' inspired by Jane Weidlin, which has a real 80s synth hook. This is the beauty of the band, they are a happy band to listen to singing about the joy of life rather than the depressing social climate we find ourselves in - not a mention of Brexit, race relations or snowflakes to be seen here.

Fortune Teller is an album to be embraced and to be loved, an album about new beginnings and celebrating the wonder of life. You need not look further than penultimate track 'I've Loved You (Such a Long Time)' a track that is the big power ballad with big drums and in dire need of an air guitar and hair brush video; a song albeit about a relationship breaking down, nevertheless a relationship where not a minute was wasted.

Yet for the downbeat lyrical nature of many of the songs, there is one message being sung and the overpowering emotion that resonates throughout both albums by this band is one of hope.

Wild Notion was one of my albums of 2018, and after a few listens I do not think there will be many albums to challenge Fortune Teller for a position in my final rankings of 2019.  Does it push envelopes, perhaps not, but it is a reminder that you can still make happy music nowadays.

The band will have an album launch at Redon, London on 31st October before touring in support of LIFE from 2nd-13th November.

My thanks as always to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Somos - Prison on a Hill

The third feature length album from Boston's Somos hails their return to the Tiny Engines label 

For fans of rock music with pop sensibilities there are many a flavour for you to sample in recent years; from present day stars Chvrches, The 1975 and Cigarettes After Sex to the more renowned Jimmy Eat World and Blink 182; the collison of rock and pop is there for all.

Yet rock music has been taking on a political slant of late, away from the personal subject matter there is now a roar of defiance to the current and frustrating political climate, where ambivalence is above ambition, you need only look at the recent work of Ezra Furman and Jim James as evidence of this.

Somos hail from Boston and with Prison on a Hill they have crafted a work that is of cross-over potential; full of driving guitars riffs, gliding electro synth and anthemic sounds.

They have taken a view of the world and are commenting on it strongly, from 'Mediterranean' which comments on the rise of far-right movement in Europe, 'Iron Heel' they examine an authoritarian rule in a post-fascism world.  The best political songs are those that are not overtly political from the outset, when you only know after the fact do those songs gain greater credence in their seriousness.

Stand out single 'Untraceable Past' shows the pop song as rock anthem, both infectious and blissful - you need only look at British contemporary Mystery Jets whose most recent work is also a political statement of Britain in this Brexit age.

Throughout the album the passion comes across in the songs, the lead vocalist Michael Fiorentino gives authority to the songs helped by bandmates, Phil Haggerty (sadly deceased in August at the age of 28) and Justin Hahn on guitar. This trio embodies the spirit of this slow building movement and are standing at the junction of pop and rock making noise and being heard.

The track 'Young Believers' serves as the embodiment of Somos' ethos and following Haggerty's premature passing carries extra weight and resonance; the band will return stronger no doubt but hopefully this album will find a home in people's hearts as such works come along rarely. This combination of three minute art form with classic indie sound.

Prison on a Hill is out now from Tiny Engines
My thanks to Will Miller (Tiny Engines) for the review opportunity.

The WWE just got un-fiendly

Hell in the Cell is one of WWE's marquee pay-per-view's of the calendar year; a novelty gimmick match originally constructed to settle scores once and for all, a larger than life steel cage match than envelopes the ring and is meant to keep people who run away within arm's length of an opponent; outside interference was dismissed though matches regularly end up outside on the side or atop the steel structure.

Yet the Hell in the Cell has now become a reason for a pay-per-view rather than a reason to watch a PPV, with four matches perhaps taking place within the steel structure. Much like TLC has four matches decided by one or all of the consonants.

This year, HIAC was to decide the Universal Championship between Seth Rollins, who overcame Brock Lesnar at Summerslam to claim the title back, against the new enigma of the WWE, Bray Wyatt and his new alter-ego The Fiend, a masked villain who is scary as hell seemingly unstoppable and hell bent on winning the title and destroying Rollins' soul. Imagine the irresistible force of the Undertaker with the sinister malevolence of a movie stalker who will stop at nothing for victory.

The WWE Universe - the fans that the WWE seemingly mocks and trolls in equal measure - have taken to Bray Wyatt or Wyndham Rotunda since his formative years on NXT as Husky Harris.  The son of Mike Rotunda (Irwin R. Schyster) and godson of Barry Wyndham, much like second generation superstars he has wrestling in his blood. Naturally gifted and with enough ability to be married an unassailable in-ring psychology and second to none work ethic like Randy Orton and The Rock.

Wyatt works hard, does not take days off and is rarely injured yet he is seemingly road-blocked time and time again by the creative juices of the WWE writing staff and mainly the bookers once it gets to in-ring action.

The ending of Rollins-Fiend at HIAC this year ended with a disqualification finish in a Hell in a Cell match, that's right a DQ finish in a no holds barred match as the referee called for the bell to end the action when Rollins threw too many weapons on the Fiend. This was after he had been stomped on numerous occasions, pedigreed, kicked to the head and the Fiend promptly kicked out at one.

While the commentary and booking hoped to have Rollins overcome the monster with wrestling moves, the Fiend would not lay down and kept rising to his knees. The Fiend ultimately had the last word planting the champion with Sister Abigail on the outside.

Further, the whole match took place in a red wash of light meaning that most of the action was not able to be seen on coverage so goodness knows how it played out live in the arena. That coupled with the Dusty of Dusty finishes, led to loud boos and heckles of 'AEW', 'Refund' and 'Bullshit' from the capacity crowd.

In a week, when AEW broke onto mainstream cable television with their debut showing on TNT with Dynamite, and winning the first television ratings battle with WWE Nxt on USA Network; it was already a bad week for the WWE.

Then came the debut episode of Smackdown on FOX which was going well until Brock Lesnar defeated Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship in 9 seconds ending Kofi's reign since Wrestlemania; thus ending a feel good story. That angle finished with Lesnar being stared down, not by a wrestler but by an ex-MMA fighter Cain Velazquez; a man of limited wrestling ability yet he and Lesnar will square off at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia later this month.

Now you have a WWE PPV ending in the worst possible way, with everything that is bad about WWE being front and centre and laying claim to not caring about what the fans want at all and caring more about shareholders now they have signed this huge deal with FOX.

Much like when Bray Wyatt was on an unstoppable tear when he first appeared in the WWE, he was going one on one with John Cena at Wrestlemania 30 in New Orleans, it was geared up for the fan favourite to be beaten by a favourite of the marks and the era of Cena-nation be ended as Cena looked towards a post-WWE career.  Yet it did not transpire, Cena won and made the formidable Wyatt look soft in defeat.

Wyatt had to go back to the drawing board, he had battles with Daniel Bryan, before becoming a mockery of himself despite garnering his first world title at Elimination Chamber in 2017, yet losing it to Randy Orton in a god-awful match at that years Wrestlemania in Orlando.  A clash with Deleted Matt Hardy led to a backyard brawl where he was thrown in a river and cleansed of his evil to be reborn as Hardy's tag partner leading to a tag title run which was then itself deleted.

Wyatt has all the tools to be a great world champion but for some reason backstage are reluctant to get behind him fully be it his size or their naivety to have a true villain as the main champion, yet Chris Jericho is a villain now on AEW and it will work wonders for their week to week shows.

The WWE are in the old problem of having a champion who finally gets the title still be relevant, this a problem that has gone on for years with many talents; the chase is so much better that being caught. When Daniel Bryan finally won the World Title at that same WM when Wyatt lost to Cena, he was thrust into a bad battle with Kane - ex-tag team partner who did not deserve any title shot. It is as if once the title is won what more is there to do with a champion, yet in history you had Hulk Hogan overcome many a challenger for close to three years, even CM Punk held the title for over a calendar year. That was a mixture of booking, good opponents and story telling.

Yet because Rollins retained the title what now for the title picture, is the Fiend still the No. 1 contender even though he lost and there is the rule now with no immediate rematches for defeated challengers of title matches. Rollins is team captain of Team Hogan versus Team Flair for a showdown at Crown Jewel, will the Fiend be facing off against Rollins there or is that unlikely to materialise due to the sensitive nature of the Fiend being present in a Middle Eastern country which may not take favourably to a controversial character. Hopefully the Fiend will not be lost to vignettes and he will become a regular factor on television with or without the mask

The WWE need to address their air of invincibility; they may well have a problem with creative writing as the AEW shows a freshness both in terms of talent and in-ring ability, while the matches now are run of the mill warfare, finishers and catchphrases.

If they are not careful they may get stuck in the slipstream and risk being left standing still while others overtake them; that starts with taking threats to superiority with seriousness and not dismissing their now clever fanbase with disdain; wrestling fans are smarter now with more knowledge of backstage antics and histrionics coupled with office politics. Finally, it is sometimes good to give the people what they want, and what they want is to be a friend to the business, not be treated as the enemy.

VAR - Reinventing the Wheel

The Premier League has a problem, and I am not writing this as a disgruntled Tottenham Hotspur fan whose team lost the possibility of a 2-0 lead away at Leicester. We were still 1-0 up and conspired to lose a game we were in the ascendancy of.  Tottenham as a team has problems, and you cannot blame VAR.

I also write this piece as a football referee, one who has done the job for 20 years. Not since the back pass rule have we seen such a stark change at the top of professional football - a rule change that is changing the nature of football so much that it is all we talk about at length.

I accept the VAR decision (eventually), yet I am flummoxed that the FA, UEFA and FIFA are treating the utilisation of video technology with such difficulty as if it is the first time anyone has seen such technology before, as if they are reinventing the wheel.

Football feels it is the global sport, and to a great extent they are right. It is played everywhere, even Greenland, with over 200 nations in its world rankings attempting to qualify for Qatar 2022 where the final 32 nations will converge for the ultimate accolade.

Yet there are smaller sports in terms of global reach and power that utilise their own version of VAR to a greater benefit of integrity and professional standards.

Cricket take the border line fine margins such as LBW appeals, run out and stumpings to be clear in those matters; yet they broadcast it to the paying public at the ground to show the decision, they are also involved then in the theatre of the moment. At this moment, the public at the ground for football are oblivious of the video being shown to the VAR officials - this is disrespectful and ignorant of the masses.

Rugby Union is enjoying its own World Cup in Japan, in the England game versus Tonga there were three possible tries in the first half; one given, one denied and one resulted in a kickable penalty. However, again the screen in the stadium was shown the footage; yet the difference is the referee is mic'd up talking to the man in the booth conversing on the decision at length but with intelligence and clarity to make sure the correct decision is reached.

It helps that rugby has a foundation of respect towards match officials, but the official is given the space to think and come to the correct conclusion. Unlike football where you would be encircled by both sides wanting their preferred outcome. In that instance you have 22 voices shouting at you and one in your ear, when you should be focusing on hearing the one in your ear. No wonder the pressure is so high, how can you concentrate when you have so many voices baying at you.

The problem is not so the fact that VAR does not work, it does work and gets the decisions right; it is the culture of football fans not being able to accept decision immediately and then hating about officials, opponents and law makers on social media instantaneously. You do not see this from rugby or cricket fans though, it is more of an 'it is what is mentality' while in football to quote Mario Balotelli it is a 'why always us?' mentality.

Yet the arrogance of football, as the global commodity it is which comes with a global currency is intrinsic to the problem. Football is a universal language as all high class sports are, a language that crosses boundaries, cultures and dialects to be played by all; yet the arrogance with which they have gone about implementing video technology - from the reluctance to utilise goal-line technology at World Cups to the unwillingness to address visual and verbal dissent towards highly pressurised match officials smacks of governing bodies standing still while the world sped up, even throwing the collective full VAR muscle at the Women's World Cup smacking of hypocrisy and sexism making the women mere guinea pigs for the more important male subjects.

Football is game that is simple to play, simple to coach and if done right, simple to referee. Yet the game has slowly been stripped off its values as bank balances swelled and popularity soared to unseemly levels.

While VAR will become more expected as creases are ironed out over the season - a number of games have gone by without incident - yet they need it to alter initial penalty decisions overturn errors and have a referee go to the video itself to see the error of his or her ways.

Football should realise it is not reinventing the wheel, just added a better tyre to help with the tread.

M J Lee - Where The Silence Calls

M J Lee, is back with another DI Ridpath thriller the third in the series following the success of Where The Truth Lies and Where The Dead Fall, launched by Canelo on Monday 23rd September.

Ridpath, a detective who has overcome cancer and has re-established a stable home environment at the conclusion of the second novel, Where The Dead Fall, is settling into the new position of assistant coroner to Mrs. Challinor. In this role, he helps distinguish if certain deaths are natural or require further criminal investigation following a post-mortem autopsy.

Ridpath is still dealing with the politics of policing, his best friend Charlie Whitworth is retired following the car crash which broke his leg, ribs and left him with a drinking problem. Claire Trent is holding him to account for the fallout of the Connolly case, and is trying to negotiate budget restrictions on her force at all levels.

A new case presents itself when Joe Brennan is set alight in his home; initial investigation establishes perhaps it was suicide but the investigation by Challinor and Det. Schofield refutes that allegation and pronounces the death as homicide.

More deaths sparked by deliberate fires appear day upon day, soon Ridpath discovers that they may have a serial killer on the loose due to the modus operandi of the killer with the use of accelerants and killing them before setting the victim alight.

Ridpath has trouble negotiating the rigid class structure of the policing hierarchy; peers are threatened by his knowledge and hide behind their higher positions to throw weight around and deny others the chance to establish cases - Ridpath is accused of brown nosing yet the only way seemingly to get ahead in cases is by doing just that or convince the higher up's of what they are missing. The juxtaposition of Ridpath to Lorraine Caruso is startling.

Lee goes to great lengths to build this air of PC suffocation thrust upon the hierarchy, and like his other novels he cleverly uses Manchester itself as the second most important character in the story - utilising the industrial revolution architecture with its gothic forebodings amongst a large range of districts to his advantage in weaving a story of protagonists cast by their surroundings.

The author uses contemporary cultural touchstones to mark as this as a time capsule piece; this is brave as the writer is not afraid to age his work by naming such things as South Korean pop band BTS for instance, as the object of affection for Ridpath's daughter. By putting the story in the here and now, you give the story a great sense of current, this is utilised further by having a vital piece of evidence being linked to child abuse within youth football teams in the 1980s and 90s, something Manchester has had to deal with starkly following the arrest and imprisonment of Barry Bennell.

Again, Lee has a written a winning novel - full of fast paced narrative, quick dialogue that speeds along the story. Much like the king of vigilante narratives, Lee Child, Lee uses the landscape as a main character to his advantage. Whereas Reacher though is not restricted by his homeland, visiting different geo-political locations from novel to novel; Ridpath is restricted by the M6 ring road but as Lee has shown - there is a lot going on within that motorway with ventures out to Derbyshire and the Pennines available.

For those who liked the first two Ridpath novels, this will be a much read and a pleasant surprise to those new to this exhilarating everyman character.

Where The Silence Calls is released by Canelo Press on 23rd September

Joseph - 'Good Luck, Kid'

The new album by sisterly trio Joseph, Good Luck, Kid is out on 13th September from ATO Records

The trio comprising of sisters, Natalie Schepman and her twin sisters Allison and Meegan Closner, grew up in a musical household, yet did not sing together until a few years ago when the band formed in 2014 when Natalie asked the sisters to form a band.

Taking their name from grandfather Jo, and the tiny Oregon town of Joseph where he lived, the sisters have hit upon a sound that is familiar but can only be nutured by a familial bond together. The harmony on this album is otherworldy, which goes hand in hand with the empowering lyrics that runs through the album - a quiet simmering intensity runs through the road movie as album concept that 'Good Luck, Kid' becomes.

Narratives of the songs give an example of three girls transforming along this odyssey, as they start quietly the songs become soaring anthems full of emotion and boldness.

For fans of First Aid Kit, Fleet Foxes alike; the trio utilise their strengths to create a memorable album of unique potential and vocal alchemy. And one befitting the change of the seasons, as we move from summer into autumn, Good Luck, Kid, is an album that demands repeat listens as the nights draw in.

From lead single, 'Fighter' the band have a great ear for catchy tunes to the most recent single 'Green Eyes' a pulsating shot of adrenaline to our mere mortal earlobes that refuses to let go of your attention.

Joseph are playing four nights in the UK in November; 

11th November -Hare and Hounds, Birmingham

12th November - Bush Hall, London

13th November - Night People, Manchester

14th November - Broadcast, Glasgow

Follow the band on Twitter @thebandjoseph

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.

Night Flowers Return 'Fortune Teller'

Night Flowers return with new video and material ahead of new album on October 25th from Dirty Bingo Records

Night Flowers who wowed the British music industry with their full debut album, Wild Notion, have announced the release of their second album Fortune Teller on October 25th from Dirty Bingo Records.

The first music released is the title track and it is accompanied by a new music promo which is a 360 degree interactive video.

Featuring Sophia Pettit's great vocal, the London Indie quintet's album is a love letter to 20th century rock greats - Petty, Springsteen, Fleetwood Mac - and with Pettit at the helm the song carries a dream-pop uniqueness in this down on its luck political climate.

The song has chiming guitars, reflective synths and epic drums for a power ballad; with the lyrics evoking a need of the seven sins encompassing the singer on a journey. Reminiscent of their first album, there are great hooks, sweeping vocals and a feeling of euphoria.

It is great to have Night Flowers back and perhaps this will be the album that helps them break into the mainstream, the album cover is great and they are having a live show at Redon, London on 31st October.

The album can be pre-ordered here 

Follow Night Flowers on Twitter

My thanks to One Beat PR for the link

Endgame by Daniel Cole

The third Ragdoll book, Endgame, by Daniel Cole is published on Thursday 5th September

William 'Wolf' Fawkes returns following a brief absence from the majority of Hangman; to be the main driving force of the narrative.  Fawkes returns following the suicide of former colleague, Finlay Shaw; something does not add up though for Wolf who believes there is more than meets the eye in regards to the suspected suicide.

With his former partner, Emily Baxter and private detective Edmunds; Wolf attempts to solve the case in a race against time as he puts his career on the line while not everyone in the Met wants him back to begin with.

Cole does a clever narrative trick of showing the investigation into the suicide along with a flashback narrative of Finlay along with his then partner Christian in the late 1970s, when they made a name for themselves in drug busts and yet became the target of gangs who seeked retribution.

Once the narrative gets going in the 70s narrative in terms of Finlay and Christian dicing with death and establishing the relationships Finlay's suicide leaves in limbo, then the present day narrative takes off especially when Wolf and Baxter must address his leaving the end of Book 1, Ragdoll.

Daniel Cole, author of Endgame.

Cole has created in Baxter a unique female protagonist - fierce yet vulnerable, stubborn but knee-jerk - and the chemistry with Wolf who is a cantankerous soul brings the emotions to the fore for all.  In this novel, Wolf is merely a tool for psychological insight into the waste he left behind, his reappearance granting people a chance to vent and rage against his cynicism and selfishness.

What sets this book apart from the other novels of the trilogy - whereas the opener was a true original concept and plot; the sequel was an action packed female fronted thriller; Endgame is a book less about the end result but how you get there, a tale about camaraderie and fraternity within the police force - the bond forged between the boys (and girls) in blue and the ties that bind them to each other.

While the title may have a sense of finality to it all, hopefully that is not the case and the characters such as Wolf and Baxter can continue to work together and we be able to join them on the ride.

Endgame is out from Orion Books on 5th September.
I am appearing on the Compulsive Readers Blog Tour on 6th September

My thanks to Tracy Fenton for the opportunity to review.

Modern Nature - 'Footsteps'

Modern Nature is a new group from Jack Cooper, famous for being Ultimate Painting; and they have released a new video for new single Footsteps ahead of the debut album release How To Live from Bella Union on August 23rd.

The new video is directed by Jake McGowan; and it follows a thread in the album Cooper says that is 'a journey from the chaos of the city to the sanctuary of the country, so we wanted to condense the idea down over the course of Footsteps with the final scene being a baptism...washing everything away'

McGowan harks back to famous British films that has its lense look upon non city scapes such as Withnail and I, Naked and Wish You Were Here; he uses the monotony and cyclical nature of life to make a statement that we need to get away and get back in touch with our selves and the conditions we live in.

The new group are a combination of Jack Cooper (Ultimate Painting), Will Young (BEAK>) plus Aaron Neveu (Woods) and Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers) - and having taken their name from a diary entry of Derek Jarman, the band are clearly struck by the mix of urban and rural.

On the new album, the urban and rural cross and collide with cello strings melting into electronic beats, rising melodies on saxophones combat guitar strums.  There is an exoticness to the music on Footsteps - organic compositions create a rich quality to the music.

The new single is a great taster for Modern Nature who despite fighting between the rural and the urban have found a unique world of their own to occupy.

How To Live will be released from Bella Union on August 23rd and available for pre-order here.

'I Love You. It's A Fever Dream' - The Tallest Man on Earth

The self-proclaimed Tallest Man on Earth, Kristian Matsson returns with his fifth album I Love You. Its A Fever Dream out from AWAL in physical form 28th June.

Born in Sweden, Mattson gained critical acclaim in 2008 with the release of Shallow Grave. Three more albums followed. He released an EP in 2018 When The Bird Sees Solid Ground culminating in the release of this album.

Matsson is a one-man production force, setting himself deadlines to inject creativity and inspiration through the personal process of producing original music.

Matsson is a man of great subtlety and this understating modesty is infused within the works; his personality comes to the fore throughout by way of expressing his thoughts.  There is a pacing to the mood of this album, the second half of the title specifically mentions a momentary loss of reality, defences are down and love can seep in.

The album sets the tone with the opener 'Hotel Bar' a man stating 'things will be fine' as guitar strings evoke a period of fondness or unrequited moments, this continues with track two 'The Running Styles of New York' where Matsson's ability to communicate a place and mood reminds me of Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie; who regularly writes on the road evoking a moment of his life personally also.

The key track on the album is track four - 'My Dear' - a beautiful and equally haunting track that is borders on jaunty and carefree, yet there are echoes of many a bygone era where romance was king in songwriting and love could be worn proudly on a sleeve a la Neil Young or Dylan's emotional mid-1970s stretch of albums from Planet Waves to Blood on the Tracks.

All in all, this is a sumptuous album of mood, of melancholy but most importantly a love album for the ages.

I Love You. It's A Fever Dream is out now on all platforms but is out in physical form here.

The Tallest Man on Earth will be playing his biggest British shows to date in November later this year

My thanks to OneBeatPR for the review opportunity.

Motionless by Cold Showers

Out today from Dais records, the new album Motionless from LA synth trio Cold Showers

This LA trio may be synth and that genre of keyboards and musicality may bring images of coldness and industrial edge, yet the Californian team are a bunch of die-hard romantics from a by gone era.

The sound of this album first sampled by lead anthemic single 'Shine' is one of the late 1980s/early 1990s a la The Mock Turtles and 'Can You Dig It?' one of those tracks destined for airplay with a sing-along catchiness

On the album after a deliberate methodical beginning, the album has a great middle run of sequencing. The single 'Shine' is followed by 'Measured Man', the title track and 'Sinking World'. These songs are indebted to the 1980s wave of alternative music with a pop sensibility - imagine Morrissey and Marr being married with the edge of New Order and pop of Tears for Fears.

The next single 'Dismiss' is one of those tracks that the band have returned to after some time and is perhaps the song most reminiscent of Depeche Mode but with a killer Marr guitar riff.

All in all Motionless is an album that will be very satisfying for a new listener and a huge step for the band in terms of breaking for mainstream traction and Dais Records have possibly picked up a winner; keep an eye out for forthcoming release from Drab Majesty.

Cold Showers are supporting Tamaryn at the Shacklewell Arms in Kings Cross on Saturday 25th May - they may well steal the show.

My thanks to One Beat PR for the review opportunity.