Mick Birchall Reviews

After falling in love with the first album from Curse of Lono , and getting to experience their music live, you can bet I was excited about the new album, As I Fell . So, I want to say a big thank you to the band for allowing me to have a copy, long before the release date. It's given me a lot of time to listen to it and fall in love with all of the new songs. I have been blasting this in the car, a lot, and enjoying it every single time. Curse of Lono continues with their gothic blues stylings although this album has a way looser feel. The atmosphere and tone are well articulated through the course of this eleven track album. The melodies, the harmonies, the tone... it all just comes together so beautifully. It's already one of my favourite albums of the year. Opening on the booming bassline of "Valentine" and then kicking straight into those wonderful vocal harmonies that they're known for, was a good way to start. I also like that it's a pretty short an...

The Gaslight Anthem are one of those bands that have been with me since I was a teenager. So, when I heard they were reuniting to perform their breakout album, The '59 Sound , live in Manchester I knew I had to be there. It was one of those albums that helped me appreciate great songwriting. It was such a change in gear from their first album "Sink Or Swim" and helped solidify the style that the band would go with moving forward. This tour is the first time the band have performed together in quite some time. Even though they have reformed for this tour, I don't think we're going to be getting any new music from them any time soon. Now having attended the show, it feels very much like a one and done deal to celebrate the 10 Year Anniversary.  Opening the show was the alternative rock act, Matthew Ryan & The Northern Wires . It was a good performance, to say the least. For me, it evoked a very old school feel. The crunchy guitars and subtle bass re...

I don't know about you, but for me, Muse was one of those bands that have always felt like they've been there. I remember listening to them a lot when I was younger. Yet, I haven't given them as much attention in the last few years. Ever since their 2009 album, The Resistance, I kind of switched off and didn't really listen to them any further. Needless to say though, Muse is one of the biggest rock bands in the world right now and a lot of their singles are considered some of the best rock songs ever. Even if you have never even heard of them, you have probably heard at least a couple of their songs. Which brings me to this "concert film".  Through 2015-16, they embarked on a 130 date world tour in support of their 2015 album, Drones , which was set to be a massive arena show like no other. After watching this film I am now very jealous of the people who attended those shows. However, for those of us who didn't manage to get a ticket, this film is t...

I first became aware of The Black Delta Movement a couple of years ago. They're an interesting garage rock band with a bit of psychedelic twist to them. I had listened to their EP's previously and have enjoyed the sound they made. It's like one of those old sixties bands, the ones playing rock before rock music was really solidified as a thing. The twisting and turning music that worked on different levels. They had my attention, to say the least. I've even had the pleasure of talking to vocalist Matt Burr about the band and their experiences [ Click Here ]. They have been building up a lot of buzz for the last couple of years, playing shows with the likes of The Jesus And Mary Chain,  Twin Atlantic and The Temperance Movement. For me, this is the true essence of rock n' roll. Building up that fan base to the point of releasing an album. I managed to get a copy of their new album, Preservation earlier this year and gave it a few spins. Here are my thou...