Album Review: MARINA – Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land (2021)

From the first few seconds of the opening, titular, track to MARINA's fifth studio album, she sounds like a woman who has regained her voice and rediscovered the punchy sound which projected her to fame several years ago. This is a seismic shift from 'Love + Fear', her 2019 album, which came across as boring, …

Ryan’s 30 Albums in 30 Days: Part 1

Featuring albums from Måneskin, Rihanna, Wolf Alice and The XX, this is the first in six-part series where I listen to 30 albums across the month of June before giving them honest reviews. There's going to be something for everyone so... enjoy! Måneskin - Teatro d'ira - Vol. 1 (2021) When Italy won Eurovision 2021 …

Album Review: Wolf Alice – Blue Weekend (2021)

2017's 'Visions Of A Life' was possibly the greatest album to ever be released, so how on earth could Wolf Alice follow up perfection without their third one feeling like a letdown? By creating yet another masterpiece which, given time, memories and a few hundred listens, is more than capable of fighting its predecessor in …

Book Review: Rachel Lynch – Bitter Edge (Kelly Porter book 4)

I knew as soon as I finished 'Dead End', the third installment in the best crime series in Cumbria, that I would need to read the next one immediately. It wasn't that there was a cliffhanger or anything - indeed, Rachel Lynch's writing always wraps up the story by the end and, should another book …

Book Review: James Patterson – The First Lady

I hope that this is the worst book I read all year. Because it is BAD. In truth, I wouldn't have looked twice at this book if I wasn't on my first charity shopping trip of the year and it was sat in front of me for just £2. And I thought, oh well, sometimes …

Album Review: Royal Blood – Typhoons (2021)

The English rock duo Royal Blood return with their third studio album, 'Typhoons' Royal Blood have a very specific sound which is hard to recreate or imagine another band making - indeed, it is impossible as Mike Kerr keeps his own technique a VERY guarded secret. For their first two albums, although they were brilliant …

Book Review: Rachel Lynch – Dead End (DI Kelly Porter book 3)

DI Kelly Porter returns in the third installment of this gripping Cumbria police mystery. I massively enjoyed the first two of this ongoing series, 'Dark Game' and 'Deep Fear', as I got deeper and deeper into the world surrounding DI Kelly Porter. The third novel is another entertaining read, but the highlight of it for …

Book Review: Mick Herron – The Catch (Slough House novella 3)

At lunchtime, I went into town for the first time since the most recent lockdown restrictions began to be eased properly on Monday, and my first visit was the charity bookshop in my local High Street. A real gem of a place, you can get new books in perfect condition for just £2 - and …

Book Review: Kimberley Chambers – Payback (Butlers book 2)

Having read 'The Trap', the first in Kimberley Chambers' second series of novels chronicling the lives of East End gang families across the generations, I moved straight onto 'Payback', its sequel. This is a book which even surpassed my own lofty expectations. On the face of it, this is much like the rest of her …

Book Review: Kimberley Chambers – The Trap (Butlers book 1)

After being a massive (and I can't stress this enough) massive fan of Kimberley Chambers' exceptional Mitchells & O'Haras series after reading it a year ago, I've been excitedly waiting to start her second long-term series, the Butlers. This review contains spoilers - although I will say that it is a brilliant opening to what …