Nightmares On Wax – Shout Out! To Freedom… (Warp Records) Reviewed by Sam Smith. After a three year gap, legendary British electronic producer George Evelyn AKA Nightmares On Wax has returned with what might just be his best album inContinue Reading
Kanye West – Donda (GOOD Music / Def Jam Recordings) Reviewed by Sam Smith. After three listening parties, release delays, and seemingly never-ending album pushbacks, Kanye West’s tenth studio album ‘Donda’ has finally arrived, and in terms of Ye’s waningContinue Reading
Mara TK 16th July 2021 Titirangi War Memorial Hall, Auckland, New Zealand. Review by Sam Smith. Feature Photograph kindly provided by Leonie Moreland / The 13th Floor. Fresh off the release of his excellent debut solo album Bad Meditation, former ElectricContinue Reading
Black Midi – Cavalcade (Rough Trade) Reviewed by Sam Smith. After emerging on the scene in 2019 with their critically-acclaimed album Schlagenheim, an album this reviewer picked as their album of the year, UK post-punk band Black Midi have returnedContinue Reading
Squid – Bright Green Field (Warp Records) Reviewed by Sam Smith. Brighton post-punk band Squid have been building momentum nicely over the last five years. The five-piece had released three EPs and a stellar run of recent singles had keptContinue Reading
Che Fu & The Kratez 13th March 2021 The Town Hall, Auckland, New Zealand. Review by Sam Smith. Photography by Dave Simpson. In 2001, Che Fu’s Navigator was everywhere. The Auckland rapper’s second studio album was a smash hit, andContinue Reading
Team Dynamite – Respect The Process (Years Gone By) Reviewed by Sam Smith. It has been a long time between drinks for Auckland hip hop group Team Dynamite. Their last album aptly titled Never Again came out in 2015 andContinue Reading
The Weeknd – After Hours (XO / Republic Records) Reviewed by Sam Smith. After ten years in the music game, R&B prince The Weeknd is back with another project and this time he has brought his darker side to proceedings.Continue Reading
Childish Gambino – 3:15:20 (Wolf+Rothstein / Liberator Music) Reviewed by Sam Smith. It has been over three years since Childish Gambino let loose on the world his p-funk project Awaken, My Love! In the years following, Donald Glover has toured,Continue Reading