The Icarus Line - Penance Soiree (2004)
A straight-up, noisy rock 'n' roll album. Straight-up rock 'n' roll often bores the crap out of me but this album isn't half bad I guess. What saves it are the abrasive guitars and bucket-loads of energy, however the album could have benefited from a shorter running time.
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood (2006)
A very enjoyable alt-country album. 'Star Witness' is the standout track for me but there's plenty of great songs here. The album seems to bounce from romantic and uplifting country-pop to dark, eerie ballads. But all throughout, her reverb-heavy voice sounds wonderfully warm.
The Horrors - Luminous (2014)
After the hugely enjoyable Primary Colours and Skying this album had a lot of expectation riding on it. Unfortunately it falls flat on it's face. The band isn't taking any risks here and have drifted into that safe, arena rock territory occupied by countless middle-of-the-road straddling bands. The result is an album which is bland and unmemorable for the most part.