Nite Songs

  So here we go...the big moment...who's won our Album Of The Year award? Read on to find out! *** 10.     L.A. GUNS - "Checkered Past" A real return to form for L.A. Guns and arguably the best album that's come out under this band's name in nearly three decades. Checkered Past  sees them retaining the heaviness of their recent efforts but applying them to the big fist-in-the-air template that they made their name with in the late '80s, veering from strutting AC/DC riff-fests through ferocious thrash to more moody introspective moments. Phil, Tracii and the rest of the guys can congratulate themselves on a job well done here. *** 9.     THE CORAL - "Coral Island" One which escaped our attention at the time, Coral Island  might just be the Coral's best album to date. Almost a world within a record, side one is pure blissful summertime psychedelia set at the titular seaside destination before side two sees winter roll around and things take a more ...

I have to admit, the announcement of a new Stranglers album this year was a bit of a surprise. The group had already been touting their upcoming tour (now rescheduled to next spring) as their final one before the tragic passing of keyboardist Dave Greenfield last year put a pretty comprehensive full stop on things. So I think it's safe to say there's a very good chance that  Dark Matters  may well be this legendary band's swansong. Although eight of the eleven tracks here were completed prior to Greenfield's passing, there's a definite air of death and mortality hanging over Dark Matters with song titles like If Something's Gonna Kill Me (It Might As Well Be Love) as well as the hypnotic tribute to their fallen comrade And If You Should See Dave , the mournful Down  and the gentle acoustic-led ode to aging The Lines . Musically, Dark Matters  is as varied and engrossing as you'd expect from the swirling psychedelia of opener Water  through the spiky punk of...

The tragic passing of keyboard wizard Dave Greenfield during the COVID-19 outbreak a couple of months ago looks to have brought the curtain down on the long and storied career of the Stranglers. Mainstays of the punk scene and well beyond, the Meninblack truly were one of the greats of the era with a genuinely unique sound that set them well apart from their peers in the class of '77. Originally starting up in the pub rock era, they were one of many bands who saw an opportunity to hitch themselves to the Pistols' bandwagon when it started up. Many bands who attempted similar were rapidly kicked off by McLaren and co but the Stranglers had a real menace and mean streak to their music that allowed them to seamlessly fit in with the new music scene. Powered along by Hugh Cornwell and JJ Burnel's snarling vocals, Burnel's rumbling bass and Greenfield's keyboard wizardry, not to mention the experienced head of Jet Black behind the drumkit, their first two albums rema...