Motherhood, the first full-length LP from the project in five years, is genre-mixing ear candy. Still here are the shoegaze influences, but they are sweetly complimented by everything from nu-metal to chamber pop.
In the four years since Ed Sheeran established himself as Taylor Swift’s opening-act-slash-bestie, the British singer-songwriter hasn’t just become a star – he’s helped make over pop’s sound. Blending acoustic sensitive-guy vibes with digital-age craft, Sheeran has knocked out hits for Justin Bieber and One Direction while influencing the strummy likes of Lukas Graham and Shawn Mendes. On ÷, his first album since 2014’s X, Sheeran doubles down on the blend of hip-hop bravado and everyday-bloke songwriting that helped him break out at the turn of the decade.
The Canadian rapper and singer’s sense of playfulness is the highlight of a second album that attempts to reach beyond her raunchy sex-rap comfort zone.
Musically, it literally sounds like an island – tropical advances, energetic synthesizers, purifying vocals, and joyful builds. It’s unfortunate that this is the last we’ll hear from the band.
The Bombettes formed in 2005 and play catchy punk rock with influences from the 60s. They have toured both Europe and USA, they’ve played at clubs, garages, squats, pubs as well as bigger arenas. With their catchy tunes and in-your-face attitude no one is able to stand still during their shows.
Hailing from the musical desert that is Queensland, this duo meld five decades of teenage angst – surf rock, Brill Building heartbreak, punk petulance – into shambolic, snotty, two-minute anthems that sound like they were recorded in a toilet, sung by drummer Alex Wall in a bratty, nasal, Jagger-esque whine.