KATY PERRY: Smile (EMI) Verdict: Katy’s bubbly new arrival Rating: The last time we heard from Katy Perry was when she brought her Witness tour to the UK two summers ago. With the Californian singer standing centre stage in a flashing LED bra, surrounded by Day-Glo dancers and giant flamingos, it was a dazzling spectacle … Read more
THE KILLERS: Imploding The Mirage (EMI) Rating: Verdict: Rousing anthems THE WATERBOYS: Good Luck, Seeker (Cooking Vinyl) Rating: Verdict: Expansive Celtic rock ERASURE: The Neon (Mute) Rating: Verdict: Sparkling electro-pop They have loosened their ties with their home town of Las Vegas, lost a key band member and seen their stadium tour sunk by lockdown. If … Read more
KATE RUSBY: Hand Me Down (Pure) Rating: Verdict: Stunning covers collection Folk singer Kate Rusby, 46, seen her touring plans thrown into disarray this year Like many musicians, Kate Rusby has seen her touring plans thrown into disarray this year. Dates she should have played in the spring have been rescheduled for 2021, and festival appearances have … Read more
BOBBIE GENTRY: The Delta Sweete (Capitol) Rating: Verdict: Country-soul classic MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER: The Dirt And The Stars (Thirty Tigers) Rating: Verdict: Tender heartland rock PAUL McCARTNEY: Flaming Pie (MPL) Rating: Verdict: Britpop-era nugget revisited The tale of Bobbie Gentry is one of the most curious in pop. She emerged in 1967 with voluminous dark … Read more
Taylor Swift: Folklore (EMI) Verdict: Taylor springs a surprise Rating: Alanis Morissette: Such Pretty Forks In The Road (RCA) Verdict: Polished return Rating: This should have been a summer spent on the road for Taylor Swift. She had intended to take her Lover Fest show around the world, headlining Glastonbury and London’s Hyde Park and … Read more
She’s been enjoying the sunshine while spending time with her family in France during the coronavirus pandemic. And Natasha Poly looked effortlessly chic as she flaunted her toned legs in a pair of denim shorts while at the Club 55 in St Tropez on Thursday. The Russian model, 34, appeared to be in good spirits … Read more
You have decided savings rates are just too poor and you want to invest. Whether you have taken financial advice or not, you have looked at your pension arrangements and your cash savings, you’ve considered the risks, you can lock your money away for at least five years and want to start an investing Isa. … Read more
ELLIE GOULDING: Brightest Blue (Polydor) Verdict: Confident comeback Rating: THE CHICKS: Gaslighter (Columbia) Verdict: Sparks fly Rating: JARV IS: Beyond The Pale (Rough Trade) Verdict: Lacklustre sidestep Rating: When she was crowned Critics’ Choice winner at the Brits ten years ago, Ellie Goulding had a clear idea of herself. She was the girl next door … Read more
PAUL WELLER: On Sunset (Polydor) Rating: Even a musician as restless as Paul Weller sometimes feels the urge to return to the sounds that first inspired him. Since taking a leap into the unknown on 2008’s 22 Dreams, The Modfather has regularly wheeled away from the mainstream with detours into tango, free-form jazz and abstract … Read more
The pedlars of crackpot Covid conspiracy theories missed a trick. Forget 5G: a more believable ruse would have been that the US tech giants set off the coronavirus pandemic. Such has been the impact on the FAANG stocks that the idea, fanciful of course, might have gained some traction. Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google/Alphabet, … Read more