A very British take on an American Odyssey: David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ revisited

THE ANATOMY OF A SONG

David Bowie’s first great song appeared to undermine the ideals of NASA’s moon landings, but it said much more about David Bowie’s ‘inner space’ at the end of the 1960s.

10 July 2026

Photo: Album cover of RCA’s 1972 edition of Space Oddity.

THE WEEKLY MIX

ALBUM REVIEW

Graham Coxon, Castle Park

Exploring adolescent romance and the passing of time, the album teems with Coxon’s familiar pop charms and is one of the strongest entries into his solo discography.

MUSEUM OF YOUTH CULTURE

A short history of youth culture in 10 iconic photos: punks, mods, ravers & more!

The Museum of Youth Culture’s extensive collection includes countless iconic photographs, amassed over three decades of archive building. Celebrating mods, punks, breakdancers, ravers and everyone in between, these images capture the vibrancy of youth cultures across the decades.

MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘They all wanted to be the front man’: how the Stone Roses made their classic debut album

Beginning with shambolic preproduction, driven by a puritanical work ethic and featuring last-minute moments of inspiration, David Rea explores the novelistic story behind The Stone Roses’ classic debut album.

MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘I pictured the Soft Boys as bloodless, spectral entities’: how the Soft Boys made Underwater Moonlight

Made in a grey and broken Britain, the Soft Boys’ Underwater Moonlight refracted sparkling 1960s power pop, providing a foundational text for 1980s neo-psychedelia and alt-rock.

3 July 2026

FEATURES

THE ‘ONE TO WATCH’ INTERVIEW

The Blue Herons

The Blue Herons on the music that made them, and how they write their sparkling jangle pop while separated by the Atlantic.

9 July 2026

‘I don’t care if it’s out of tune’: Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night in the age of machines

In an era of confected studio production, Neil Young recorded Tonight’s the Night, one of the rawest and most desolate albums ever made. David Rea explores the live recording philosophy behind the masterpiece and how it might soon be seen as the AI revolution takes hold.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

‘I’m going to kill you tonight’: how they wrote Candi Staton’s ‘Young Hearts Run Free’

It began when Candi Staton’s partner threatened to shoot her and ended with a rallying cry for women everywhere.

MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘Like a long dead ghost trying to make contact’: how Wilco made Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Involving Cold War spy recordings, drug addiction and music industry landmarks, Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has been called a fable and a masterpiece. David Rea does a deep dive into the plots and subplots which created the band’s greatest album.

Neil Young’s greatest albums ranked and reviewed! 1968-1975

From his pristine eponymous debut through to the first post-’ditch’ record, Zuma, 1968-1975 forms the first great era of Neil Young’s discography. Read our ranking from 8-1.

Photo: Gijsbert Hanekroot / Alamy

3 July 2026

STATE OF SOUND

Your Backstage Pass to Music History

Founded & Edited by David Rea

State of Sound provides the best in-depth coverage of music history. Travel back in time to groundbreaking eras and scenes. Get closer to iconic music and the trailblazers who made it. Claim your backstage pass to music history now by signing up for our free newsletter.

Sign up for our free newsletter, Get exclusive content

Get all the latest from State of Sound delivered straight to your inbox. Only newsletter subscribers receive our Muso Playlists and Hidden Classic recommendations.

Photo: Bob Dylan; credit: Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy

MAKING A MASTERPIECE

‘They all wanted to be the front man’: how the Stone Roses made their classic debut album

Beginning with shambolic preproduction, driven by a puritanical work ethic and featuring last-minute moments of inspiration, David Rea explores the novelistic story behind The Stone Roses’ classic debut album.

16 May 2026

REVIEWS

ALBUM REVIEW

Castle Park

Graham Coxon

Exploring adolescent romance and the passing of time, the album teems with Coxon’s familiar pop charms and is one of the strongest entries into his solo discography.

27 June 2026

NEW RELEASE

John Lennon Love (Meditation Mixes)

ALBUM REVIEW

The Demise of Planet X

Sleaford Mods

ALBUM REVIEW

The Former Site Of

The New Pornographers

ALBUM REVIEW

Wasted on Youth

The Molotovs

ALBUM REVIEW

All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade

Of Monsters and Men

The 10 greatest alt-country albums, reviewed and ranked!

Alt-country has always given the polished twang of mainstream country a roughened edge, drawing from the countercultural snarl of punk, the kooky charms of indie pop, rockabilly, bluegrass or Southern rock. Here is our ranking of the greatest alt-country albums, from No. 10 to No. 1.

Image: James Lee / Unsplash

16 May 2026