Reviews — State of Sound | The New Independent Voice of Music

REVIEWS

Independent opinion, informed criticism

ALBUM REVIEW

The Former Site Of

The New Pornographers

This is a really enjoyable and at points captivating album, if a little beaten down by the world.

27 March 2026

ALBUM REVIEW

Wasted On Youth

The Molotovs

The sibling duo might not wear their influences lightly, but their debut album is an adrenaline shot of youthful optimism.

28 January 2026

ALBUM REVIEW

The Demise Of Planet X

Sleaford Mods

Following a change to their creative relationship, this is not only Sleaford Mods’ most ambitious album to date, it is their best.

10 January 2026

The cover of Sleaford Mods’ album The Demise of Planet X. this shows Jason Williamson and Andrew Fearn sitting down looking at the camera against a black background. The name of the band and the title of the album are written underneath them.

STATE OF SOUND

The New Independent Voice of Music

Founded by writer David Rea, State of Sound cuts through the noise with incisive music journalism, providing an analogue voice in a digital world. Free of advertising to ensure a frictionless reading experience, we cast an independent eye across a wide range of genres and eras, publishing everything from in-depth essays on legacy artists to informed reviews of the latest releases. SUBSCRIBE HERE

Photo: James Edmond / Alamy Stock Photo

ANNIVERSARY ALBUM REVIEW

BOB DYLAN’S DEFIANT VOICE IN HEARTBROKEN AMERICA: A new review of The Times They Are A-Changin'

EXTRACT: THE DAY OF John F. Kennedy's assassination, Bob Dylan likely watched the news reports come in on television — the grainy images from Dallas, Texas flickering across the 22-year-old’s crestfallen face. CONTINUE READING >>

17 January 2026

A black and white photo of the singer-songwriter and folk singer Bob Dylan from around 1965. He has curly hair, is wearing black Ray-Ban sunglasses and a dark shirt and is looking directly into the camera.

ALBUM REVIEW

Sad and Beautiful World

Mavis Staples

In acknowledging the world’s sadness and beauty on this deeply felt album, Mavis Staples somehow finds hope too.

4 November 2025

A woman with short hair sitting at a table with a pink floral tablecloth, smiling and looking down, in a room with lace curtains and yellow-painted walls.

ALBUM REVIEW

All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade

Of Monsters and Men

After their electro-pop LP Fever Dream, OMAM explore cinematic folk rock, but struggle to find consistent inspiration.

11 October 2025

A black square with white illustrations of various symbols, animals, and designs arranged in a circular pattern. The words "love" and other symbols are written around the border.

ALBUM OF THE MONTH

Emerge, Return

The Bookshop Band

When Pete Townsend got in touch with the Ivor Novello-nominated duo, it seemed certain something special was about to happen.

Words: David Rea

4 October 2025

Black background with red bar code-like lines and a red mountain shape. White text reads "EMERGE, RETURN THE BOOKSHOP BAND."

STANDOUT NEW ALBUM

The Resurrection Game

Emma Swift’s stunning first album of original material is as immersive as an IMAX movie, and full of beguiling emotional complexity.

Words: David Rea

3 September 2025

Book cover titled "The Resurrection Game" by Emma Swift, featuring a woman lying on her back with her head tilted to the side, surrounded by a blue background.

Robyn Hitchcock: Blissful transcendence in East London

LIVE REVIEW

Suffused with its inter-war ghosts from its days as a Savoy cinema, the EartH theatre turned out to be the perfect setting for Hitchcock’s transcendent performance

Words: David Rea

14 September 2024

Male musician singing into a microphone while playing an electric guitar on stage.

STANDOUT NEW ALBUM

Ticking Haze

Shapes Like People

EXTRACT: The crystalline jangle pop guitar mines rich seams of bittersweetness on ‘Never Cut Asunder’ and ‘Ambition is your Friend’, and ‘Server of the Mind’ and ‘Fireworks’ float in hazy dream pop gauze.

Words: David Rea

1 September 2024

Black and white photo of a woman with long hair holding a smartphone, with the text 'shapes like people' on the side.

ALBUM REVIEW

Liam Gallagher John Squire

This is very much in one of Britpop's key registers: cocksure optimism. Almost front to back it is tuneful, guitar-driven pop-rock, which wouldn't have sounded out of place in 1995.

Words: David Rea

2 March 2024

A pile of various colorful health and beauty product packaging, including bottles, tubes, boxes, and labels.

30th ANNIVERARY REVIEW

Definitely Maybe

Listening to the band's rudimentary and derivative moving parts thirty years later then, it is easy to conclude that the tumult surrounding the band lent the music something which simply isn't there on the master tape.

Words: David Rea

30 August 2024

Five young men in a living room, some sitting and one standing, with musical instruments and photos, a large globe, and a fireplace, during daytime, with sunlight coming through the windows.