The Divine Comedy – ‘Rainy Sunday Afternoon’ album review: majestically written musings on mortality
A bracing bit of orchestral pop.
Music Archives: 09/2025
The rise of the gothic aesthetic in music and what it says about modern times
A response to a world in crisis.
‘Parklife’: the Blur single that perfectly encapsulates Britpop
“Hand in hand through their Parklife.”
‘How Far’: The Echo and the Bunnymen song that made Ian McCulloch feel like David Bowie
“A hell of a song to compare it to….”
‘(Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree’: The Move’s strange hit that typified the 1960s
“Pick up where The Beatles left off…”
‘Switched-On Bach’: the album that transformed Cat Stevens
“It encapsulates every part of the perfect beauty of classical music…”
‘Sowing the Seeds of Love’: Tears for Fears’ Beatlesque assault on Thatcherism
“I wanted to write a protest song, but I didn’t want it to be dark and depressing.”
‘Language is a Virus’: How Laurie Anderson predicted the rise of reality TV
“Everybody on the island was somebody from TV”