Silent Radio

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 27 FEBRUARY 2026 By far the busiest week of 2026 for new releases so far, plenty of high quality as well. Deathcrash       Somersaults     London-based slowcore quartet. Thematically, ‘Somersaults’ began to deal with ...

This week's roundup of a bumper bunch of new releases:
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/27/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – THE DELINES: THE SET UP Willy Vlautin is a master world builder. Over the course of half a dozen albums with The Delines, he has created the equivalent of an intricate portmanteau movie with recurring themes and characters m...

"It is storytelling at its finest, the characters are often betrayed by their actions but retain the listener’s sympathies. The musical arrangements... give ‘The Set Up’ a magnificently cinematic scope.
@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews #Delines
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/23/album-...

LIVE REVIEW – FINE, MARIA SOMERVILLE & NASHPAINTS: THE WHITE HOTEL – 18/02/2026 At long last! Nearly three years since I first went to see an act there – Manchester group Mandy, Indiana, who put on a rollicking show and who have a new album out that’s apparently well worth a list...

"Her voice... was such a joy to hear in person: her delivery, while always some degree of soft, conveys the passion of love and longing so affectingly, even more so live than recorded."
Han Lake reviews Fine at The White Hotel:
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/22/live-r...

ALBUM REVIEW – BIBI CLUB: AMARO There is a strong thread of death running through Quebec duo Bibi Club’s third album. Rather than a self-indulgent, goth teenage wallowing in mortality, it is a heartfelt response to the passing of tw...

"Musically, it takes from darkwave, freak folk, avant pop, electronic and baroque music to produce a tapestry of sounds that are emotional and have a slightly twisted beauty."
@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews Bibi Club's Amaro:
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/22/album-...

LIVE REVIEW – HOT WAX: MANCHESTER GORILLA – 12/02/2026 The first time I saw Hot Wax was at All Points East in 2023, I was 17 and they were opening the second stage. I immediately fell in love with them, and thought they were the coolest band I’d ever seen...

"Hot Wax are such a unique and vibrant band."
Lily Cottrell reviews Hot Wax at Manchester Gorilla.
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/20/live-r...

ALBUM REVIEW – THE DREAM MACHINE: FORT PERCH ROCK The Sixties are back in, and The Dream Machine are navigating the waters on their third album ‘Fort Perch Rock.   New Brighton natives whose evocative lyricism is evident on every release, embody The ...

"The Dream Machine have shot and scored when making an album that could live in any era and not look out of place."
Bryn Evans reviews the new album from @dreammachinehq.bsky.social
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/20/album-...

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 20 FEBRUARY 2026 Hen Ogledd      Discombobulated        Their most complex and emotionally charged record to date, involving meditations on political tumult, personal crisis and mental wellbeing in a world gone mad, y...

This week's new releases.
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/19/album-...

LIVE REVIEW – GOOD NEIGHBOURS: NEW CENTURY HALL – 13/02/2026 “It’s our job to make sure you leave feeling better than when you arrived” declared lead singer Oli Fox. Well, it is fair to say that Good Neighbours are sheer geniuses at their job. How many concerts...

"Typically, after a gig your feet hurt and all you want is water. This time it was different, all I wanted was to do it again and for the concert to be longer."
Mia Webber reviews Good Neighbours at New Century Hall.
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/17/live-r...

ALBUM REVIEW – ALTIN GUN: GARIP Altın Gün translates from Turkish as “Golden Day.” The Amsterdam-based band provide an impressive example in how to evolve a sound over the course of a career. Starting off as a predominantly Turkish ...

"Their music has always been colourful but this sees them operating with an even wider palette. ‘Garip’ is their best album yet."
@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews the new album from Altın Gün
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/16/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – BIG SLEEP: HOLY SHOW Stemming from the fair city, Big Sleep are known as heavy hitters when it comes to a live show. Pulling off a show under the m50 to sold out tours. Created by vocalist Rónán Connolly and drummer Matte...

"This album should push the band onto everyone’s lips."
Bryn Evans reviews Big Sleep's Holy Show

www.silentradio.co.uk/02/16/album-...

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 13 FEBRUARY 2026 Momoko Gill    Momoko             Momoko has long been one of the UK electronic and jazz scene’s best-kept secrets. A self-taught drummer, producer, songwriter, and vocalist, she has brought her uniqu...

A roundup of this week's new releases:
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/12/album-...

LIVE REVIEW: SLEAFORD MODS – MANCHESTER ACADEMY 07/02/26 “Anger is an energy” sang Public Image Limited on ‘Rise’ back in 1986, and in 2026 that sentiment still reigns supreme for Notts duo Sleaford Mods. With impassioned poetic lyrics containing a wickedly...

"Pure urban poetry and body shaking grooves combine for a brilliant set by Nottingham’s finest."
@paulainthenorth.bsky.social reviews
@sleafordmods.bsky.social at Manchester Academy:
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/11/live-r...

LIVE REVIEW – TWIN TRIBES: MANCHESTER GORILLA – 08/02/2026 As soon as I saw that Twin Tribes were touring in the UK again, I knew that I had to be there. It’s not every day that your favourite band is playing within an hour’s reach. I had my wallet ready as t...

"Darkwave legends supported by soon-to-be darkwave legends, what more can you want?"
Daisy Sherwin reviews Twin Tribes and A Thousand Mad Things at Manchester Gorilla.
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/11/live-r...

ALBUM REVIEW – TIANA MAJOR9 : NOVEMBER SCORPIO Picture your honeymoon destination, the sun is setting, you’re drinking something tropical, even a cocktail if you partake. All you need is a soundtrack to make the memories. Welcome to ‘November Scor...

"I would recommend this as an album for a nice and cosy listen."
Seth Zarura reviews Tiana Major9's November Scorpio
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/11/album-...

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 6 FEBRUARY 2026Sil Mandy, Indiana              Urgh      Across ten tracks, Mandy, Indiana interpolate their own unconventional language into a mantra for self-determination and resilience, creating an album that is dem...

This week's new releases guide:
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/05/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – YAMILA: NOOR It is curious how some instruments are considered to be earthy and human whereas others are thought of as mechanical. Yamila’s album, ‘Noor’, juxtaposes two instruments that fall into opposing categor...

"Yamila makes cello and electronics seem natural bedfellows, a combination of light and shade, fire and ice, beauty and terror."
@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews Yamila's Noor.
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/04/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – JD MEATYARD: THE MISSION The touring link between John Donaldson and Half Man Half Biscuit is one of the least likely, long lasting musical connections. It began back in the early 1990s when the recently reformed Biscuits sup...

"anyone listening to ‘The Mission’ will come away with a clear idea of John Donaldson’s political views, as well as his cultural heroes and what makes him tick emotionally."
@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews JD Meatyard's The Mission:
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/04/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – THE MOLOTOVS: WASTED ON YOUTH Somewhere amongst their seemingly endless touring, London-based duo the Molotovs found time to record their highly anticipated debut album, Wasted On Youth. The Molotovs are siblings Matt (guitar/voca...

"Overall, Wasted On Youth is an incredibly exciting and strong debut album and proof that the Molotovs are going to be the next big thing."
Lily Cottrell reviews the Molotovs' debut album:
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/03/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – MAYHEM: LITURGY OF DEATH It is hard to find a more iconic metal band than Mayhem. Not only did they invent the most notorious subgenre in alternative music, but their story is so wild, and chaotic, it has made its way to Holl...

"Liturgy Of Death showcases why the original black metal band are still relevant, but more importantly, why they are as iconic as they are."
Itay Gilad reviews the new album from Mayhem.
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/03/album-...

SINGLE REVIEW – PIPPA BLUNDELL: BIG BEAR The new standalone single from Pippa Blundell is a fine example of how to capture an atmosphere. It was written in a crowded artists’ house on the Isle of Skye during Storm Floris in the midst of a th...

"it is all deeply contemplative and touching, a piece of understated loveliness."

@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews the new single from Pippa Blundell
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/03/single...

ALBUM REVIEW – CONGRATULATIONS: JOIN HANDS It is unfortunate that congratulations share their name with one of the most irritating songs of all time, Cliff Richard’s 1968 Eurovision entry, the type of lowest common denominator earworm with whi...

"an absolute blast, 37 minutes of concentrated energy. It is a colourful record, full of manic creativity."
@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews congratulations Join Hands
@bellaunion.bsky.social
www.silentradio.co.uk/02/02/album-...

GIG GUIDE – FEBRUARY 2026 Silent Radio Gig Guide – February 2026 Although February is the shortest month of the year, there is still a packed month of exciting gigs for you to enjoy! From legendary acts who have been playing a...

Silent Radio's Manchester gig guide for February - www.silentradio.co.uk/02/02/gig-gu...

LIVE REVIEW – JINJER: MANCHESTER RITZ – 29/01/2026 Metal has a great deal in common with pop – I’d say it’s the flipside of the same coin: the anti-pop. Where pop is meant to appeal, metal intentionally repels. Metal is discordant by design where pop ...

"There is no let up, hardly any break between songs and minimal chit-chat; it is suffocatingly heavy, irresistibly compelling, and brutally executed."
Chris Oliver reviews Jinjer at Manchester Ritz:
www.silentradio.co.uk/01/31/live-r...

LIVE REVIEW – WESTSIDE COWBOY: MANCHESTER GORILLA – 29/01/2026 “WESTSIDEEE COWBOYYY” someone in the crowd shouts mimicking the opening to the group’s debut track as they begin picking up their instruments. Dramatically facing backwards as they begin, Westside Cow...

"Westside Cowboy are ultimately a band who do things their own way, get lost in the moment and don’t try to over polish what they’ve created."
Izzy Hayden reviews Westside Cowboy at Gorilla:
www.silentradio.co.uk/01/31/live-r...

ALBUM REVIEW – BUZZCOCKS: ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT Before the likes of the Stone Roses and Oasis dominated the Manchester music scene, there was a small forgettable gig held at Lesser Free Trade Hall. Which subsequently over the years everyone and the...

"It begs the question, that if they had to spend the first half of the album trying to hook original listeners in by keeping to their punk roots that maybe it’s time to hang up the guitars forever?"
Freya Hoare reviews Buzzcocks' Attitude Adjustment
www.silentradio.co.uk/01/31/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – CORY WONG: LOST IN THE WONDER That funky guitar riff, the jumpy beat and the smooth vocals from Stephen Day. ‘Stay With Me’ has the vibe of Wong that’s for sure. Upbeat funk mixed with that city pop sounding backing from the brass...

"if you were a fan of Wong’s previous work you will enjoy this."
Alex McFerren reviews Cory Wong's Lost In The Wonder
www.silentradio.co.uk/01/31/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW: CBGB – A NEW YORK CITY SOUNDTRACK 1975- 1986 New York in 1975 was a far cry from the cultural, bustling metropolis it is today. The city was in the depths of a financial crisis, strikes and slowdowns crippled most public services leading to an e...

"brilliant compilations like this are a timely reminder of what a music venue brings to a city."
@paulainthenorth.bsky.social reviews Cherry Red's CBGBs compilation:
www.silentradio.co.uk/01/30/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – AQUAKULTRE: 1783 1783 marked the end of the American War of Independence. It also saw the exodus of 3,000 so-called Black Loyalists who had fought for the British in exchange for land and freedom but were now sailing ...

"The music draws on 20th Century black music heritage with great sophistication and versatility, sharing the spirit of mighty predecessors like Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder."
@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews 1783 by
@aquakultre.bsky.social
www.silentradio.co.uk/01/29/album-...

ALBUM ROUNDUP WEEK ENDING 30 JANUARY 2026 Ye Vagabonds                 All Tied Together           Irish band initially achieving renown as purveyors of their ancestors’ music mixed with folk-based originals, the Mac Gloinn brothers – Brían a...

Silent Radio's guide to the week's new releases:
www.silentradio.co.uk/01/29/album-...

ALBUM REVIEW – BEVERLY GLENN-COPELAND: LAUGHTER IN SUMMER Anyone looking for a heart-warming documentary would be advised to watch the 2019 film ‘Keyboard Fantasies: The Beverly Glenn-Copeland Story’. It tells a remarkable life story incorporating becoming o...

"There is a rare selfless generosity of spirit to the words, a revolutionary kindness that should be an essential part of navigating an increasingly unjust and strife-riven world."
@andrewneal66.bsky.social reviews Beverly Glenn-Copeland's Laughter In Summer
www.silentradio.co.uk/01/26/album-...