Gareth O'Malley XS Noize | Online Music Magazine

ALBUM REVIEW: Deftones – Ohms

September 21, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

In some aspects, Ohms finds Deftones going back to their roots. Perhaps not musically – there’s as much of Adrenaline and Around the Fur’s DNA present here as there is anything else, in that the […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Dream Nails – Dream Nails

August 26, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

You may have heard Dream Nails before, but you haven’t heard them like this. Formed in 2015, the London band quickly made waves thanks to their quick-witted, razor-edged punk rock, but their self-titled debut album […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Marsicans – Ursa Major

August 17, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

For how long they’ve been around, it’s certainly surprising that Leeds quartet Marsicans are just now getting around to releasing their debut album. They’ve been on the go for close to a decade already, with […]

ALBUM REVIEW: sleepmakeswaves – these are not your dreams

July 16, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

There’s something to be said for ambition in the world of instrumental music. sleepmakeswaves know a thing or two about that – the Australian post-rock act have spent much of the past 14 years carving […]

ALBUM REVIEW: bdrmm – Bedroom

July 7, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

It would be easy to assume that this Hull-based band arrived fully-formed, but their career has in fact been a slow burn that started in 2016 with a demo that singer and guitarist Ryan Smith […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Long Distance Calling – How Do We Want to Live?

June 29, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

In their 14 years together, Germans Long Distance Calling have never been ones to stand still. Since forming in 2006, the quartet – namely, David Jordan and Florian Füntman on guitar; Jan Hoffman on bass; […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Braids – Shadow Offering

June 19, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

In the years since their third album Deep in the Iris, the output from Montreal trio Braids (namely, Raphaelle Standell-Preston, Austin Tufts & Taylor Smith) has been sporadic – they’ve released a double-sided single and […]

TRACK PREMIERE: Blake’s Fortune – Redwood Heart

April 29, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

Dubliner John Lennon has been making accomplished alt-folk as Blake’s Fortune for a number of years, and he’s got a follow-up to his aptly named 2017 debut album Hello World on the way. New track […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Columbia Mills – CCTV

April 23, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

Columbia Mills have always been drawn to the dark. From their early singles right up to 2018’s ‘Close to You’, the Dublin-based quintet – namely, brothers Fiachra and Uisneagh Treacy (vocals and bass, respectively), Stephen […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Rina Sawayama – SAWAYAMA

April 16, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

Reckoning with the past is never easy and can sometimes be excruciating – Rina Sawayama knows that as well as anyone, and her debut album explores life through lived experience and harsh truths. She’s lived […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Locate S,1 – Personalia

April 3, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

In the fast-moving world of music creation, appreciation and consumption, sometimes you just have to put yourself first. Just ask Christina Schneider; the Athens, Georgia-based artist has been involved in a number of different musical […]

ALBUM REVIEW: CMON – Confusing Mix Of Nations

April 2, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

This might be CMON’s first album, but it’s far from their first rodeo; the band’s made up of Josh da Costa and Jamen Whitelock, both of whom were part of New Yorkers Regal Degal – […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Orchards – Lovecore

March 12, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

It’s been almost 7 years since Brighton band Orchards planted the seeds for what would eventually grow into their debut album. It took them a little bit to establish themselves, too, but there’s a clear […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Snarls – Burst

March 6, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

Have you ever stopped and thought about the fundamentals of being alive? You’re a single person, trying to make your way in the world just like everyone else – a place that feels increasingly fragmented […]

ALBUM REVIEW: ROCH – Via Media

March 5, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

Kate Miller has always known what she’s about. The process of creating her opening statement as an artist may have taken a while, but it’s something the 24-year-old Londoner has been focused on for years. […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Post Animal – Forward Motion Godyssey

February 14, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 1

On their 2018 debut album When I Think Of You In A Castle, Chicago-based outfit Post Animal displayed the sort of appealing scrappiness that marked them out as a band to keep an eye on, […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Tame Impala – The Slow Rush

February 13, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

“Quite a show for a loner in LA / I wonder how I managed to end up in this place?” Kevin Parker’s got plenty on his mind. ‘Par for the course for someone who’s called […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Nelson Can – So Long Desire

January 31, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

There are bands who take a while to get a handle on their sound, and then there are those who don’t stick to a sound long enough to bother; Nelson Can certainly fall into the […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Wolf Parade – Thin Mind

January 23, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

Sometimes you have to reckon with where you came from to figure out where you’re going. Introspection is rarely easy, but we learn the most about ourselves when it is deemed necessary. In a number […]

ALBUM REVIEW: Bombay Bicycle Club – Everything Else Has Gone Wrong

January 16, 2020 Gareth O'Malley 0

As Neil Young once opined, maybe it’s better to burn out than to fade away, but Bombay Bicycle Club had no intention of doing either. In 2016, having completed the touring cycle for their chart-topping […]