(Domino)Chan Marshall’s third outing deconstructing the songs of others, from Nick Cave and Frank Ocean to Lana Del Rey and the Pogues, is her best yetDancing, ceremony, aural wallpaper: the uses of music are legion. Often, though, succour is key, a ki…
Patti Smith review – communing with a rock’n’roll seer
Royal Albert Hall, LondonProtean punk poet Patti Smith, backed by a full band, is in expansive mood in a riveting, career-spanning showOne worn black boot on the monitor, her long, white, artist’s hands carving up the air, Patti Smith is a performer wh…
Arlo Parks review – heart-rending and frustrating
Village Underground, LondonThe Mercury prize-winner showcases her tender debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, whose devastating lyrics paired with bland music cry out for the full force of her nine-strong bandOutside, night has fallen; inside, it’s stil…
Lorde: Solar Power review – she has earned her wistful, floaty record
(EMI)Like Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift before her, the New Zealand star embraces mellowness on a third album shaded by climate anxiety and a rejection of celebritySometimes, Solar Power – Lorde’s long-awaited third album – feels like the polar opposit…
Kano review – rage, joy and seriously pre-pandemic vibes
Shepherd’s Bush Empire, LondonThe grime hero makes an impassioned return to the stage with brass, strings, gospel – and a moshpit making up for lost timeFive singers stand at the lip of the stage, sweet gospel harmonies filling the west London theatre….