Reviews

There’s something especially gripping about a song that refuses to separate storytelling from lived experience, and JT Catalano’s “Felon Angels” does exactly that. Rooted in a true chapter from the artist’s life, the track revisits the terrifying days when he was wrongly accused of gang assault, jailed on a $100,000…

Teena has never been interested in playing by the rules, and I AM TOO FAMOUS makes that crystal clear from the very first minute. Created by Liverpool drag performer and actor Lucien Jack’s flamboyant alter ego, this 11-track, self-produced record arrives as a companion piece to the Edinburgh Fringe show…

Katie Noir proves that not every chapter of a concept project has to wear its heart on its sleeve. While her ambitious debut What Is Unseen Still Exists explored friendship, loneliness, healing, and emotional vulnerability across 23 interconnected tracks, “I Prefer Jason” arrives as an unexpected curveball. Serving as the…

Serving as the title track of his debut album What You Chose, Bury The Fortune delivers a gripping alternative metal confession that blurs the line between heartbreak, resentment, and emotional release. The album chronicles the collapse of a relationship from the perspective of someone left to pick up the pieces,…

Some albums are built to entertain, while others are built to encourage. Jao Amos’ Math’s firmly belongs to the latter, arriving as a deeply personal collection that transforms hardship into motivation. Created entirely in the artist’s home studio—from songwriting and beat-making to production and mastering—the album represents a new chapter…

Independent singer-songwriter Ted Vendramin introduces a deeply affecting chapter of his artistic journey with “Echoes,” the lead single from an upcoming 15-track album that has spent four years taking shape. Rather than dwelling solely on addiction or trauma, the project examines what follows them: honesty, acceptance, and the difficult decision…

Melbourne rock outfit Reetoxa, the creative vehicle of songwriter Jason McKee, takes a satirical swipe at modern dating culture with “Demand Perfection.” Blending hard rock attitude with sharp songwriting, the single questions society’s fixation on appearances, status, money, and unrealistic expectations. Inspired by an encounter at a Richmond gym, the…

Plain Drifter, the solo recording project of Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Lillicrap, delivers an unapologetic burst of rock energy with “Canine Reputation.” Written, recorded, mixed, and produced independently from his home studio on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, the single embraces the spirit of classic hard rock while giving it a…

JC Flow channels resilience into something genuinely uplifting with “A Better Way,” a cinematic hip-hop anthem that transforms personal struggle into motivation. Rather than dwelling on hardship, the single focuses on the decision to keep moving forward, even when doubt and disappointment threaten to take over. Built around themes of…

More than five decades after Marvin Gaye first released “What’s Going On,” Cheryl Craigie revisits the iconic anthem with a rendition that respects its legacy while allowing her own artistry to shine through. The independent singer-songwriter has built a reputation for embracing a wide range of genres, from folk and…