Indie arena-fillers THE WOMBATS experiment and explore on OH! THE OCEAN
Characteristically vivid and optimistic tones contrast with an exploration of mental health on The Wombats’ sixth album.
Alex Swift
The albums of 2024 that got away… until now
Despite reports about music fans’ changing listening habits, the album currently seems like as solid a format as ever. Here's some of our writers’ favourites that they didn’t get a chance to praise on release.
Bridgend’s THOSE DAMN CROWS triumph on their Cardiff arena debut
If there were any reservations about Those Damn Crows’ ability to command an arena of this size, those doubts surely dissipate the moment they take to the stage.
SUM 41’s final album is a dynamic farewell of nostalgia and evolution
The scene this band grew up as part of is one that many are nostalgic about, yet through their musical evolution, Sum 41 proved they could transcend it.
Inside JEFF ROSENSTOCK’s cathartic show of joy & rage live in Cardiff
Quieter moments at Jeff Rosenstock's live show in Cardiff are received with a solemn thoughtfulness, louder ones with an intense concoction of joy and rage.
SŴN FESTIVAL: all the highlights from the 2023 Cardiff music festival
Discover the best of SŴN Festival 2023 in Cardiff with our roundup of live reviews, from Mickey Callisto to Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs.
STEVEN WILSON’s THE HARMONY CODEX: unconventionally brilliant prog rock
Embark on an ambitiously progressive journey with Steven Wilson's The Harmony Codex, a fusion of experimentation and musical intrigue.
JEFF ROSENSTOCK’s HELLMODE: chaotic, empathetic punk
The sensory chaos of Jeff Rosenstock's melodic punk album Hellmode expertly captures the intensity of life's collapse.
Welsh alt metallers HOLDING ABSENCE perfectly capture turbulence of healing
Welsh alternative metal act Holding Absence's latest album The Noble Art Of Self Destruction brilliantly captures the emotional turbulence of healing.
From boybands to Disney, PUNK ROCK FACTORY delivers wildly entertaining covers show
South Wales’ Punk Rock Factory delight Cardiff with their unique cover versions, while Junior’s pop-punk opens the show. The Blackout's Sean Smith also joins in the fun.
ALGIERS return with fiercely powerful politics, plus a smorgasbord of great guests
Each performance on Shook is incredibly well-executed, while feeling like natural progressions from the intriguing soul-punk of Algiers’ past works.
From PIXIES to CONFIDENCE MAN, the best gigs of 2022 in Wales
From the BBC 6 Music Festival to Stereophonics and Tom Jones in the Principality, here are the best gigs we vibed with the most this year.