The Skinny • 1st April 2025

Black Country, New Road - Forever Howlong album review: The Skinny

Many would’ve written off the idea of Black Country, New Road sustaining their buzzy heights of popularity after frontman Isaac Wood left suddenly after their sophomore effort, Ants From Up There. But naysayers should think again. Catalysed by their restless knack for reinvention, BCNR’s new album Forever Howlong proves that the possibilities for this tight bunch remain endless.

The Skinny • 24th March 2025

Sacred Paws - Jump Into Life album review: The Skinny

All good things come in threes, so the saying goes. With the eagerly awaited arrival of Sacred Paws’ third album via Mogwai’s Rock Action label, that sentiment still rings true. The duo of Ray Aggs and Eilidh Rodgers are now older and wiser. So too is their music. Filled with effervescent joy, despite its lyrics of heartbreak and healing, Jump Into Life is pure catharsis in all senses of the word.

The Skinny • 27th January 2025

Brooke Combe - Dancing At the Edge of the World review: The Skinny

Scottish soul music, in a mainstream context, has been spearheaded by Paolo Nutini for roughly two decades. Now, it could be time for someone new to take charge. Edinburgh-born Brooke Combe’s artistic journey has already been quite eventful, despite being 24 years old. Yet, her debut album Dancing At the Edge of the World – post-major record deal – shows a maturity far beyond her years.

The Skinny • 3rd December 2024

The Skinny's Albums of 2024: Charli xcx, Fontaines DC + more

We polled our music team for their favourite albums of the year, and while their individual lists were hugely varied, one bright green record in particular dominated like never before...

The Skinny • 15th November 2024

Warmduscher album review: Too Cold To Hold - The Skinny

You might think that after four albums, it’d be easy to rest on your laurels as a band. For Warmduscher, this is not the case. Their fifth album Too Cold To Hold sees the self-proclaimed “12-legged groove machine” embrace all things new...

The Skinny • 15th October 2024

Kelly Lee Owens - Dreamstate album review: The Skinny

Kelly Lee Owens’ brand of pop-leaning techno has been gaining her attention since 2017. With her fourth album Dreamstate, the first release on George Daniel of The 1975’s new electronic imprint dh2, the Welsh songwriter, producer and DJ turns to dreaming as her MO, via ten tracks full to the brim with sonic escapism.

The Skinny • 4th September 2024

The Dare - What's Wrong With New York? album review: The Skinny

Haven’t heard of The Dare? Well, if you’ve had a ‘Brat Summer’ there’s a good chance you probably have. The suit-clad New York-based artist and producer is the epitome of cool at the minute. From producing Charli XCX and Billie Eilish’s sultry chart-topper Guess to spearheading NYC’s electroclash revival scene with his Freakquencies club nights – or even nostalgically bringing it back to 2007 and sparking up a cig behind the decks – everyone wants a piece of Harrison Patrick Smith.

The Skinny • 4th September 2024

Andrew Wasylyk & Tommy Perman album review - The Skinny

The Tay estuary, situated on Scotland’s east coast, may not quite be as luscious as the Mediterranean. But through the imaginative minds of Dundee-based creatives Andrew Wasylyk and Tommy Perman, anything is possible. Wasylyk’s cinematic aura and Perman’s experimental intuition fuse magically on their debut collaborative album Ash Grey and the Gull Glides On.

The Skinny • 15th July 2024

SHHE - DÝRA album review: The Skinny

SHHE’s music is not just transcendental, it is remarkably profound. The Scottish-Portuguese artist and producer based in Dundee (aka Su Shaw), first gained traction through her 2020 self-titled debut album. It showcased SHHE’s vast soundscapes, synths and vocals – akin to The xx – to dazzling effect. However, her new project DÝRA focuses completely on ambient field recordings, putting stillness to the fore in a wholly meditative experience.

The Skinny • 25th June 2024

Hiatus Kaiyote - Love Heart Cheat Code album review: The Skinny

Hiatus Kaiyote are a rare breed. Respected and sampled by elites like Kendrick Lamar and both of the Carters (Jay-Z and Beyoncé), the Melbourne four-piece craft sensuously smooth grooves that are irresistibly cool. Red Room, taken from previous album Mood Valiant, put the band on the map for many listeners. With their follow-up Love Heart Cheat Code, they’re picking up where they left off.

The Skinny • 30th April 2024

Home Counties album review: Exactly As It Seems - The Skinny

What’s the best response you can have to the disenchantment of modern life? For Home Counties, it’s fun. Their new album Exactly As It Seems is a buoyant call to order to join them on their quest to find light among the gloom and traverse the ups and downs of being in your late 20s with gusto.

The Skinny • 5th April 2024

Khruangbin - A LA SALA album review: The Skinny

Listening to Khruangbin turns any grey day into a tropical haven. With their inimitable fusion of psych-funk fit for a Tarantino movie, a stroll soundtracked by the Texan three-piece is a must. Grass looks greener, cherry blossom blooms brighter and you can’t help but smile as lush guitars, silky bass grooves and unwavering drums vanquish any weight from your shoulders.

The Skinny • 12th February 2024

IDLES - TANGK album review

IDLES are a brute force of love, an embrace of kindness, a shoulder to cry on when in need. Their fifth studio album TANGK typifies this. Drawing on undertones of soul from their 2018 breakout album Joy As An Act of Resistance, whilst also exploring new sonic boundaries, IDLES’ latest lens focuses on gratitude, perseverance, and bounds of love.

The Skinny • 31st October 2023

Jockstrap - I<3UQTINVU album review: The Skinny

Genre-fluid London duo Jockstrap have made quite the impression with their debut album I Love You Jennifer B. Its enamouring showcase of their complex and creative identity landed them a Mercury Prize nomination and festival appearances at the likes of Glastonbury, as well as widespread critical praise (including an album of the year nod and a five-star review from ourselves).

The Skinny • 2nd October 2023

corto.alto album review: Bad With Names - The Skinny

corto.alto, aka Liam Shortall, is at the forefront of Glasgow’s thriving jazz scene. His project's hypnotic blend of soulful jazz expressed through outstanding levels of musical ability has won him loyal fans both at home and beyond. But with the arrival of their debut album, corto.alto cement themselves as a tour de force for modern jazz.

The Skinny • 28th June 2023

Grian Chatten album review: Chaos For The Fly - The Skinny

It’s a rare thing to come across something new with timeless appeal, but Grian Chatten’s debut solo effort Chaos For The Fly fits the bill. The Fontaines D.C. frontman strips everything to the bone, putting himself front and centre with both poise and vulnerability to create an album that’s distinctly innate to who he is.

The Skinny • 6th June 2023

King Krule album review: Space Heavy - The Skinny

King Krule, aka Archy Marshall, has come a long way since first introducing himself a decade ago. His breathy drawl and aggressive guitar work sprawled across his stunning debut, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon. His horizons have broadened since then. But with his new album Space Heavy, King Krule takes varying flavours from his unique sonic world and brings them together to create his most colourful work to date.

The Skinny • 6th May 2023

Cloth - Secret Measure album review: The Skinny

Cloth have embraced new approaches in the creation of their anticipated second record. Formed of duo Rachael and Paul Swinton, changing their recording style and working with new faces brings a braver sense of musical direction to Secret Measure than their first LP.

The Skinny • 7th March 2023

Lichen Slow - Rest Lurks album review: The Skinny

Creativity is not a solo pursuit; artists are always reinterpreting what’s come before in one form or another. But when creative paths come together, like they have in Arab Strap’s Malcolm Middleton and Joel Harries’ new project Lichen Slow, that space in between tends to offer something really interesting.

The Skinny • 23rd February 2023

shame - Food for Worms (★★★★★) album review: The Skinny

South London quintet shame return to valiant form on their latest album Food for Worms. Where their last effort Drunk Tank Pink delved inward for inspiration, their latest work recaptures that je ne sais quoi that first brought the band to attention back in 2018 by focusing on all things outward looking. But not only have they distilled the spirit of their stellar debut Songs of Praise here, they’ve enhanced it with a generous glug of mature songwriting, which washes down a treat.

The Skinny • 6th January 2023

Scottish New Music Round-up: January 2023 - The Skinny

Have you just about pushed aside those bloated Christmas feels? If not, you better act quick as we have plenty of new music to whet your appetite for the start of the new year. But first, there are a few gems we missed last month that are most certainly worthy of your attention...

The Skinny • 9th December 2022

New venues in Dundee: December 2022 - The Skinny

Over the last few years, Dundee’s Reform Street has been branded as the city’s new food haven. Various restaurants have come and gone in the same space of time, but the latest aiming to cement its place in Dundee’s city centre is Chaiiwala. The popular tearoom and Indian street food venue has locations across Scotland, including in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Its hot and cold drinks like chai teas and mango and rose faloodas (milkshakes with ice cream) are solid tastebud tinglers. One of its most po

The Skinny • 8th December 2022

The Skinny's Top Ten Albums of 2022

As always, the end of year brings with it a plethora of end of year lists to celebrate the year that's just passed. We polled our music team to find out what they'd been loving in 2022, and with well over 200 different records being submitted, it was hard to whittle our overall list down to just ten.

The Skinny • 1st December 2022

Scottish New Music Round-up: December 2022 - The Skinny

Let’s start by looking back at some of the releases we missed last month. Aberdeenshire artist Fiona Soe Paing released Sand, Silt, Flint, a vivid, avant-folk exploration linked to the landscapes of the north-east, and there were EPs from Terra Kin (Too Far Gone) and Billy Got Waves (Rocket Boy 2/3), as well as heaps of smashing singles...