Adam Cohen – We Go Home Review

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Written on 28/07/2014, First Published on http://pressplayok.com/review-adam-cohen-we-go-home/ on 08/09/2014

Annie Eve – Sunday ’91 Review

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Interpol – El Pintor Review

I’m really having trouble placing Interpol’s latest offering. On the one hand, the artwork and the time it’s taken the band to make the album suggest something that’s well thought out, intricate, exciting and, above all, new. After all, it is the band’s first full-length album since the fairly average (but still notable) self-titled release in 2010. On the other hand, there were tracks that sounded like they had been included purely for the sake of fleshing the album out into more than just a long EP.

One of the reasons for the long lapse between releases is partly due to the departure of bassist Carlos Denglar after Interpol was released, as well as the arrival of Brandon Curtis as a more permanent keyboard player. Naturally, it would take time for the new line-up to settle, but sometimes, with a new line-up comes a whole host of new and exciting sounds, and I assumed Interpol would have spent the last four years honing in this exciting array of new aural delights.

Ballet School – The Dew Lasts an Hour Review

For a band that’s been releasing material since 2012, a full-length album must come as a relief to long-time fans. Having never heard them myself before today, I went in not knowing what the three-piece would sound like.

The 2-minute instrumental opening really set the scene for what I was about to go through. Ambient synths set the tone, with lead vocalist Rosie Blair’s operatic singing in the background, and a deep, wet guitar track in the background. As Rosie reached an inhumanly high note towards the end, the soft, relaxing intro faded into Pale Saint, a track much more upbeat, but still retaining the ambience of the track before. This and the following song, Ghost, released last October, have a massive shoegaze feel about them, so much so that they could easily be Lush’s children, or, failing that, have stepped out of 90s New York. Overlayed vocals with interesting riffs, guitars with obligatory chorus, and an underlying synth track give the songs a consistent feel, and so I thought I knew where I stood with the band.

Pixel Fix – Running Thin EP

I’ve been following Pixel Fix since they dropped ‘Rosa‘ on us about 18 months ago. They’ve since ventured out of the Oxford scene, but after 3 EPs, there’s still no sign of an album on the horizon, which is what most fans are waiting for.

This latest four-track EP, Running Thin, is much more of a development on the sound they produced in Fall, their previous release, suggesting something of a distancing from their earlier work. But, as the opening track shows, they’re still experimenting and evolving their music.

Kidnapped Pre-Alpha Preview

Deceptive Games’ debut release Kidnapped is currently available as a pre-alpha release. Obviously, it’s not finished yet, but despite the bugs in the early version, it looks like we’re in for a treat when it’s complete.

Described by the developers as a “physiological thriller”, Kidnapped plunges the player into a first-person nightmare, where they wake up in a mysterious manor with one objective: escape. The story-driven horror game places an emphasis on exploration and puzzle-solving, and has a horde of unexpected frights and atmospheric tension-builders to help you on your way.

Metronomy – Love Letters Review

HullFire Radio acquired a copy of Metronomy’s eagerly-anticipated new album, Love Letters, and our Station Manager Chris Malla had a listen. Here’s his verdict.

The first thing you notice about Love Letters is just how different to their previous releases, yet at the same time, it’s exactly what you’d expect from the band after The English Riviera. Obviously disregarding their Late Night Tales release, this is the fluid four-piece’s first release since April 2011, meaning it’s taken longer to produce than Bombay’s So Long, See You Tomorrow. They’ve never been a band to rush into things, with frontman Joe Mount being involved in a number of side-projects as well as the band, but does it live up to its predecessor?

Rise of Venice Review

Kalypso Media seem to have a thing for maritime trading simulations, with Rise of Venice being the latest addition to their portfolio, shipping us back to 1454 when Venetian prosperity was at its peak.

Assuming the role of a fresh-faced young trader, you embark upon your Mediterranean adventure with little money but a lot of potential, which I think is a great analogy for the game itself. Developed by one of Kalypso’s studio’s, the budget was relatively small, but this isn’t reflected by the game. Instead, what we’re given is a highly addictive, entertaining and surprisingly in-depth economic simulation game.

Rise of Venice Preview

“All that glisters is not gold; Often have you heard that told: Many a man his life hath sold; But my outside to behold: Gilded tombs do worms enfold.”― William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice.

Kalypso Media’s latest game ships us back to 1454, at the peak of Venetian prosperity when it was the heart of the Mediterranean trade network. Assuming the role of an ambitious young man, you attempt to exploit the city’s strong economic links and wealth to build yourself a pre-Renaissance trading empire. But it’s not all fun and games, as the threat from the ever-growing Ottoman Empire hangs over ex-Roman Europe, and pirates roam the Mediterranean sea like a plague. Fighting against the threat of war, piracy and rival traders, you must find a way to the top by any means.

Rome II: Total WOW

Creative Assembly’s highly-anticipated Rome II: Total War definitely impresses on a number of things, but it’s not without its flaws.

I’ll admit it, I’m quite a big Total War fan, but for the sake of this review I will try and be as unbiased as I can. That said, OMG ROME II IS BRILLIANT! Battle cameras, massive battles, a vast, detailed world and stunning graphics that look good even on lower settings, on the surface, I didn’t know whether there was anything to not love about this game. Then I noticed a few things, and couldn’t stop noticing them.