The Brown Note Movie Review

James Blake - Trying Times (2026) Album Review

James Blake always sounds like he's trying to make the perfect James Blake album, and this is one of his closest efforts.

Bill Callahan - My Days of 58 (2026) Album Review

If you have ever wanted to jump on the beloved troubadour Bill Callahan's train, now is the time. Always great but this time more so in every direction. Already a contender for my album of the year.

Eddington (2025) Film Review

After the impossible high of director, Ari Aster's debut, Hereditary, for me the follow-up Midsommar was a complete miss. Since then he's posted two take no prisoners art-house triumphs, Beau is Afraid and this equally wild but very different meta-western. The most analogous film to One Battle After Another and just about as good. Ari is one of the greatest out there right now as is his lead actor Joaquin Phoenix, in one of his finest and most unknowable roles.

Mercy (2026) Movie Review

This much maligned entry into the Chris Pratt is everywhere genre, just about limps over the line to watchable - thanks mostly to its star. Despite an intriguing - if obvious - AI premise it's a better film the more it hews towards standard whodunit fare but consequently less and less interesting as a result.

Perfect 10's: Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in People (2002) Album Review

My internittent series on albums that have over (usually) a long period of time continued to be outstanding. Canada's fabulous Broken Social Scene's second album is a fair contender for greatest indie guitar album in history, certainly in North America.

Marty Supreme (2025) Film Review

Finally a review of the Table Tennis movie. The two things that stand out, this is one Safdie brother going solo on this film after the mighty one-two of Good Times and Uncut Gems, and I've not been kind to the "Marlon Brando" of our age, Timothy "Baby-Cham" Chamalet. He does actually give a very good performance here, and it's a fine film - but it's not in the same league as Uncut Gems and could easily have been an hour shorter. The Ron Howard of Safdie movies.

Gone But Forgotten: Salem - King Night (2010)

My now fairly frequent series on (usually) albums that were either denied classic status on release or have been forgotten about since. Witch House pioneers Salem near qualify for both, back in 2010 their debut album caused a lot of fuss but only mild praise, unlike me giving it album of the year. That rare album that has wielded strong influence since yet nothing else really sounds like it. A shoegaze album amongst its many invented genres.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Film Review

The Danny Boyle/Alex Garland Zombie train keeps running and in pretty fine style. Wildly over-violent at times but with great work from a demonic Jack O'Connell and a soulful Ralph Fiennes. At its best when expanding both the human and zombie world's and with a truly gonzo final third.

Gone But Forgotten: The Stone Roses - Second Coming

My intermittent feature on (usually) albums that were either denied classic status on release or have been forgotten about since. I'm not sure the long delayed, much maligned second and final album by The Stone Roses quite qualifies but it's far, far better than the car crash disaster it's remembered as.

The Oscar Nominations 2026

Where the industry led push for Timothy "Baby-cham" Chamalet to win continues and a good but not great film breaks the record for most nominations ever in a pretty average year for movies.