Music Box - James Frew

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Music Box

Music Box is a weekly music newsletter featuring personal essays, artist spotlights, song deep-dives, and curated recommendations. Exploring the soundtrack to our lives through stories and sound.

Two men sat back to back on outdoor benches in a city courtyard

Album review: Vinyl Floor - Balancing Act

Casting back to look forward, Vinyl Floor blends 60s charm with modern prog on Balancing Act

Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson and Josette Maskin stood next to each other in front of a red wall

MUNA are back with new music, and I'm more than just a little bit excited

New single on repeat, album on pre-order

Multi-coloured balloons rising up into the air against a bright blue sunny sky

I know a place

So if I feel real good tonight, I'm gonna put it high on the loudspeaker

Out with the old, in with the new

Out with the old, in with the new

Rediscovering the thrill of the unfamiliar

When did we stop having fun?

When did we stop having fun?

Here's some music to bounce your feet to

August slipped away into a moment in time

August slipped away into a moment in time

One era ends, another begins

Cover art for Sixx:AM's album This Is Gonna Hurt

Album review: This Is Gonna Hurt – Sixx A:M

The Sixx side-project’s somophore album drops the concept of their first outing and finds them settling into a radio-rock groove.

My favourite alternative Christmas songs to get you in the festive spirit

My favourite alternative Christmas songs to get you in the festive spirit

Bored of Mariah? Need a break from Bublé? Here’s where to start.

Front cover of Pink Noise by Laura Mvula

Album review: Pink Noise - Laura Mvula

Laura Mvula's first album in five years is a joyful, 80s-influenced reminder of the pop music's brilliance.

Front cover of Medicine at Midnight by Foo Fighters

Album review: Medicine at Midnight - Foo Fighters

Medicine at Midnight is the sound of a band free from concept or legacy, no longer trying to out-do themselves but just to have fun.

Album cover for Evermore by Taylor Swift

Album review: Evermore - Taylor Swift

Swift's second release of the year continue's Folklore's autumn-tinted themes, but with a brighter edge.

Set of headphones leaning against a stack of vinyl records

The best albums of the 2010s

We're now approaching the end of another decade, so it's time to highlight a selection of the best albums of the 2010s.

Person wearing a Metallica tshirt playing guitar

Metalheads & mental health: Metallica's Some Kind of Monster revisited

Metallica’s 2004 film Some Kind of Monster wasn’t initially well-recieved. Fans thought it made the band look weak and dysfunctional. But how does it hold up 15 years later?

Promotional poster for The Women of Whitechapel showing three women in semi-darkness

Opera review: ENO's Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel

Ian Bell’s Jack the Ripper: The Women of Whitechapel succeeds in creating a powerful production about the strength of the women.

Credit: Bookshop.org

Book review: Live at the Brixton Academy - Simon Parkes

How would you feel if you purchased a live music venue for just £1?