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Album Review
Fionn Regan – The Shadow of an Empire
Fionn Regan
Shadow of an Empire
[Heavenly]
8/10


It is easy for sophomore albums to attract an air of disappointment upon release, and when it is one that follows a Mercury nominated debut, avoiding the second album curse is a hard task made several times more difficult. Wandering Folk troubadour Fionn Regan has skirted around this problem by knitting together a mature sounding album that both acknowledges and bows down to the past’s already treasured greats; yet the flipside of this is that comparisons can be easily drawn and one hangs over ‘The Shadow Of An Empire’ more so than any other. Likening this album to those of Bob Dylan are inevitable as ‘The Shadow‚”‘ tracks its way along many of the same jagged paths, through country tinged whisky-sipping rock and introspective upbeat American folk. But balanced and finely constructed, this record gives Fionn Regan many more reasons to stand proudly in the spotlight.

By Nathan Westley

KELE – THE BOXER
The Boxer
[Wichita/Polydor]
6/10
TOKYO POLICE CLUB – CHAMP
Champ
[Memphis Industries]
9/10
SHIT BROWNE – EVERY SINGLE PENNY WILL BE REINVESTED IN THE PARTY
Every Singe Penny Will Be Reinvested In The Party
[Asphalt Dutchess]
3/10
JAILL – THAT’S HOW WE BURN
That's How We Burn
[Sub Pop]
7/10
HEALTH – HEALTH DISCO 2
Health Disco 2
[City Slang]
8/10
OMAR SOULEYMAN – JAZEERA NIGHTS
Jazeera Nights
[Sublime Frequencies]
5/10
AWESOME COLOR – MASSA HYPNOS
Massa Hypsos
[Ecstatic Peace!]
5/10
Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
Blood & Fire
[Black Records]
9/10
HERE WE GO MAGIC – PIGEONS
Pigeons
[Secretly Canadian]
4/10
VARIOUS ARTISTS – THE PSYCHEDELIC SOUNDS OF THE SONIC CATHEDRAL
The Psychedlic Sounds Of The Sonic Cathedral
[Sonic Cathedral]
8/10
APPLICANTS – ESCAPE FROM KRAKEN CASTLE
Escape From Kraken Castle
[Tiger Trap]
7/10
MOTHER MOTHER – O MY HEART
O My Heart
[Last Gang]
7/10
Sleepy Sun – Fever
Fever
[ATP]
8/10
DEAD MEADOW – THE THREE KINGS
The Three Kings
[Xemu]
6/10
ARIEL PINK’S HAUNTED GRAFFITI – BEFORE TODAY
Before Today
[4ad]
8/10
CHROME HOOF – CRUSH DEPTH
Crush Depth
[Southern]
6/10