Sugababes, O2 Academy, Glasgow review - pop perfection hampered by sluggish sound

★★★ SUGABABES, O2 ACADEMY, GLASGOW Pop perfection hampered by sluggish sound

The reunited trio delivered some classic tunes, when you could hear them

Any younger Sugababes fans might have felt a little neglected here. “Who’s a 90s child?” yelled out enthusiastic DJ Shosh as she warmed up the crowd, followed soon after by a cry of “Who’s an 80s child?”, which received an even louder roar in response.

This was an audience seeking a nostalgic party all right, albeit a rowdier one than anything by the girl group during their chart-topping days, with even a pint glass sailing through the air during a lively opener of “Push the Button” that felt more like a rave than a pop gig.

Oslo World review - a dizzying selection of high-tech, grassroots global brilliance

★★★★★ OSLO WORLD A dizzying selection of high-tech, grassroots global brilliance

A microcosm of a weird, wired world in the clubs, bars and churches of Norway

The Oslo World organisers are at pains to point out that, despite the name, they are not a “world music” festival. And with good reason, really. There may have been a few familiar WOMAD veterans headlining over the week-long event – Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour, Malie's Fatoumata Diawara, the queen of Cuba Omara Portuondo – but the emphasis was emphatically not on any kind of beads-and-bongoes authenticity.

Music Reissues Weekly: The Beatles - Revolver

THE BEATLES - REVOLVER Perception-shifting box set of the Fabs' momentous 1966 album

Perception-shifting box set of the Fabs' momentous 1966 album

John Lennon does not appear on “Love You Too” and “For No One”. With “Taxman”, “Eleanor Rigby”, “Here, There and Everywhere”, “Good Day Sunshine” and “I Want to Tell You”, his contributions are limited to backing vocals and, on odd occasions, some percussion too. He appears semi-detached from seven of Revolver’s 14 tracks.

Album: Taylor Swift - Midnights

★★★★ TAYLOR SWIFT - MIDNIGHTS Synthpop noir and superlative phrasing from an imperious pop star

Synthpop noir and superlative phrasing from an imperious pop star

Taylor Swift’s transitions have become imperious, from the woody hush of her collaborations with The National’s Aaron Dessner, Folklore and Evermore, to the remade reclamations of her early work. Working at pace, she has assembled an impregnable coalition of critical acceptance and creative range.

Music Reissues Weekly: Living Daylights - Let's Live For Today

Essex psychedelic pop band’s album emerges after 55 years on the shelf

In the third week of April 1967, Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s “Somethin’ Stupid” topped the UK’s single’s chart. Sandie Shaw’s “Puppet on a String” was number two, and The Monkees’ “A Little Bit me a Little Bit You” snapped at her heels. Englebert Humperdinck’s recent number one “Release me” was at number five. All very pop, very mainstream.

Let's Eat Grandma, Patterns, Brighton review - odd-pop duo remain a contagious one-off

★★★ LET'S EAT GRANDMA, PATTERNS, BRIGHTON Odd-pop duo remain a contagious one-off

Musically restless originals bring acuity to their unique take on pop

At the start of the song “Two Ribbons” Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth of Let’s Eat Grandma do a brief schoolyard pat-a-cake hand-game. The song is a guileless ode to female friendship, love even, a paean to their own bond, which was strained at one point by the travails of a music career.

Album: Simple Minds - Direction of the Heart

★★★ SIMPLE MINDS - DIRECTION OF THE HEART  Uneven, but still a cause for celebration 

The Scottish rock band's 18th album might be uneven, but it's still a cause for celebration

You’d be within your rights to imagine that Direction of the Heart, the follow-up to 2018’s patchy-but-decent Walk Between Worlds, would see the Simple Minds twin engine of Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill pull on billowing white shirts and head for the nearest massive windswept stadium, filling it to the brim with widescreen synths, anthemic singalong choruses and a staggering extravagance of emotion.

Beabadoobee, Barrowland, Glasgow review - teenage kicks provide a familiar feeling

Bea Laus given an ecstatic reception on her biggest tour yet

Rarely will the bar staff at the Glasgow Barrowland have had an easier night. The crowd for Beabadoobee was so youthful that the vibe felt more like a school disco at times, right down to clusters of parents at the back and on the sidelines alternating between keeping a wary eye on proceedings and burying themselves in their phones. Their offspring, meanwhile, were racing to the front eagerly, leaving the usually busy bar areas deserted.

Album: Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork

★★★★ DRY CLEANING - STUMPWORK Strong follow-up from spoken-word-set-to-music foursome

A strong follow-up album from the spoken-word-set-to-music foursome

There are many reasons that I am obsessed with Florence Shaw. It's not just that as a long time sufferer of Resting-Bitch-Face I identify hard with her deadpan nonchalance, it's also pure props that she's brought spoken-word-set-to-music into the mainstream.