Sam Smith - Love Goes ⅖ The first thing you hear on ‘Love Goes’ is that Smith actually enunciates their words on the opening track ‘Young’ even though it's more or less acapella, just a lone vocal with some treatment. Could this be that turning point? Will they be singing in a clear voice for once? Well sort of, they are singing a tiny bit clearer on this album but they’re still tied to a lot of the usual vocal tricks and treatments that it's a bit of a cloak over those possible singing talents. When they reach the top levels of their range the vocals seem to emigrate to their nose which is deeply off putting. Musically it's more semi-dance pop territory that we’re straddling. The album is divided between the piano sopathons about heartbreak and the pop numbers as you’d expect, unfortunately it predictably leans into the more self-analytical musings rather than the upbeat numbers. Which may not come as a surprise as the starting place that Smith wrote this album from w...

we chat to Elisabeth Flett a BBC Radio Scotland Young Trad Musician Semi-Finalist Who inspired you to take up music? I was lucky enough to grow up in a household full of music - my mum is a music teacher and my dad is an enthusiastic amateur musician - and that lovely nurturing environment combined with various great courses and workshops throughout my childhood and teenage years gave me a love of music and a really exciting ‘taste’ of all the different kinds of music that exist out there in the world. What makes you optimistic? Cute small children and cute large dogs. what’s the most depressing thing in the world today? The lack of kindness. what is your biggest regret in the world? I don’t know if I have one regret that’s larger than any others- the major regrets I have are all centred around not treating people with enough compassion or kindness. which ambition is the one you most like to fulfill ? Publishing a book! That would be fun. which three albums would ...

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina premieres December 31, only on Netflix. In the final episodes, the coven must fight each terrifying threat one by one, a series of confrontations that will culminate with The Void, the End of All Things. And, because this is Chilling Adventures, there's also a romantic element, with Nick Scratch (Gavin Leatherwood) attempting to work his way back into Sabrina's heart. Although Netflix announced the cancellation of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in July, Aguirre-Sacasa hinted the following month there might be life left in the series beyond this final chapter. He teased just last week for fans to be on the lookout for some "extremely wicked" news, although it's unclear whether that's this release-date announcement, or something more.

Idles have become absolutely massive since their last album ‘Joy as an Act of Resistance’ so has success blunted their attack? Fortunately no, they still sound fully enraged and ready for attack. The only problem is that the sound hasn’t moved too far along but seeing as this is only album number three we can give them a pass. Quite a few of the tracks on ‘Ultra Mono’ were released as singles before the album was unleashed ‘Mr. Motorvator’, ‘Grounds’, ‘Model Village’ ‘War’ and ‘A Hymn’ all dropped during lock down and with the exception of ‘Mr. Motorvator’ they came across as odd choices lacking the kick of a stand alone track however the songs in situ are a different affair entirely. They fit into the record much better to bring a strong cohesive feel to ‘Ultra Mono’. Although it sounds solidly like an Idles album there are surprises to be found, the pretty intro to ‘Kill Them With Kindness’ (Has there ever been a more Idles-sounding title?) is startlingly delicate, it obviousl...

Bob Mould - Blue Hearts ⅘ ‘Blue Hearts’ was devised by Bob Mould as a sister record to last year’s rather cheerful and rambunctious ‘Sunshine Rock’ this record however is both angry and bitter. Mould has always made ferocious indie rock but with strong melodic content even when raging at the world like he does here. Opener ‘Heart On My Sleeve’ is a sorrowful acoustic number just to wrong foot you for when ‘Next Generation’ kicks down the door and barges into your earspace. It is very recognisably Mould, serrated edged guitars rasp away whilst the rhythm section race each other and it continues straight into the third track, ‘American Crisis’ there’s almost no room for breathing which is a perfect sonic analogy of the rage and distortion in modern America at this moment. In fact there’s almost no let up throughout the album, even the acoustic driven ‘Forecast of Rain’ gallops at an incredible speed, in fact with the exception of the opening track and record closer ‘The Ocean’ this is...

this month we chat to Elisabeth Flett a BBC Radio Scotland Young Trad Musician Semi-Finalist, Stuart Kane from Big Dog Books ,plus Scottish Queer International Film Festival Bob Mould IDLES a round up of best museums to visit online, podcasts including a chat with A Gay and A Nongay Plus don't forget Free Charity adverts in our next issue and you don’t even have to buy us a coffee. We have never charged charities for adverts in our magazine and we are not going to start now. Just get it to us by Oct 28 to be in our Nov issue. mail@scenealba.co.uk

  The Boys in the Band now on Netflix You never want to be the first person to arrive at a party or the last person to leave. In the case of Joe Mantello’s The Boys in the Band , you will die for an invitation to this party but then you will be itching to head for the door when no one is looking for fear of having an emotional breakdown. Mart Crowley’s play debuted before The Stonewall Riots in 1968, and it was a sensation. It was revived in 2018 by Mantello with an all-star out cast including Jim Parsons, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, and Zachary Quinto, so when Ryan Murphy decided to produce it for Netflix, the entire cast of the Tony-winning revival was on board. The result is a volatility hilarious romp, a stage-to-screen adaptation worthy of the original text. Mantello’s The Boys in the Band should be celebrated for securing the heart and rage of Crowley’s play. Jim Parsons’ Michael is throwing a birthday party for his friend, Harold (Quinto), but he has yet to show up. The r...