Tom Birts, Journalist

A toast to J5, their 20th anniversary and many more.

"I’m driving around, speeding, talking about disco, trying to find a place to shit! The life of a ninja! Amazing!"

"If I’m not making music from my soul, I’m not happy."

Excepting single Come A Little Closer, the bottom rushing up from almost every track betrays a frustrating lack of depth.

As it was, it was a decent showcase, and we left at half nine looking forward to the next meeting. When the twin axes of product and presentation cross it will be something special.

Lloyd, on It Never Ends, gifts us “I smell smoke/from an old flame”. Sadly, it’s a little bit stale.

Lyrics are much as expected, and it will be up to the listener to draw their own thin line marking the point where emotion ends and platitudes begin.

As much a hard reset as a progression, where Iron & Wine now leads others will surely follow.

There are discrepancies though, particularly in content. On the one hand getting “pussy”, on the other lambasting those who don’t respect women is disingenuous.

We wanted the best – we got the best. KISS delivered.

Macklemore and Lewis deliver their anti-homophobia in a radio-friendly package, and the familiar hook was a reminder that next time they’re here the tickets won’t be $40.