Matthew Barton | Beats Per Minute

BPM’s Darkest Albums

John Wohlmacher, John Amen, Brody Kenny, Ray Finlayson, Todd Dedman, Aleksandr Smirnov, Tim Sentz, Matthew Barton, Jasper WIllems, JT Early, Rob Hakimian, Ana Leorne, Kyle Kohner, Jeremy J. Fisette and Chase McMullenMay 31, 2021

Grab a cup of tea, hold on to your favourite My Little Pony plushie, and venture with us into the nether realms of the darkest albums according to the BPM team...

FeaturesLists

Tape the Broken Parts Together: PJ Harvey’s Uh Huh Her and Its Demos

Matthew BartonMay 17, 2021

Continuing in his series of explorations into PJ Harvey's recent reissues and demos, Matthew Barton investigates the songwriter's difficult 2004 album Uh Huh H...

EssayFeatures

heka channels her anger into the mellifluous folk of “(a) wall”, announces EP

Matthew BartonMarch 31, 2021

Born in Italy but now London-based, Francesca Brierley - aka heka - emerges with "(a) wall", the first single from her upcoming EP (a), which arrives on May 19...

News / Media

This is love that I’m feeling:  PJ Harvey’s Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea and its Demos

Matthew BartonMarch 17, 2021

Following the deep dives into the songwriter's early work and the dark Is This Desire?, Matthew Barton continues his exploration of PJ Harvey's reissues with a...

EssayFeatures

Album Review: Lizzie Reid – Cubicle EP

Matthew BartonFebruary 15, 2021

Following a series of quality single releases, Glaswegian singer-songwriter Lizzie Reid arrives with her debut EP, Cubicle, assembled from a mix...

Album ReviewsReviews

Trouble Taking Place: Examining PJ Harvey’s Is This Desire? and Demos

Matthew BartonFebruary 4, 2021

Following on from last year's reissue of her early records and demos, PJ Harvey has just released an expanded version of her 1998 album Is This Desire? Matthew Barton revisits the record and its newly released demos, exploring the mind of a songwriter in artistic turmoil....

EssayFeatures

Clara Mann reflects on her unwise urges in the melancholy “Thoughtless”, reveals debut EP plans

Matthew BartonJanuary 20, 2021

Bristolian singer-songwriter Clara Mann follows the plaintive “I Didn’t Know You Were Leaving Today” with the next missive from her forthcoming debut EP, Conso...

News / Media

Album Review: Tori Amos – Christmastide

Matthew BartonDecember 23, 2020

Tori Amos started 2020 expecting to release a new record and embark on another tour before year's end: needless to say, the world had other ideas. 2020 passes ...

Album ReviewsReviews

BPM’s Top 50 Songs of 2020

Rob Hakimian, Tim Sentz, Ana Leorne, Ray Finlayson, Chase McMullen, Kyle Kohner, Aleksandr Smirnov, JT Early, Brody Kenny, Carlo Thomas, Grady Penna, Harrison Suits Baer, John Wohlmacher, Conor Lochrie, Gareth O'Malley, Ethan Reis, Jeremy J. Fisette, Andy Johnston and Matthew BartonDecember 8, 2020

Despite everything else that's happened in 2020, there sure has been a lot of good music. It just keeps coming, and we've all found the songs that have helped ...

Best Of 2020Features

SKIA is addictively self-assured on “Feeling Fine”

Matthew BartonNovember 27, 2020

"Norwegian innovator SKIA has Scandipop on an IV drip" reads SKIA's artist bio, and on the evidence of new single "Feeling Fine," it's as apt a statement as an...

News / Media