W/e 25/04/25 - Beirut, Hawkwind, Heavy Lungs, Melvins, Disclosure

A poor week overall, 2nd lowest set of scores this year. None of the acts even close to our top halves.

Hawkwind are our winners however - surely one of the greatest accolades they’ve received in their 55 year career?

Heavy Lungs are the losers, and are just the 2nd act to be awarded a ‘1’ this year. Erol, plus Sam were equally unimpressed with I Am Monster.

It’s very rare that we all choose a different TOTW, so thought it fitting to go Phil’s Beirut nomination, as…

Phil has just his 2nd 😀, 🎉. Andy has a hatrick of sorts after all ☹️.

Disclosure’s debut was more favourably received than the 2 new offerings we reviewed, and land next to British Sea Power and Felix Da Housecat on the classics.

Andy

Beirut - Yep, sometimes an album can be too long. No idea what this was all about but it wasn’t for me at all, droning on over his bontempi 3

Hawkwind - I’ve never really liked Hawkwind, apart from the occasional ironic listen to Silver Machine, and this has done nothing to convert me. Some occasionally reasonable music but then it goes all spacey and Dave Brock starts mumbling some old hippy bollocks, nah 3.5

Heavy Lungs - There’s a lot of this sort of thing around isn’t there? I’m a bit tired of it to be honest and didn’t warm to this. I can’t tell if I’d enjoy seeing them at a small festival or if I’d manage a couple of songs and wander off for a pint. Caviar was good though, I’d hope they started with that one 5

Melvins - I definitely expected this to be a lot more punky than doomy but it’s very much the latter. Maybe a bit too slow for me and includes this week’s big theme of spacey sounds too which is odd 5.5

TotW - Caviar by Heavy Lungs

Disclosure - I need to knock up a copy and paste review for albums like this. I’m sure it goes down great with people who dig this sort of thing but it’s just super tedious for me. No joy at all 3

Simon

Beirut: interesting album, and a soothing counterpoint to the rest of the week's selections - the instrumentals passed me by a bit but enjoyed the ones with vocals, found his voice strangely compelling. 7

Hawkwind: don't know if this is typical of their usual stuff but had always assumed Hawkwind would be heavier than this - it's prog-tastic nonetheless, but when the vocals start on the opening track it's difficult not to think of 'Stonehenge'. 6

Heavy Lungs: certainly heavy, although in parts they sound like they're trying to do their best Idles impression and also, oddly, Yard Act (Mr Famous). Not for me, thanks. 4

Melvins: another interesting album, thought the opening track was going to be typical of the whole record but it then veered off into something more experimental - can't say I particularly warmed to it but at least it offered up more variety than I was expecting. 5.5

Disclosure: another new one on me - has its moments (eg. Stimulation) but a bit too garage-orientated to really float my boat. 7

TotW: Beirut - Guericke's Unicorn

Phil

Beirut 8

Well, Sam was right. I loved this. I get that nearly an hour of florid instrumentals, uber-romantic ballads and harmonium pumping isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but there you go. This album was one of those unexpected treats that the Hannah review machine keeps on delivering.

Hawkwind 6

I was never a fan of Hawkwind - a jamming band without any tunes, I always thought – but this album was a surprise. It was listenable, more varied than I expected, and while I probably won’t ever listen to it again, it didn’t drag, surprising for an album stuffed full of eight minute tracks.

Heavy Lungs 5

I agree with Andy that there is a lot of this sort of thing around. I wasn’t struck by Caviar, it’d probably take starting their set with Mr Famous to stop me heading straight for the bar. They’re on at the Great Escape in a couple of weeks but I don’t think I’ll bother to test that theory out.

Melvins 6.5

After the two short disposable opening tracks, I quite enjoyed this. It reminded of those remorselessly heavy bands of the early 70s, like High Tide, before the world discovered goblins and lo! heavy metal was born. Long, repetitive guitar workouts, with the occasional grunted vocal. Strangely endearing.

TOTW : Beirut – Villa Sacchetti

Classic

Disclosure 6.5

Much to my surprise, I quite enjoyed this. Given my general aversion to electronic dance music I’m not entirely sure why but at least I wasn’t praying for it to finish. This is progress.

Sam

Beirut : odd mix of 60’s harmonies and dull meandering yawnsville … 4

Hawkwind : odd mix of bleepy , trippy madness and cosmic guitars: 6.6

Heavy Lungs : definitely reminiscent of Fidlar and Chubby and the gang . Both of whom I like so 7.5

Melvin’s : pre grunge sludge , most of which I liked . 7

Disclosure: the hits are great but about half of this is meh so 6.8 .

TOTW : Get Out by Heavy Lungs

Guy

Beirut – All a bit noodley, self-absorbed and dull for my liking. Some musical merit but too slow - 5.8

Hawkwind – Their 37th album. Hats off for longevity but it’s just very old, dull rock – 5.5

Heavy Lungs – Shouty, noisey punk. Loads of energy which was good but it gave me a bit of a headache - 6

Melvins – They’ve been around 40 years! I’ve missed nothing in that time – 4.5

Disclosure – Nice easy listening dance music – perfect for a few drinks on a roof terrace in Ibiza (which I wasn’t) – 7.5

TOTW – Life’s a Buffet – Heavy Lungs

Justin

Beirut - some good mellow electronica hidden amongst the twiddle 6.7

Hawkwind - enjoyed the cosmic prog sonic soundscapes. 7

Heavy Lungs - boring shouting 5

Melvin - pretty forgettable grunge but Short Hair with a wig was pretty good. 6

TOTW The outer region of the universe - Hawkwind

Disclosure - shouting make some noise Reading then playing something that sounded like a xylophone is unforgivable. White Noise is a good tune and some nice old school house/techno sounds but as an album it is lacking 6

Erol

Beirut - all rather twee but pleasantly soothing and gentle at the same time. 6.5

Hawkwind - it’s a bit dated in its sound but I love a slice of 70s prog rock so this flicked my switch. The vocals aren’t all that but the space cadet sounds make up for that. 7.3

Heavy Lungs - unnecessarily aggressive, tuneless shouting. Irredeemable nonsense. 1

Melvins - some decent guitar bursts but the tracks are all far too long and ponderous. Weak vocals too. 5

TOTW - Hawkwind, Changes

Disclosure - the first few tracks are all dance classics in their own right. It does turn a bit too ‘garage’ in the latter stages but it’s still ruddy good. Ayia Napa ! 7.8

Jim

Beruit 4.5

Not unpleasant, interesting for about 15 mins but I tired of it pretty quickly. Not for me.

Hawkwind 8

What a nice surprise. Big prog, ambient and electronica mash up with some cosmology thrown in. All on my strasse! Drifted into Orb territory at times . Not sure I’ll get through the back catalogue though. Cracking run from Co-pilots to Neutron Stars.

Heavy Lungs 6.5

Nice to see Idles influences coming through although they haven’t got their panache.

Melvin 5.5

So so old school rock, just a smidge one dimensional

TOTW - Hawkwind - Neutron Stars

Disclosure 8.5

A modern day garage classic - at least half a dozen bangers, Voices and Simulation the stand out. Their slot in the old NME tent to close out the 2014 fest after this was released was one of the best electronic sets I’ve seen at Reading . A mahoosive crowd completely in synch. Just a shame nothing much of note followed - album or live performance wise. The headline on the main stage a few years later was shocking tbf

Matt

Beirut - 7

Hawkwind - 5.9

Heavy Lungs - 5

The Melvins - 5.3

TOTW - Mare Nectaris, Beirut

Annette

Beirut: 6

Hawkwind: 6

Heavy Lungs: 5.5

Melvins: 5

TOTW: Beirut- Ghost train

Classic: Disclosure - 8.5

Mark

Beirut - I didn't get on with this at all, overly long, lacking in variety and too much irritating ukulele rambling - 4

Hawkwind - unbelievable that they're still going, not sure how many original members are still involved though. Less space rock these days, almost verges on The Orb in places, altogether a decent enough effort - 6

The Heavy Lungs - an aptly titled band as I'm still recovering from pneumonia, started out like Chubby & The Gang then veered more towards Idles angry territory, probably the best of the bunch this week - 6.5

Melvins - inferior to last week's Pigs 7, suffering from a lack of uptempo numbers, all a bit too slow and doomy for me, fair play to them for sticking to their guns all these years but this was a tough listen - 5

TOTW - Into The Fire, by Heavy Lungs

Adam

Beirut

Meandering introspective arty folk songs. Feel like he’s lost some of the fun indie energy he had from his earlier outings which I really do like. Nantes, Sante Fe etc all cracking earlier tracks I recommend people to look at. 6

Hawkwind

Smiled during the space opera soundscape with his addeld voice coming through. Enjoyed space oddity theme but a novelty rather than a favourite for sure. Hope the old geezers had fun making this. 5

Heavy Lungs

Shouty, screamy which I do enjoy but a little substance lacking on this one compared to other similar outings. 6

Melvins

Hard rocking fun. Three 8+ minute noodling rock tracks - old school. 6

TOTW: Hawkwind - There is still danger there

Classic - Top album. Garage/pop/dance mash up - remember this being all over the airwaves when it came out. Best enjoyed with 20C+ heat, in a field with cold beers. 8