The Alarm - In The Poppyfields (12-track album - Snapper Music - 2004) By Steve Rudd

25 years down the punk-rock 'n' roll line and The Alarm - assembled around the ever-photogenic mainman Mike Peters - is still going strong. In fact, the Cardiff-based Alarm's ringing louder than ever on the back of some fabulous media exposure that vaulted right around the world and back because of the fact that Mike craftily decided to release The Alarm 's new single 45 RPM using a different band name to promote it as a test to see if the music industry is age-ist or not.

Mike protests that the music industry deems musicians over the age of 40 as being 'past-it' if they're still out they're playing music, regardless of whether or not the music that they're playing is any good. So, by pretending that 45 RPM - that is this album's most punkish cut - was a song by a new young band called The Poppyfields, the record-buying public was largely duped and a Top 40 hit for The Alarm - essentially - was the joyful net result.

The truth is, Mike has a hell of a point. But the fact that The Alarm presence has drifted in and out of the public conscience for the past quarter of a century should mean that everybody is comfortable with the band's experience as musicians and Mike's ability to consistently write sing-a-long and soar-away rock anthems that uplift every last sense. 'Coming Home,' rather aptly, is the first song on the album..

While The Alarm was a very well known band in the late 70's and into much of the 80's, times changed and so did the prevalent music tastes. The Alarm might not have been going as a band for every one of the past 25 years, but Mike certainly has, whether as a solo performer in his time away from being singer/ guitarist/ songwriter for The Alarm, or - indeed - as a member of numerous other bands including Coloursound or Dead Men Walking.

This latest Alarm album is arguably his finest set of songs yet. A diverse collection of vibrant tunes, there's the anthemic rock swagger of Close, the acoustic soul of The Drunk And The Disorderly that spectacularly lunges into an all-out, super-catchy guitar-soaked epic, the U2-styled cool of Trafficking, the wistfully poignant New Home, New Life and the harmoniously sublime, lighter-in-the-air ballad Right Back Where I Started From.

However, the highlight has to be The Rock 'n' Roll which sums up the very essence of Mike's wondrous musings. All my dreams are made of stars, he freely admits, telling one and all of his love for playing music and being inspired by such a medium. The Rock 'n' Roll is a beautifully crafted ode to the very reason why Mike is still here and very much at large playing the finest, melodic and soul-stirring rock music this side of the 60's.

In truth and with no word of a lie, In The Poppyfields is my favourite album of all time, and in the space of just a few short weeks - between acquiring and reviewing - it is without a doubt my most-played.

Band Link: www.thealarm.com

Album Reviews - CD Reviews - Emma Rugg - When I Looked at You (single) By Steve Rudd
	Still riding high on the uber-successful crest of her astounding debut album Isolated Impression, Emma's first glimmer of new work comes in the form of this exceptional song. On the back of her album, Emma ventured Stateside to record a couple of songs with Michigan songwriter Read more...

Album Reviews - Cracktown - Songs in the Key of Fuck Off (Pure West) By Steve Rudd - With the Knighthood Video!
	This gloriously outspoken Hull-based outfit revolves around the musical and lyrical talents of, err.. Silver Fox and King Rat?!?!!!!! Mmm - so says the CD cover! I don't honestly know why the two guys who shield their identities under the murky guise of Cracktown don't want their Read more...

Album Reviews - Ricky - The Summer Sun Still Echoes By Nick Quantrill
	Why exactly is there a review of a band from Portsmouth on a website about Hull you're probably thinking? I could talk about the similarities between the two cities as a reason, well, the naval traditions of them. I think I still feel deprived that my only school trip whilst at Hull Trinity House was a rather tedious Read more...

Album Reviews - The Uncle Devil Show - A Terrible Beauty (P3 Music) By Steve Rudd
	The Uncle Devil Show is actually a trio of very experienced and hugely respected musicians, all three of them Scottish. Just like ex-Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker has recently emerged from the dark with an identity crisis on his part to play in the Cocker-disguised Relaxed Muscle incarnation, ex-Del Amitri frontman Justin Currie is one of the prime components of this new band (who's now ominously known as Jason Barr), who's Read more...

Album Reviews - Todd Rundgren - Liars (Sanctuary Records) By Steve Rudd
	All of these songs are about a paucity of truth. At first they may seem to be about other things, but that is just a reflection of how much dishonesty we have accepted in our daily lives. We are raised from birth to believe things that cannot be proven or that are plainly not true. People will often brag of their honesty, when there is so much they have simply chosen to ignore or leave Read more...

Live Music Reviews - ..divided by time at The Indie Society, University of Hull, Thursday 25th March By Reena Mistry
	By Reena Mistry - The Sesh is held at The Linnet & Lark, down Princes Ave every Thursday night. Any band who commit themselves to influences such as Queens of the Stone Age, The Pixies, REM and Velvet Underground may appear to have bitten off more than the average mouthful. However, from the intro that provided the Read more...

Live Music Reviews - Blue Sand at The Sesh - Linnet & Lark - 1st April 04 By Rich Porter
	The Sesh is held at The Linnet & Lark, down Princes Ave every Thursday night. Having never been to one of these nights I wasn't sure what to expect, probably just another live band night? Far from it, as the first thing to greet you as you walk through the door is the resident DJ who blasts out great music and nearly all of it Read more...

Music Reviews- Flatline, Die-For,The 30 Second Dead, Twice A Riot, The White Room, 28th March By Dick Spring
	Unfortunately The Defected were on stupidly early and I missed them but I did arrive in time to catch Twice a Riot, featuring Harry's great new hair! I have to say that this band do this screamo metal/ hardcore crossover pretty well and is certainly a giant leap forward from singer (screamer) Harry and bassist Arthur's previous musical outings. Read more...

Music Reviews-The Obsession, Psychedelic Breakfast, The Landau's - Under the Influence At the Adelphi, Hull
	Saturday 27th March 04 by Cilla There was an air of expectancy this evening. The Landau’s, about to release their debut single were playing, their appearance backed by an enthusiastic and supportive following of fans and family. This made for a really good atmosphere. And it turned out to be a night and a half. Read more...

Music Previews - Salako at the Welly Club - Saturday 3rd April
	Salako are among the cream of the crop in the Hull live music scene. Now a four piece once again, Salako have confirmed that they are set to release a new album, The Story Of Our Life So Far in April 2004 on the Tablature label. They have also scheduled some live dates and radio sessions to support the release. One be at The Yo-Yo indie nights LiveLab Read more...

Music Reviews - Inner Terrestrials, Die For, Flatline (with Greg) Adelphi, Hull 21st March 2004 By Dick Spring
	Well, indeed, what an eventful evening! With Mark (Flatline's singer) unavailable due to work commitment, it was left up to Greg, from Freaks Union to join his friends for an impromptu run through a couple of songs. On the face of it, this seemed like a bit of fun, though it would appear that certain people saw it differently Read more...

Music Reviews-The Ordinary Boys,Mower,The Applewhites, The Hideaways at Adelphi, Hull 10 March By Dick Spring
	Well this is the second Under the Influence night I've experienced and it has left me impressed. It would appear there is another visionary Promoter in the city (alongside Nigel, of the legendary Smash it Up Punk Nights) that quite frankly leaves all the other rank amateurs standing. Speaking to Dean Shakespeare (for that is he) it was clear that here is a Read more...