-
Photographs by Lucy Johnston
Yorkshire based soloist James Mabbett a.k.a Napoleon IIIrd pumps the auditorium full of his energetic loops and riffs, sneaking up on the audience and pounding them with a nimble performance of his particular brand of off-kilter alternative pop. He takes to the stage and immediately sets about winning hearts with a compellingly enthusiastic and involved performance.
He keeps himself busy – switching guitars, looping vocals, moving from keyboard to organ to trumpet and back again. The stage is littered with instruments and nameless pieces of techie gear, including his now almost trademark vintage reel-to-reel player. There’s an attention to detail in the compositions and an organized urgency to the performance, reassurance that the onstage clutter isn’t just here to look good – imaginative use is made of the varied resources. He paces about throwing together big, impressive melodies during his hookier numbers and folding rich layers of sound into some of his swirling soundscapes. He keeps up a sportsman’s’ pace through an original set, working hard and seemingly having an awful lot of fun in the process.
- Cassandra Jenkins, Becca Mancari and Helado Negro feature on Shura's third album, I Got Too Sad For My Friends
- Circuit des Yeux returns with announcement of new album, Halo on the Inside
- Alabaster DePlume sings of agency and survival on forthcoming album, A Blade Because A Blade Is Whole
- Campbell King unveils their debut single, "Fade Away"
- Alabaster de Plume, Billy Woods and more feature on Lonnie Holley's forthcoming album, Tonky
- Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs announce their fifth studio album, Death Hilarious
- Y, featuring members of Fat White Family, Meatraffle and Pregoblin, share debut single, "Why"
Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday
Mac Miller
Balloonerism
Delights
If Heaven Looks A Little Like This
The Weather Station
Humanhood
