Album review overview: Celeste, Odonis Odonis and more
Klogr – Reborn
Klogr is an Italian-American alternative metal band with progressive influences. The band’s name refers to a psycho-physical law developed in the nineteenth century by psychologist Ernst Heinrich Weber and philosopher Gustav Fechner. “Reborn” is a double album containing fifteen tracks previously released by Klogr, but now completely re-recorded, rearranged and presented with a more modern sound. The single “Bleeding”, originally released in 2011, features guest drummer Art Cruz from Lamb Of God. The album was recorded in June 2025 at the Zeta Factory Studio and sounds excellent. With the release of “Reborn”, an important new chapter begins for Klogr, starting with a European and UK tour supporting Katatonia and Evergrey. All in all, it is an enjoyable double album that serves as a teaser for what is yet to come. (Ad Keepers) (7/10) (Independent release)
Jim Keller – End Of The World
He took his first musical steps in San Francisco with Tommy Heath as part of the band Tommy Tutone. Jim Keller has been living and working in New York for many years now. First as director of Philip Glass’s company, and later working on various theatre productions. Since 2005, he has been releasing his own music. Due to other projects, we had to wait three years, but now Jim’s sixth solo album has finally arrived, carrying the dramatic title “End Of The World”. The twelve tracks on the album were written by Keller and Byron Isaacs, with additional contributions on several songs. Multi-instrumentalist Adam Minkoff handled the production and can be heard on drums, keyboards, guitar, bass and percussion. A number of musical friends also contributed. Anyone familiar with Keller’s work knows that he is a songwriter capable of wrapping small stories in a musical frame. On this album, too, the lyrics are at least as important as the music. This becomes clear immediately in the first swinging track with its clear message: ‘Love One Another’. Musically, it is what is known as roots, a blend of rock, country and blues with excursions into soul and reggae. Each track is well written and well performed. There are no misses. Worthy of special mention in my opinion are the slightly sorrowful “Getting Over You”, the beautiful “I Want To Go Back Home” and the superb blues “Black Dog”. There is nothing to criticise about the musical accompaniment, which is rock solid. Jim’s voice suits the genre perfectly. Warm, full, and with a rough edge that gives his songs a pure and honest character. In short, it is a very fine album and a genuine recommendation. For me personally, one of the best albums of the year. (Eric Campfens) (8/10) (Continental Song City)
Celeste – Woman of Faces
The British soul singer returns after four years with a cinematic masterpiece born from heartbreak and personal turmoil. Produced by Jeff Bhasker and Beach Noise, this nine-track album takes the listener on an emotional journey through loss of identity and quiet reclamation after the breakdown of a relationship. Opener “On With The Show” immediately sets the tone with theatrical piano and swelling strings, while Celeste’s husky voice brims with raw emotion as she addresses the pressure of industry expectations. The title track “Woman of Faces” forms the beating heart of the album with Old Hollywood-style arrangements and a meditation on female identity, while “Keep Smiling” exposes the inhuman pressure of expectations with restrained accompaniment. A surprising turn is the industrial pop experiment “Could Be Machine”, inspired by online abuse, breaking away from the lush orchestral sound. Closer “This Is Who I Am” is a Bond-like proclamation in which Celeste finally removes the masks and reclaims her identity. Despite containing only nine tracks, the album feels complete, covering a full arc from despair to declaration, with Philip Glass’s “Opening” creating a crucial emotional moment on “People Always Change”. (Elodie Renard) (8/10) (Polydor)
The Neighbourhood – ((((ultraSOUND))))
After a five-year hiatus and three years of silence, the band behind “Sweater Weather” returns unexpectedly with their most introspective work to date, merging nineties alt-rock with modern melancholy. The fifteen-track album, inspired by Britpop but retaining their signature Californian indie-soul, opens with “Hula Girl” and “OMG”, both carrying a clear Manchester swagger. Frontman Jesse Rutherford, who released two solo albums during the break, delivers vulnerable vocals on “Private”, built around a GarageBand drum break he recorded on his phone, while “Lovebomb” captures the spiralling effect of saying ‘I love you’ too early. The intense “Lil Ol Me” ends with a fiery, fuzz-soaked finale demonstrating that the band is not content with safe territory, and star-gazing ballads such as “Rabbit” and “Daisy Chain” create intimacy on a stadium scale. The production weaves soft yet grainy vocals through a darker, moodier sonic palette with grunge and psychedelic textures, exploring themes of heartbreak, disillusionment and emotional vulnerability with artistic maturity. Though the album suffers from minimal promotion and an overly heavy-handed approach that sometimes works against their strengths, it remains an ambitious return, balancing nostalgia with forward-thinking creativity. (Tobias Brown) (6/10) (Warner Records)
Odonis Odonis – Odonis Odonis
The Canadian duo returns after four years with a self-titled sixth album, marking a radical shift away from their industrial past. Constantin Tzenos and Denholm Whale turn off the strobes and refocus on the post-punk and shoegaze influences that originally shaped them, with nods to The Cure during “Disintegration”, New Order’s “Power, Corruption & Lies” era and the late-eighties Creation Records roster. This shift is not born from boredom but from a philosophical rejection of the automation threatening every aspect of their lives. Tzenos lost his eighteen-year animation career to artificial intelligence, and Whale struggles in the uncertain world of independent concert promotion. Opener “The Same” breathes hazy melancholy, while “Hijacked” paints a world torn apart by greed and division with pounding drums and piercing bass lines. The trip-hop-meets-shoegaze track “Come Alive” captures an awakening and an embrace of change, and “Work It Out” confronts the grind of modern life with dark urgency and humour, reclaiming the technology that threatened their existence as an art form. Although the album consists of only nine tracks originating from jam sessions with no predetermined plan, it results in their most emotional and self-aware statement, embracing human imperfection as a form of rebellion against the machine age. (Anton Dupont) (7/10) (Royal Mountain)
