Reducing historical lives to ‘male’ and ‘female’ roles, we lose the nuance of those lives and a clearer understanding of past societies, suggests CLAIRE ISABELLA GILMOUR
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Gecko’s songs are easy to relate to, brimming over with intelligence, kindness and simple... humanity
CHRIS SEARLE relishes the genius of pianist Alexander Hawkins, his many ensembles, and his new album
New releases from The Mountains Goats, Ed O’Brien, and YHWH Nailgun
ANGUS REID, ANDY HEDGECOCK and MARIA DUARTE review On The Sea, A Useful Ghost, Brunello: The Gracious Visionary, and Pinocchio Unstrung
RON JACOBS enjoys a great tale, told by a US communist, of the lives of working-class New Yorkers
BRENT CUTLER searches a new history of contemporary Iran for an understanding of the Islamic Republic, finding both interesting detail and glaring omissions
MARIA DUARTE recommends the true story of the remarkable woman who sued Donald Trump for sexual assault not once, but twice
The nights are drawing in, the plague stats get ever worse, the Tories’ cynical mismanagement of everything constantly plumbs newly unbelievable depths. We organise food banks, we do our best to sustain those in our communities who need help, we reach up, we hunker down. We need a sound track. One with humanity, warmth, depth, intelligence, perceptiveness, optimism. Oh, and supremely catchy tunes.
Here it is. Climbing Frame by Gecko. Album of the year. Again.
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The bard invites readers to a gig, raps for Clacton, and lays out the Burnham-Hurzeler conundrum
STEVE JOHNSON speaks to London singer/songwriter MADDY CARTY
In verse and polemic, the bard points out that he is a poet and musician, not a political party
Two inspring books — that’s your New Year’s musing from me on January 2 2026