Fragile Creatures of Brighton UK has been together since 2012. The group’s 3rd studio album, Play Both Sides, is an addictive addition to an already stellar catalog. The band sounds phenomenal, the songs are brilliantly crafted and performed, and the whole thing will draw you in quickly.

There’s a bit of meta commentary on the realities of an arts career in 2025 in “I Don’t Know What to Do” , which along with “Bad Smell” offers a glimpse of what you might get if the Beatles had kept making music through the grunge era and into the 90’s alt-rock radio age.

There’s a lot of thematic relevance to our current moment. Apart from the title track, there’s the gorgeous “Raised By Fools” followed by “Mary” - which sounds more like later-era Replacements fare and will resonate with anyone who’s been re-evaluating their taste in friends or lovers lately.

“Chasing Hearts” is a spectacular piece of throwback pop, with a killer vocal. This tune could’ve fit nicely on an INXS record.

A bit later we get “Entitled to Love” - definitely the sexiest, most earwormy chorus on the record. You may hear a bit of the Stones in this one, but also a bit of KISS, which is a ridiculous combo. But Fragile Creatures is a true original, and one of our favorite discoveries of this year.

The album never loses steam in the back half, which is no small feat. This is just a terrific rock record across the board.  AGL