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Maxïmo Park review – Newcastle band play the hell out of their jaggy and angsty debut album
Music•February 8, 2026 at 12:14 PMNational

Maxïmo Park review – Newcastle band play the hell out of their jaggy and angsty debut album

By Peter Ross•The Guardian Music

O2 Academy, GlasgowPaul Smith and the band play tracks old and new with a dash of humour and the sort of chops you develop from years on the roadTrilby set to rakish and his suit truss tight, Paul Smith leaps from the drum riser with a scissor kick and, just for a moment, as the singer hangs in the air, it could be the cover of A Certain Trigger – the album being celebrated in Glasgow tonight.Maxïmo Park’s debut is 21 years old. Has it come of age? Not exactly. It sounds very much of its time, all jaggy riff and angsty yelp. Yet the Newcastle band play the hell out of these songs. They sound better now than back then. Continue reading...

O2 Academy, Glasgow
Paul Smith and the band play tracks old and new with a dash of humour and the sort of chops you develop from years on the road

Trilby set to rakish and his suit truss tight, Paul Smith leaps from the drum riser with a scissor kick and, just for a moment, as the singer hangs in the air, it could be the cover of A Certain Trigger – the album being celebrated in Glasgow tonight.

Maxïmo Park’s debut is 21 years old. Has it come of age? Not exactly. It sounds very much of its time, all jaggy riff and angsty yelp. Yet the Newcastle band play the hell out of these songs. They sound better now than back then.

Continue reading...

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