7/10

As the frontwoman of short-lived indie darlings The Long Blondes, Kate Jackson certainly spent a lot of time on the road. So much in fact that landscape paintings became her profession after leaving the band and a realisation that her appreciation for the British outdoors was beginning to take hold. Enter her concept release, 'British Road Movies', a cinematically-stylised concept release that aims to create a backdrop to any rural commute.

Don't worry, this isn't an album about tarmac and the like, but a collection of heavy driving tunes. Each song has this head-nodding beat to it, that helps give it that consistent pace and rhythm you want from any road trip soundtrack. The screeching guitars, courtesy of former Suede axeman Bernard Butler, and pounding drums remain a constant throughout this record and thus give it a real sense of cohesion that you would want from any serious full-length release.

It's not the strangest concept record in the music world, and in fact is mostly very enjoyable. It does lack variety in its direction, which can leave it rather stale by the halfway mark, but in all makes for a decent listen and something more than happily stick in the stereo on the way to the festivals this summer.