MARK TURNER wallows in the virtuosity of Swansea Jazz Festival openers, Simon Spillett and Pete Long

SUPERB singer-songwriters are a rare breed, especially those whose work effortlessly combines the personal with the political. Maddy Carty is one such, whether as a writer for other performers and labels or as an artist in her own right.
Her new single Make Me Mad is a slice of soulful pop brilliance. With a stripped-down but pulsing beat, powerful melodies and smooth, totally engaging vocals, she twists the narrative of turmoil in any relationship by celebrating the point between despair and overwhelming love with an intense sincerity.
The way she sings and emphasises “you” is the catchiest hook of the year in a song that everyone can empathise with at some point in their life.

While 69 per cent of Ukrainians want negotiated peace, Western leaders are cynically prolonging the war for their own strategic and economic goals, to the immense detriment of Ukraine and Europe, write BOB ORAM and MAGGIE SIMPSON

