Megan Thee Stallion - Megan: Act II (Album Review)

It seems inevitable these days that whenever a major artist releases a new album, it’s swiftly followed by a deluxe re-release within about six months. Such is the case with ‘Megan: Act II’, which follows just three months behind Megan Thee Stallion’s eponymous third album.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Confidence Man - 3AM (LA LA LA) (Album Review)

Photo: Julian Buchan Confidence Man have recently graduated from a guilty pleasure to key players in the UK dance scene. In 2022, the Australian electro-pop outfit’s stock rose considerably thanks to their  second album ‘TILT’, and after following it up with a viral Glastonbury performance and a 2023 summer hit in Now U Do (with DJ Seinfeld) their appeal has only grown.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Monday, 28 October 2024

Bon Iver - SABLE EP (Album Review)

Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon will always be an enigma. Since 2007’s ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ stumbled from a Wisconsin hunting cabin into the hearts and homes of people seeking emotionally intelligent indie-folk, he has been remodelling their music to serve whatever purpose he sees fit. On their first new release since 2019’s Marmite, ‘i,i’, the ‘SABLE’ EP serves as a stripped-back system reboot.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Monday, 28 October 2024

Japandroids - Fate & Alcohol (Album Review)

When it comes to making a final album there are umpteen approaches you could take. But, really, it boils down to this: are you going to double down on what has endeared you to fans on previous releases, or are you going to take one last chance with something new? Japandroids very much go for the former on ‘Fate & Alcohol’, but in a way that manages to avoid feeling old hat.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Friday, 25 October 2024

Kylie Minogue - Tension II (Album Review)

Photo: Erik Melvin Sometimes things take on a life of their own. What began as a few more songs for an extended version of 2023’s ‘Tension’ turned into a sequel for Kylie Minogue, and one that matches its predecessor. Here the Australian icon showcases her ability to evolve while keeping the shimmering dance-pop coming.

Written by: Nieve Elis | Date: Thursday, 24 October 2024

Porridge Radio - Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me (Album Review)

With a band name like Porridge Radio, you’d be forgiven for expecting a certain degree of fun musical whimsy. The Brighton band’s first couple of records delivered that, exuding colourful, if straightforward, indie energy with charming vigour, leading to them steadily becoming one of the UK touring circuit’s most cherished darlings.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 23 October 2024

Myles Kennedy - The Art of Letting Go (Album Review)

Photo: Chuck Brueckmann During a recent interview on Justin Hawkins’ YouTube series, Myles Kennedy was heralded as “the pre-eminent rock vocalist of our time” by someone who should know. But although that claim is merited, the Alter Bridge man’s hard-rocking third solo album once again showcases an artist who’s got more to offer than a recognisable voice. ‘The Art of Letting Go’ showcases his potent all-round game, from instinctive compositional smarts and sublime guitar playing to pensive lyricism and dynamic craftsmanship.

Written by: Simon Ramsay | Date: Tuesday, 22 October 2024

Touché Amoré - Spiral In A Straight Line (Album Review)

Photo: Sean Stout You can feel the emotion that roars from Jeremy Bolm’s voice in your bones and to know anything about Touché Amoré’s music is to know that their frontman should have been broken a long time ago. The California hardcore band’s previous two records dealt with the gravitational pull of grief following the death of his mother, finding catharsis but not necessarily a way out. Now, ‘Spiral In A Straight Line’ maps the way to exit. 

Written by: Jack McGill | Date: Monday, 21 October 2024

Goat - Goat (Album Review)

Goat’s sixth studio record sees the masked Swedish rockers saunter through afrobeat, funk, pastoral folk and more in a psychedelic journey of extreme joy. The result is a record of interstellar overdrive and creative overflow that jinks and zigs and spirals while just about hanging together.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Thursday, 17 October 2024

Caribou - Honey (Album Review)

If earlier Caribou albums hadn’t already, ‘Honey’ proves that Dan Snaith is a sure pair of hands for energetic and musically intellectual dance music. But what sets it apart from previous endeavours is the pace. From the opening track, Broke My Heart, this record picks up momentum that evolves throughout and never wavers.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Wednesday, 16 October 2024

Drug Church - Prude (Album Review)

Photo: Manuel Barajas On the surface, Patrick Kindlon is one of the most comically cynical writers in hardcore’s recent history. But Drug Church’s fifth album ‘Prude’ is so much more than that — there is painfully catchy and arresting guitar work that keeps the record moving, along with genuine depth of feeling.

Written by: Jack McGill | Date: Tuesday, 15 October 2024

The Hard Quartet - The Hard Quartet (Album Review)

Photo: Atiba Jefferson The Hard Quartet’s lineup reads like a Comic Con lineup for indie heads, bringing together Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, The Cairo Gang’s Emmett Kelly, Chavez’s Matt Sweeney, and Dirty Three’s Jim White. Reflecting its members’ wandering tastes, the supergroup’s self-titled debut is a sprawling buffet of decades and genres.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Friday, 11 October 2024

Jake Bugg - A Modern Day Distraction (Album Review)

Photo: Kevin Westenberg When Jake Bugg burst onto the scene as an 18-year-old, his debut album’s distinctive throwback blend of indie, folk and skiffle set him up as a future giant. In the decade since, though, he has opted to experiment with different sounds, incorporating elements of country and electronic music with varying degrees of success. His latest ‘A Modern Day Distraction’, sees a return to the more raw sound of his early work. 

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Friday, 11 October 2024

Geordie Greep - The New Sound (Album Review)

Photo: Yis Kid Geordie Greep’s debut solo album is a smutty mix of chamber pop, Baxter Dury and Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads. Over 11 tracks we are introduced to energetic, desperate characters envisioned and performed by the former Black Midi guitarist — they plead and prate and ultimately fail to reassure. As a group they seem locked in an occasionally delicious death spiral of substance abuse and sexual ennui. You’re going on a journey, or actually, several.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Thursday, 10 October 2024

Godspeeed You! Black Emperor - No Title As of 13 February 2024, 28,340 Dead (Album Review)

Photo: Yannick Grandmont Godspeed You! Black Emperor have always excelled at crafting poignant, expansive post-rock, telling instrumental stories where words won’t do. Never has that sentiment been more true than with ‘No Title as of 13 February 2024, 28,340 Dead’. The band’s eighth album’s title makes explicit reference to the death toll in Gaza and its six movements are odes to both the devastation wrought and also small glimmers of hope.

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Thursday, 10 October 2024

The Smile - Cutouts (Album Review)

Photo: ShinKatan x Weirdcore It has been almost a decade since the last Radiohead record landed, but it’s not like that space has been filled with silence. ‘Cutouts’ is the second release by The Smile — Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood alongside Sons of Kemet’s Tom Skinner — in 2024 and their third in two years. As we have come to expect it is another varied album charting their diverse range of influences in a more playful manner than Yorke and Greenwood might have in the past.

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Wednesday, 09 October 2024

Coldplay - Moon Music (Album Review)

Photo: Anna Lee It feels like Coldplay aren’t really making albums anymore, instead they’re making setlist alterations for their stadium tours. ‘Moon Music’, like 2021’s ‘Music Of The Spheres’ before it, feels more like listening to the second disc of a best of compilation — you’ve heard all the hits so here’s some more, just not as good.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Wednesday, 09 October 2024

SOPHIE - SOPHIE (Album Review)

Photo: Renata Raksha Almost four years on from her death, SOPHIE’s influence continues to reverberate. Numerous artists operating in disparate genres have paid tribute to her groundbreaking work, showcasing a profound and lasting  impact on contemporary music. Honouring her legacy, though, poses a complex challenge.

Written by: Katie Macbeth | Date: Tuesday, 08 October 2024

Maxďmo Park - Stream of Life (Album Review)

Photo: Moja When Maxïmo Park emerged almost two decades ago their well-read indie-pop quickly pushed them to the top of a thriving British rock scene, with indie disco ubiquity becoming a brief flirtation with mainstream celebrity. Given the shifting sands of the industry, the Newcastle band’s stock isn’t quite as high today but ‘Stream of Life’ is performed as though they’re still in their mid-‘00s heyday.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Monday, 07 October 2024

Sunflower Bean - Shake (Album Review)

Photo: Yulissa Benitez Sunflower Bean’s run to date has been defined by their willingness to dabble in multiple genres and their new EP ‘Shake’ is no different. The New York trio’s latest has more grit and edge than a lot of their previous work, while retaining their love of pleasing melodies and low-key, dulcet vocals.

Written by: Nieve Elis | Date: Monday, 07 October 2024

Christian Lee Hutson - Paradise Pop. 10 (Album Review)

Photo: Michael Delaney Christian Lee Hutson’s fourth album of character studies disguised as intimate folk-pop ditties is his most immersive to date. Assuming the role of an airport-stranded people-watcher, ‘Paradise Pop. 10’ explores the complexities of interpersonal relationships with new found compositional verve.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Friday, 04 October 2024

Ezra Collective - Dance, No One's Watching (Album Review)

Photo: YOUT The rise of Ezra Collective has been nothing short of astonishing. Already a cornerstone of the blossoming London jazz scene during the past few years, the ensemble's rise was capped with the 2023 Mercury Prize for their album ‘Where I’m Meant To Be’. Naturally, there is a feverish sense of anticipation for its follow up, the aptly-titled ‘Dance, No One’s Watching’. But it delivers, and then some.

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Friday, 04 October 2024

Pale Waves - Smitten (Album Review)

Photo: Kelsi Luck Over the course of a decade, Pale Waves have developed a large fanbase thanks to their pairing of ‘80s-inspired synthy indie-rock with a cool, grungy aesthetic. Their fourth album doesn’t do away with this formula but it does offer a twist, taking their sound in a softer, more outwardly pop direction. As its title suggests, ‘Smitten’ could easily serve as the soundtrack for a heartwarming queer coming-of-age love story. 

Written by: Nieve Elis | Date: Thursday, 03 October 2024

Thurston Moore - Flow Critical Lucidity (Album Review)

The first thing that comes to mind when Thurston Moore’s name is mentioned will always be Sonic Youth, a band that made indie-rock all the more malleable for later generations. But since their demise he has had his finger in many pies, as a teacher, author, label owner and solo artist, which is where we find him on the meditative ‘Flow Critical Lucidity’.

Written by: Jack McGill | Date: Wednesday, 02 October 2024

Bright Eyes - Five Dice, All Threes (Album Review)

There is a feeling of whiplash at the heart of Bright Eyes’ ‘Five Dice, All Threes’, where an undercurrent of joy meets Conor Oberst’s pen as he wages war on existential dread once more — suicide references pock almost every song, while religion and politics plague joyful pots and pans indie-folk that doubles down on discordant harmonies, poetic juxtaposition, and chaotic sound collages.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Wednesday, 02 October 2024

The Jesus Lizard - Rack (Album Review)

Photo: Joshua Black Wilkins It’s been a quarter of the century since The Jesus Lizard disbanded. Sure, there was a brief live comeback in the late 2010s, but the Texan noise-rockers soon went their separate ways again. It seemed for all the world that the final chapter was written. What a delight it is, then, to have ‘Rack’, the band’s seventh full length album, with us. What’s even more delightful, though, is that it makes it feel as though they never went away.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Tuesday, 01 October 2024

The Voidz - Like All Before You (Album Review)

Photo: Cheryl Georgette Away from the more straightforward garage-rock style of The Strokes, Julian Casablancas has used The Voidz to indulge in the sort of experiments that wouldn’t light a fire under his main band. Not that everyone has been on board with this approach, however. When their debut ‘Tyranny’ arrived in 2014, reviews were somewhat mixed — it was either unlistenable or refreshingly eclectic, depending on who you asked.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Monday, 30 September 2024

Nada Surf - Moon Mirror (Album Review)

Photo: Paloma Bomé For more than 30 years, Nada Surf have crafted album after album of consistently impressive power-pop delights. If ‘Never Not Together’, released back in 2020, found the New York band in a different mood, largely down to current affairs, ‘Moon Mirror’ is the sound of a band having fun. 

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Friday, 27 September 2024

Katy Perry - 143 (Album Review)

If Katy Perry’s seventh album had been released in 2013, it’d have been everywhere. You’d dance to it non-stop in clubs, hear it non-stop on the radio, and slap down your hard-earned cash to sing your heart out at her mega-concerts. But ‘143’ wasn’t released back then. It’s been released now. And time isn’t kind to old ideas.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Thursday, 26 September 2024

Jamie xx - In Waves (Album Review)

Jamie xx first appeared on the scene as one third of gloomy hipsters The xx, before establishing himself as a solo producer and DJ with his era-defining masterpiece ‘In Colour’ in 2015. As such, his second solo album has big shoes to fill, and the good news is that it pulls it off. ‘In Waves’ is a superb dance record, blending compositional chops, avant-garde arrangements and sampling to deliver a tapestry of terrific poise and hedonistic abandon.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Thursday, 26 September 2024

LL Cool J - The FORCE (Album Review)

Photo: Cory Grimes Being one of rap’s first superstars does not make you impervious to the ravages of time and slipping taste. For the latter part of LL Cool J’s career, his stock has plummeted through a string of ropey records that failed to match the heights of early gems such as Mama Said Knock You Out or Mr. Smith. But, more than a decade on from his last offering he returns on ‘The FORCE’ — that stands for Frequencies of Real Creative Energy — sounding hungrier than ever.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Wednesday, 25 September 2024

Katy J Pearson - Someday, Now (Album Review)

Photo: Seren Carys On ‘Someday, Now’, Katy J Pearson seems to have reinvented herself somewhat. The Bristol artist has traded the threads of Americana that held her first two albums together for bundles of ever so slightly sullen pop that have her audible self boldly sprawled across them.

Written by: Jack McGill | Date: Wednesday, 25 September 2024

Porches - Shirt (Album Review)

Photo: Jason Al-Taan Led by Aaron Maine, Porches have made a name for themselves as an introspective genre- bending indie group since their debut record ‘Slow Dance in the Cosmos’ arrived in 2013.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Tuesday, 24 September 2024

London Grammar - The Greatest Love (Album Review)

Photo: Tarek Mawad London Grammar have spent the years since their 2013 debut ‘If You Wait’ finessing their sound, drilling down into an emotive space where vocalist Hannah Reid can shine. Their fourth LP ‘The Greatest Love’ is an often excellent amalgamation of mature songwriting and lyrical vulnerability, vividly depicting the trials and tribulations of a romantic relationship.

Written by: Issy Herring | Date: Monday, 23 September 2024

Suki Waterhouse - Memoir of a Sparklemuffin (Album Review)

Photo: Jeremy Soma Suki Waterhouse’s ‘Memoir of a Sparklemuffin’ represents a remarkable step up from her debut, demonstrating growth, confidence in her abilities and no little ambition. This double album’s 18 tracks may seem like a lot to take in initially, but when viewed as a whole each intense, personal segment feels indispensable, as though we are leafing through different chapters in her story.

Written by: Katie Macbeth | Date: Friday, 20 September 2024

Snow Patrol - The Forest Is The Path (Album Review)

Photo: Tom Beard Thanks to huge hits such as Run, Chasing Cars and Take Back The City, Snow Patrol’s pop-rock has been part of the fabric of UK music for the past 20 years. Their eighth album, ‘The Forest Is The Path’, retains their anthemic sound while serving up a mixed bag when it comes to anything outside of their comfort zone.

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Thursday, 19 September 2024

Nilüfer Yanya - My Method Actor (Album Review)

Photo: Molly Daniels There is something deliciously meta about Nilüfer Yanya’s shapeshifting third album — titled ‘My Method Actor’, it finds the guitarist and vocalist inhabiting elements of her 2019 debut ‘Miss Universe’ in order to find the best route forward.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Wednesday, 18 September 2024

Floating Points - Cascade (Album Review)

Photo: Dan Medhurst Are we in a golden age of UK dance producers? Alongside individuals such as Jamie xx, Jon Hopkins and Four Tet, you also have amazing duos in the form of Bicep and the (still sensational) Chemical Brothers. There is certainly a lot of high quality work out there.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Wednesday, 18 September 2024

Foxing - Foxing (Album Review)

Foxing can’t be accused of lacking ambition. On the road to this fourth album they’ve careened from indie to midwest emo, math-rock and post-rock, with their last two records representing big swings for classic album status that mostly connected. Here, they make the sort of statement that justifies the heavy symbolism of a mid-career self-titled LP. ‘Foxing’ is not only their most experimental work yet — it’s also their best.

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Tuesday, 17 September 2024

The The - Ensoulment (Album Review)

Being the first The The album in almost 25 years, ‘Ensoulment’ carries a lot of weight on its shoulders. While it’s true that Matt Johnson has released music during that period — aside from the odd single there are multiple soundtracks and the Cineola spoken word releases — this is a major return that, at one time or another, felt like it may never come.

Written by: Graeme Marsh | Date: Monday, 16 September 2024

Midwife - No Depression In Heaven (Album Review)

Photo: Alana Wool Brat summer is over, welcome to slowcore autumn. OK, it doesn’t have the same ring to it. But over the past fortnight, as the nights have started to darken that little bit quicker, a bunch of albums by high-profile slowcore acts such as Duster and 40 Watt Sun have also made their way into the world. Alongside them you’ll find Midwife’s arresting ‘No Depression In Heaven’.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Friday, 13 September 2024

David Gilmour - Luck and Strange (Album Review)

As one of the chief creatives in Pink Floyd, David Gilmour has cemented his place in the musical stratosphere with a guitar sound that is instantly recognisable and endlessly emulated. And despite a vicious subsequent relationship with Roger Waters, the band’s other post-1970 principal songwriter, Gilmour perhaps remains the main spiritual custodian of the Floyd sound.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Thursday, 12 September 2024

Hinds - Viva Hinds (Album Review)

Photo: Dario Vazquez The post-pandemic years have been rocky and uncertain for Hinds, but the arrival of their fourth album offers proof that it’ll take a lot to bring them down. On ‘Viva Hinds’, they sound revived and more vibrant than ever before.

Written by: Nieve Elis | Date: Wednesday, 11 September 2024

Enumclaw - Home in Another Life (Album Review)

You don’t need to Google who put out Enumclaw’s new record. All you have to do is listen. ‘Home in Another Life’ is Run For Cover right down to its fuzz-coated bones, slotting the Washington band into one of punk’s most reliable rosters alongside similarly-minded outfits such as Citizen, Turnover and Fiddlehead. But while their objectives and identity are clear, their second LP can’t always follow through on that promise.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Wednesday, 11 September 2024

Big Sean - Better Me Than You (Album Review)

Photo: Zamar Velez “The past few years making this album have been a journey to say the least, but I’m just glad we finally here,” was how Big Sean announced his sixth album ‘Better Me Than You’ in July, back before the album leaked and he delayed its arrival by another three weeks. At last, though, that journey has come to an end. 

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Tuesday, 10 September 2024

Yannis & The Yaw - Lagos Paris London (Album Review)

Photo: Facebook Back in 2016, Yannis Philippakis received an unexpected invitation to join pioneering Afrobeat musician Tony Allen for a recording session in Paris. It would turn out to be a life changing moment for the Foals frontman, resulting in a blooming friendship and fruitful experience with an icon who remained creatively dialled in throughout the final years of his life.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Monday, 09 September 2024

Jon Hopkins - Ritual (Album Review)

Photo: Imogene Barron Few musicians collapse the boundaries of ‘pop’ and ‘high’ art like Jon Hopkins, who is as comfortable working on ambient sound collages as he is producing tracks for Coldplay, never sacrificing his commitment to textured and emotive electronica.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Friday, 06 September 2024

Jónsi - First Light (Album Review)

Even on the darkest days, we can find radiant pockets of space in our minds. ‘First Light’, the fourth studio album from Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi, is studded with the momentary glimpses of bliss — it’s a meditative antidote to grey recesses and modern malaise.

Written by: Craig Howieson | Date: Friday, 06 September 2024

Illuminati Hotties - Power (Album Review)

Photo: Shervin Lainez On first listen, it feels like there’s a disconnect between the title of the new Illuminati Hotties record and the music contained within. ‘Power’ throws up a number of suggested meanings: all-consuming sound, empowerment, heaviness. But is that what we expect from Sarah Tudzin’s melody-led indie-rock? Certainly not in a standard way.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Thursday, 05 September 2024

Wunderhorse - Midas (Album Review)

Photo: Polocho Wunderhorse are a band defined by second chances. After the premature demise of punk outfit Dead Pretties in 2017, Jakob Slater retired from music altogether to work as a surf instructor in Cornwall. Over the years the creative itch would gradually return, rekindling his love as his focus shifted from fury to personal reflection in the form of his Wunderhorse project.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Thursday, 05 September 2024