Model/Actriz - Pirouette (Album Review)

Photo: Kane Ocean ‘Pirouette’ is the second full-length release fromModel/Actriz, the Brooklyn-based quartet fronted by the captivating Cole Haden. It follows their 2023 breakout ‘Dogsbody’, broadening their genre-bending style, and weaving impressively between punishing industrial techno, radio-ready pop and unexpectedly tender ballads.

Written by: Jacob Brookman | Date: Wednesday, 07 May 2025

Sacred Paws - Jump Into Life (Album Review)

Sacred Paws’ third album evolves the sound of their afrobeat-infused indie-pop, pairing its expanded sonic palette with a more wistful outlook.

Written by: Jennifer Geddes | Date: Tuesday, 06 May 2025

Wiz Khalifa - Kush + Orange Juice 2 (Album Review)

Photo: Daniel Kelly Everything gets a sequel nowadays. Call it the death of originality, call it nostalgia-dosing, call it what you like, but it’s a trend that has gripped hip hop as much as movies in recent years, with Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Food & Liquor’, Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘Eternal Atake’, Nicki Minaj’s ‘Pink Friday’ and Eminem’s ‘Marshall Mathers LP’ gaining follow ups years later.

Written by: Jack Butler-Terry | Date: Tuesday, 06 May 2025

Employed To Serve - Fallen Star (Album Review)

Photo: Bethan Miller Metal can be one of the purest forms of fun going. For all of the devastating permutations of heavy music that are out there, the genre can be a blast, packing energy and momentum that makes you smile, feel exhilarated and maybe, just maybe, get you to pull the ‘invisible oranges’ hand gesture.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Friday, 02 May 2025

Stereophonics - Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Cry, Make 'em Wait (Album Review)

Photo: James D Kelly Stereophonics have been one of the UK’s biggest bands for almost 30 years, amassing eight number one albums and 26 top 40 hits, but their new record ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’ is proof of a still-functioning sense of ambition. It packs a welcome amount of variety, with their distinctive sound bolstered by strings and some more stripped back moments. 

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Friday, 02 May 2025

Sunflower Bean - Mortal Primetime (Album Review)

Photo: Anna Nazarova Sunflower Bean are known for shaking things up musically and this latest effort certainly exceeds all prior expectations. ‘Mortal Primetime’ is an exhilarating, genre-bending 10-track rebirth for the New York indie-pop trio, encompassing creative freedom and vulnerability while embracing both euphoria and gut-wrenching heartache.

Written by: Issy Herring | Date: Thursday, 01 May 2025

Viagra Boys - Viagr Aboys (Album Review)

Photo: Fredrik-Bengtsson Here, Viagra Boys reassert their belief in music’s fundamental purpose by offering an exhilarating journey into visceral enjoyment, infused with their signature sardonic wit. ‘Viagr Aboys’ dissects the band’s idiosyncratic charm and dark humour while delving deeper into their post-punk roots.

Written by: Katie Macbeth | Date: Thursday, 01 May 2025

Beach Bunny - Tunnel Vision (Album Review)

Photo: bassealec Beginning life as a bedroom-pop solo venture by Chicago-based musician Lili Trifilio as a petty move to get back at an ex, over the past decade Beach Bunny has evolved into something far bigger than she could have anticipated.

Written by: Maddy Howell | Date: Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Self Esteem - A Complicated Woman (Album Review)

Photo: Scarlett Carlos Clarke ‘A Complicated Woman’ is a big swing for Rebecca Lucy Taylor, better known by her stage name Self Esteem. Her third record is her first for a bona fide major label and the follow up to ‘Prioritise Pleasure’, her thrilling  breakthrough. It struggles with that weight — while it initially appears innovative and original, it doesn’t deliver on that promise.

Written by: Laura Mills | Date: Wednesday, 30 April 2025

Sumac and Moor Mother - The Film (Album Review)

Photo: Paulo Gonzales A collision of sludge-metal, spoken word, rap and free jazz, ‘The Film’ is that rarest of things — a genuinely new sonic fusion. But we have come to expect nothing less from its creators. Post-metal trio Sumac are at the vanguard of heavy innovation, while the work of brilliant MC Moor Mother confronts complex subject matter head on.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Tuesday, 29 April 2025

Beirut - A Study of Losses (Album Review)

Beirut’s seventh album had an unusual starting point. ‘A Study of Losses’ was prompted by Zach Condon falling under the spell of unfamiliar art, having been commissioned to write the soundtrack for an acrobatic stage show by Swedish circus Kompani Giraff, itself inspired by German writer Judith Schalansky’s novel Verzeichnis Einiger Verluste.

Written by: Jennifer Geddes | Date: Tuesday, 29 April 2025

Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz (Album Review)

Photo: Xaviera Simmons When you’re able to reflect upon your work in a beloved cult band such as TV on the Radio, it must be tempting to rest on your laurels. But, with his first solo album, Tunde Adebimpe dismisses that idea out of hand. On ‘Thee Black Boltz’ he stands as a wisdom-stricken protagonist, delivering a richly layered record that feels like a natural step for an artist who does not know the meaning of the word boundary.

Written by: James Palaczky | Date: Monday, 28 April 2025

Julien Baker and Torres - Send A Prayer My Way (Album Review)

Photo: Ebru Yildiz Country’s moment in the mainstream is ongoing, whether it’s Beyoncé and Post Malone’s forays into the genre or, more recently, Chappell Roan’s dalliance with her single The Giver. But as with any changing of the guard, sometimes our pursuit of the new can make us overlook the beauty of what made the old great; when the right chord progression or turn of phrase could elicit a feeling that resonated beyond a record’s end.

Written by: Laura Johnson | Date: Thursday, 24 April 2025

Superheaven - Superheaven (Album Review)

Photo: Vincent Guglielmo It seems that Superheaven chose the best possible moment to get back into the studio. In the decade between the release of ‘Ours is Chrome’ and this self-titled effort, there blend of hardcore and shoegaze has become big business. They were doing it before it was cool, and now they’ve returned to show everyone how it’s done. Superheaven’s third album is loud, textured and nuanced but, above all, it’s huge-sounding.

Written by: Emma Wilkes | Date: Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Mamalarky - Hex Key (Album Review)

On their third album, indie outfit Mamalarky venture further into unpredictability and eclecticism through 13 excellent, sun-kissed songs. Where other bands of this ilk might prioritise consistency throughout an album, this Los Angeles-via-Atlanta quartet’s latest thrives thanks to that ability to combine variety with a central vibe that emphasises breezy cool.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Tuesday, 22 April 2025

Röyksopp - True Electric (Album Review)

Photo: Stian Andersen Röyksopp’s ‘True Electric’ is a 19-track time capsule inspired by 2023’s tour of the same name, with the Norwegian electronica duo attempting to harness the energy of those oscillating live sets.  Like diving headfirst into an arctic pool only to emerge in a neon-lit club, it achieves its goal by sliding seamlessly between icy atmospherics and sweat-inducing beats.

Written by: Jack Press | Date: Thursday, 17 April 2025

Bon Iver - SABLE fABLE (Album Review)

Photo: Graham Tolbert Bon Iver head honcho Justin Vernon has explained the origins of his latest album’s title as “sable is the darkest black on Earth and it rhymes with fable.” Depending on your feelings towards Vernon and his work, you’ll either find this profound or you’ll think it sounds like something uttered in the unintentionally hilarious rock doc Bros: After the Screaming Stops.

Written by: Tom Morgan | Date: Wednesday, 16 April 2025

Craig Finn - Always Been (Album Review)

Photo: Dan Monick Here’s a dream pairing to restart the heart of any middle-aged indie-rock fan as Craig Finn, singer of barroom heroes The Hold Steady, enlists The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel to produce his sixth solo LP. And ‘Always Been’ is a treat — a brilliant collection of protagonist-focused stories, uncovering one man’s drive for redemption, self-improvement and the act of confession.

Written by: Matthew McLister | Date: Tuesday, 15 April 2025

Djo - The Crux (Album Review)

Photo: Neil Krug Joe Keery made a name for himself as Steve Harrington in Netflix’s smash hit Stranger Things, but running in parallel to his acting career he has carved out a niche as a highly eclectic musician. His third LP under the name Djo is called ‘The Crux’ and it draws on everything from LCD Soundsystem to Television, The Beatles and MGMT. With such a wealth of influences considered  the key question is whether it can make a cohesive whole, and the answer is an emphatic yes. 

Written by: Chris Connor | Date: Monday, 14 April 2025

Scowl - Are We All Angels (Album Review)

Hardcore was perhaps always going to be too small to contain a band such as Scowl. Their breakout debut ‘How Flowers Grow’ might’ve been fiery but in its title track there was unexpected tenderness, setting the scene for further shapeshifting as the subsequent EP ‘Psychic Dance Routine’ pushed on into grunge and alt-rock. 

Written by: Will Marshall | Date: Friday, 11 April 2025