I used to think that all the good popular music came from the 1960s and 1970s. I was wrong! Even though popular music doesn’t have the same cultural impact that it did in earlier eras, there’s plenty of talent out there. These are the new releases I’ve been listening to.
Paramore’s Hayley Williams and London’s Wolf Alice continue to make high-class pop Meanwhile, Nashville’s William Tyler creates exploratory guitar instrumentals. All three are well worth your time. Hayley Williams Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party 2025, 8.5/10Williams is best known…
Three different continents this week. We conclude our Springsteen marathon with Perfect World, the rock album of the set. Ghana’s Florence Adooni makes her international debut with A.O.E.I.U.. And London post-punk band Caroline released an excellent second album. Florence Adooni…
It’s a strong week, with the best record from Springsteen’s Tracks II and Justin Bieber’s most palatable record (I assume!). But my favourite release from the week is from maverick R&B producer Dijon. Bruce Springsteen Twilight Hours 2025, 8.5/10The best…
This might be the worst collection of album art I’ve ever featured in this column. Addison Rae’s debut has passable art, but Bruce Springsteen and Tyler’s art directors both mailed it in this week. Bruce Springsteen Inyo 2025, 6.5/10Disc five…
This week Hotline TNT go power pop, Springsteen goes country, and Stereolab keep on sounding like Stereolab. Read on for details. Bruce Springsteen Somewhere North of Nashville 2025, 4/10Disc four on Springsteen’s Tracks II set was recorded in 1995, at…
This week we have missives from New Jersey, the Isle of Man, and the Scottish highlands. Read on for details… Bruce Springsteen Faithless 2025, 7/10If you’re keeping track at home, we’re up to the third disc in Springsteen’s Tracks II…
A couple of bands are in tough spots in this week’s column. Black Country, New Road lost their lead singer four days before they released their previous album. Arcade Fire dealt with allegations against leader Win Butler. Both albums struggle,…
This week, it’s the boss, the complainant, and the defendant. Bruce Springsteen recently dropped seven albums at once – let’s start with 1983’s LA Garage Sessions. Little Simz’ Lotus is often preoccupied with her former producer and friend Inflo, who…
We’re sticking in Mother England and her colonies this week. Enjoy the urban narratives of Real Lies, the art-rock of These New Puritans, and Lorde’s intimate pop-poetry. Real Lies We Will Annihilate Our Enemies 2025, 8/10It’s always tough following a…
Hopefully there’s something for everyone – the smooth pop/rock of California’s HAIM, Ezra Furman’s intense psychedelia, and The Mars Volta’s jazzy Latin rhythms. HAIM I Quit 2025, 7/10It’s been five years since HAIM’s last record. In the meantime, Alana Haim…
We have music from both sides of the pond this week. There’s folk from Richard Dawson and blackgaze from Deafheaven. The two acts don’t have much in common, but both vocalists are acquired tastes – Dawson’s warbling and George Clarke’s…
All female and all American this week – Suzanne Vega plays folk (with some punk). while two non-country artists make a country album together. Suzanne Vega Flying With Angels 2025, 8/10New York singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega produced one of the 1980s’…
Alt-rock and prog rock this week. Blondshell’s refined her angsty alt-rock, while Neal Morse recruits a veteran band and gives them a hokey name. Blondshell If You Asked For A Picture 2025, 8.5/10Sabrina Teitelbaum took a while to find her…
Two rock records this week. The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn teams up with The War on Drugs’ Adam Granduciel for his sixth solo album. Meanwhile, Ex-Vöid layer harmonies onto their punk roots. Craig Finn Always Been 2025, 8/10As much as…
Duets keep popping up on the music I write about this year, and today’s batch is no exception. Marlon Williams teams up with Lorde, while Justin Vernon duets with several female vocalists. Meanwhile, with only two tracks, Steven Wilson doesn’t…
Two new records from indie stalwarts. Lucy Dacus edges closer to the mainstream with the genteel Forever is a Feeling. Meanwhile, Dan Bejar continues his erstwhile path, mellower but unmistakably Destroyer. Lucy Dacus Forever is a Feeling 2025, 7/10 From…
Two female artists this week. Confusingly, Ichiko Aoba is Japanese, while Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner was born in South Korea. Both records are brief and mellow, but still substantial. Japanese Breakfast For Melancholy Brunettes (and Sad Women) 2025, 8.5/10Zauner’s discography…
Two new-ish records this week. The erotic pop of FKA Twigs and the power-pop of The Tubs. One is extremely solid, the other is probably the worst album I’ll cover in this column in 2025. Find out which is which!…
This week’s acts have toned down their idiosyncrasies as their careers have progressed. Nadia Reid has transitioned from a serious-minded singer-songwriter to warm pop songs. Squid’s music has become less edgy and experimental. Nadia Reid Enter Now Brightness 2025, 8/10Dunedin…
It’s another eclectic week of new reviews with: All three records are highly recommended. Read on for details. Fievel is Glauque Rong Weicknes 2024, 8/10I’ve never ventured into the world of Zach Phillips before. The San Diego-born musician is prolific.…
As a music reviewer, 2025 started quickly. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny dropped a wide-reaching album in 2025’s first week. Canadian sophisti-pop act The Weather Station released Humanhood in mid-January. Meanwhile, I’m still catching up with 2024, hence the smooth…
I’m assuming that nobody cares about 2024 releases in February 2025. But there are still records in my pile that I didn’t get to last year. It’s not a reflection on their quality – these records were all released toward…
2024 was the international year of camelids. The war in Gaza continued and Donald Trump won the US election. Meanwhile, Bashar al-Assad was deposed in Syria. But fortunately, there was interesting music to distract us from the world’s chaos. It…
I’m still catching up with 2024 releases. Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti’s excellent Sentir Que No Sabes slipped out in June. But Lauren Mayberry (from CHVRCHES) only released her solo debut this month. Mabe Fratti Sentir Que No Sabes 2024, 9/10Guatemalan…
It’s another diverse week of new releases. We have: Two of these records feature church bells, befitting for Christmastide. Read on for details. Godspeed You! Black Emperor No Title as of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead 2024, 7.5/10 Montreal’s instrumental…
School holidays are just starting. This means I must review the albums with inappropriate language before my girls are home for the summer. Kendrick Lamar and Tyler, the Creator are both hip-hop superstars who stretch the boundaries of the genre.…
It’s the heaviest week of new reviews in this site’s history. Blood Incantation’s Absolute Elsewhere has been the most acclaimed metal release for years. Foxing’s throat-shredding indie rock has become even more intense. Foxing Foxing 2021, 8.5 Louis’s Foxing have…
It’s a 1990s revival week but with sneaky aliases. The leaders from two of the 1990s most beloved guitar bands are back. Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus has released an album with The Hard Quartet. Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke are…
This week’s selection of albums is dark but enjoyable. Soccer Mommy confronts loss on Evergreen, while an ageing Robert Smith wrestles with mortality on The Cure’s fourteenth album. Soccer Mommy Evergreen 2024, 8.5/10Evergreen feels like a return to basics for…
Two English-based artists this week. Australian Nick Cave is back for another album of piano ballads, albeit less doom-laden than usual. Kelly Lee Owens explores her pop-oriented side on her fourth album Dreamstate. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Wild…
It’s a midlly disappointing week of new releases (keep in mind I’m generally a couple of months behind the rest of the world). Nilüfer Yanya and Caribou have both made better albums in the past, although both of their 2024…
It’s easy to imagine both of these two acts residing in late-1960s Los Angeles. Beachwood Sparks adopt a Byrds-ish jangle with warm harmonies. MJ Lenderman pitches his music somewhere between Neil Young and Pavement. MJ Lenderman Manning Fireworks 2024, 8.5/10Asheville…
There are some fun classic rock Easter eggs in this week’s pair of new releases. Bruce Springsteen duets with Zach Bryan on ‘Sandpaper’ from The Great American Bar Scene. Meanwhile, Magdalena Bay pay tribute to Love’s ‘The Red Telephone’ on…
It feels a little exotic this week – Brazilian jazz pianist Amaro Freitas plays music inspired by a recent trip to the Amazon. Bristol’s The Fauns blend shoegaze with pop sounds on their most recent record. Amaro Freitas Y’Y 2024,…
Two solo artists this week. Former White Stripes frontman Jack White dropped a surprise record in August. Singer-songwriter Cassandra Jenkins is back with another album of pretty new age ramblings (not an insult). Jack White No Name 2024, 8/10I’m probably…
Two very different female solo artists this week. Arooj Aftab inhabits a space between folk and jazz on Night Reign. Sabrina Carpenter is between country and 1980s pop on her breakout album Short ‘n’ Sweet. Arooj Aftab Night Reign 2024,…
Stranded in Australia during the COVID pandemic. Stranded in the US after a coup in Niger. This week’s theme is dislocation, with the power pop of Charly Bliss and the guitar rock of Mdou Moctar both affected. Charly Bliss Forever…
Porter Robinson has added some swagger to his electro-pop. St. Vincent has added some industrial textures to her art-rock. Read on for details. Porter Robinson Smile! 😀 2024, 8.5/10Porter Robinson grew up in Chapel Hill, the same town in North…
Neil Finn’s Crowded House has become a family firm, with his two sons officially in the band, while his wife and older brother Tim also contribute backing vocals Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Jessica Pratt is back with a record where Phil Spector…
We dive into a couple of female-fronted indie records this week. Glasgow twee-pop band Camera Obscura are back for their first record in over a decade. I’d never heard of Itasca before, but it’s one of my favourite new releases…
Two veterans this week. Portland literate folk-rockers The Decemberists are back with their ninth album while Portishead’s Beth Gibbons releases her first solo album. The Decemberists As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again 2024, 7.5/10The Decemberists’ ninth album…
Two notably prolific acts this week. Neil Young’s back with his 47th studio album, an archival project recorded in 1969. Sault have their 13th release, dating back to 2019’s 5. Neil Young and Crazy Horse Early Daze 2024, 8.5/10Neil Young…
Two solo artists are back from unusually long hiatuses this week. Kamasi Washington’s tenor saxophone-driven jazz fusion is back for his first solo album since 2018’s Heaven and Earth. Husky-voiced British pop vocalist Dua Lipa is also back. Enjoy! Dua…
It might sound like another brace of female solo artists this week. But Cindy Lee is the stage name for Canadian musician Patrick Flegel, formerly of Women. It’s a strong batch this week – the mainstream maverick Billie Eilish, and…
Two mononymous female artists this week – the Americana of Waxahatchee and the smooth Afrobeats pop of South Africa’s Tyla. Waxahatchee Tigers Blood 2024, 9/10Indie artist Katie Crutchfield keeps getting better with each album. Tigers Blood dips back into the…
Two very different female solo artists this week. Mary Timony is a thirty-year indie veteran, having made her name in the 1990s with Helium. Portuguese-born Erika de Casier makes breezy R&B Mary Timony Untame the Tiger 2024, 7.5/10I only discovered…
Two artists this week where I enjoyed their previous records, but I’m not quite so impressed by their most recent efforts. Atlanta’s Faye Webster plays a distinctive kind of country lounge, while Glass Beach are unclassifiable. FAYE WEBSTER Underdressed at…
Two short albums by American female solo artists this week. Maryland’s Maggie Rogers makes likeable roots-tinged pop. From Indianapolis, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker recorded her fifth studio album in a backwoods cabin. Maggie Rogers Don’t Forget Me 2024, 8.5/10Rogers started…
The jangly guitar rock of Ducks Ltd are back for their second record. So is the ultra-sincere Atlanta-born singer-songwriter Katie Pruitt. I was in from the ground floor with both of those acts, but I’m only catching up with Marika…
Two hyped British releases this week. Both are worthy yet the lead single overshadows the rest of the record both times. Read on for more information about two-thirds of Radiohead and five ladies in corsets. The Last Dinner Party Prelude…
It’s the last batch of 2023 reviews for 2024. There’s a marked contrast between the rough-hewn sounds of Asheville’s Wednesday and the pristine, keyboard-driven sophisti-pop of Laura Groves. Laura Groves Radio Red 2023, 9/10Laura Groves released her debut album, as…
It’s February 2024, and we’re still chewing through 2023 records. Two very different American acts this week. The country and power-pop-infused indie rock of Chicago’s Ratboys, and the latest record from rapper Danny Brown. Enjoy! Ratboys The Window 2023, 8/10There…
Still working through a few more records from 2023 that I hadn’t got to yet. This week we feature two very different Brooklyn-based musicians. Hotline TNT offer indie rock inspired by 1990s shoegaze. L’Rain serves up beautiful moments among her…
It’s my fifth year of ranking albums annually on this site. It feels like the weakest year to date. The top of the list is weaker than usual. The top-rated album is more a subtle pleasure than a blockbuster. On…
I still have a few 2023 releases to get through, but I’m hoping to get my 10 Best Albums of 2023 up later this week. I’ve covered the final major contender here, so I can publish my list. There’s also…
Chappell Roan and Corinne Bailey Rae have the same initials, but little else in common. One makes provocative, easily digestible music. The other has made an intellectual, ambitious record that took me weeks to get my head around. Read on…
Two solidly enjoyable albums this week. Twenty years after his breakthrough album, Greetings from Michigan, The Great Lake State, Sufjan Stevens is back with an especially forlorn record. Meanwhile, UK band The Tubs deliver their debut, energetic and concise. Enjoy!…
Two female solo artists this week. But they’re drastically different. Kara Jackson is a bluesy singer-songwriter, brutally honest on her debut album. Cleo Sol’s back with her second album in a month, her smooth R&B as warm and comforting as…
Acts from both sides of this pond this week. It’s easy to tell which artist is from which side. Blake Mills evokes Laurel Canyon, with traces of country and psychedelia. Tirzah has a more modern sheen. Tirzah Trip9love…??? 2023, 9/10As…
Two very different artists this week. London band The Clientele dip into 1960s chamber-pop with their seventh studio album. Chicago’s Jamila Woods doesn’t deviate from her usual R&B. Yet she explores different themes, tackling love instead of politics. The Clientele…
Two sequels from very different artists this week, following up their 2020 records. English art-rocker Westerman releases his second record, An Inbuilt Fault. American R&B artist Victoria Monét releases the sequel to 2020’s Jaguar, titled Jaguar II. Enjoy! Westerman An…
Two critically revered female acts this week – Dorset’s PJ Harvey and Japanese-born Mitski. They both feature unwieldy album titles, and records are mellower than their usual fare. Enjoy! Mitski The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We 2023, 8/10Mitski…
Just over two years ago, I reviewed new releases by Cleo Sol, Squid, and XTC’s Andy Partridge. Coincidentally, Squid and Cleo Sol just released new albums. To complete the symmetry, I realised that I missed Partridge’s 2022 EP the first…
Two more female solo artists this week, and again they’re quite different from each other. Jessy Lanza, from Hamilton, Ontario, is back with another record of classy adult synth-pop. California’s Olivia Rodrigo just dropped one of the most anticipated pop…
Two very different female artists this week – a classy singer-songwriter record from Julie Byrne, and an attitude-fuelled rock album from Blondshell. Julie Byrne The Greater Wings 2023, 8.5/10Buffalo-born singer-songwriter Julie Byrne was hit by tragedy in 2021. Her former…
Today’s records are both eclectic – Meshell Ndegeocello demonstrates an uncanny ability to play anything, from dub to jazz to spacy instrumentals. Canadian pop treasure Carly Rae Jepsen pushes the boundaries of her sugary and effervescent music. Meshell Ndegeocello The…
There’s a lot of stylistic range in these two albums – the dark and droning Irish folk of Lankum, and the vibrant pop of Ghana’s Amaarae. Enjoy! Lankum False Lankum 2023, 8.5/10Lankum started as two brothers playing Irish songs in…
Americana stalwart Jason Isbell is back with a terrific new record, while The Japanese House continues to deepen her craft on her sophomore release. Read on for details! Jason Isbell Weathervanes 2023, 9/10Jason Isbell first emerged as a songwriter in…
One of this week’s artists is almost four times as old as the other – 81-year-old veteran Paul Simon has released his fifteenth solo album (along with five with Art Garfunkel). Meanwhile, 22-year-old Arlo Parks has just released her sophomore…
This week, we have two female songwriters, both from the northwest. Country/Americana artist Brandy Clark is from the Pacific Northwest originally. Meanwhile, Susanne Sundfør is from Norway, the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. Both explore their heritage…
This week I cover two solo artists – neither of whom I was familiar with before this year. It’s my favourite brace of records so far this year. Avalon Emerson & the Charm 2023, 9/10Avalon Emerson has spent her music…
For better or worse, there’s far less sex and violence this week than the names New Pornographers and Anna B Savage imply. The New Pornographers Continue as a Guest 2023, 7/10You could make a strong case that Vancouver’s The New…
It’s a week of milestones this week – we have marriage and motherhood and an engagement. Meanwhile, Fever Ray’s Karin Dreijer is inscrutable about their private life, but returns with more unsettling music. Tiny Ruins Ceremony 2023, 9/10New Zealand singer-songwriter…
Both artists this week have links to Faith No More. Eddie Chacon played in a band with FNM drummer Mike Bordin and Cliff Burton as an adolescent. Shahzad Ismaily has played bass with Trey Spruance in Secret Chiefs 3. But…
It’s an all-female week, from both sides of the Cold War. Russia’s Kate NV on one side of the Bering Strait, and the three women of boygenius on the other. boygenius The Record 2023, 8.5/10American singer-songwriters Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers,…
It’s a notably mellow week of new releases. Kelela’s Raven is minimalist and beautifully sung, while the Manchester Orchestra deliver a mini-album of restrained rock anthems. Kelela Raven 2023, 7.5/10There are some obvious parallels between Kelela and SZA, another alternative…
This week, new releases from Turin’s Yves Tumor and Hamilton’s Kimbra. Enjoy! Yves Tumor Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) 2023, 8.5/10Yves Tumor is an American producer and vocalist, born as…
They’re a generation apart, but Margo Price and Iris DeMent have a lot in common. They both play socially conscious Americana, they were both late starters to their recording careers, and they’re both married to other musicians. These albums are…
It’s the first proper batch of new album reviews for 2023. Former Chairlift vocalist Caroline Elizabeth Polachek is onto her second full-fledged solo album. Robert Derwent Garth Forster, previously of The Go-Betweens, is up to his eighth. Caroline Polachek Desire,…
Just mopping up a few 2022 records that I didn’t get to before the end of the year. Nigeria’s Rema plays smooth Afrobeats with some Arabian and Indian influences. Sweden’s Sara Parkman plays art-folk on an album titled after three…
Often music releases quieten down for December, but as well as SZA’s impressive SOS (covered last week), Little Simz and Tricot also released albums in the final month of the year. Tricot’s drummer is the token male this week. Enjoy…
This week SZA drops an excellent and accessible December album, while veteran Brian Eno and debutant band Caroline provide far more esoteric efforts. SZA SOS 2022, 9/10The publishing of end-of-year music lists has become like a nuclear arms race, pushing…
There are still a bunch of worthy 2022 releases to cover – this week I discuss the weirdo British-folk of Richard Dawson, the pop/rock of France’s Phoenix, and the 1970s singer-songwriterisms of Weyes Blood. Richard Dawson The Ruby Cord 2022,…
This week, the best album has the worst album cover art. Enjoy New Jersey singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten, arty ambience from Spencer Zahn and Dawn Richard, and a tougher sound from Canadian indie band Alvvays. Sharon Van Etten We’ve Been…
Three strong records from experienced solo artists this week. 1990s veteran Beth Orton is back with an album of poised and textural folk. Alex G delivers another well-written, quirky pop/rock album, while Cass McCombs delivers an accomplished singer-songwriter record. Beth…
It’s a strong week of new-ish releases, with two New Zealand acts. Country crooner Marlon Williams expands his range with a fun new album, while power-pop maestros The Beths are also back. London afro-beats/electronic band Ibibio Sound Machine, with lead…
In this week’s set of new reviews, two artists who you may not have encountered previously, as well as global superstar Beyoncé. Emily Wells and Florist’s Emily Sprague both identify as LGBTQ. Wells’ Regards to the End addresses the AIDS…
It’s a diverse week – the folky American of Amanda Shires, the intensity of UK’s Black Midi, and the smooth amapiano of South African DJ Kabza De Small. Amanda Shires Take It Like A Man 2022, 8/10Texas-born fiddler and singer-songwriter…
It’s a surprisingly homogenous week of new reviews. Three American rock acts, all from the heartland, all dabbling a little in psychedelia and country. Surprisingly, Soccer Mommy, based in Nashville, is the least country-influenced of the three. Soccer Mommy Sometimes,…
This week we have new music from Maryland singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers, the dreamy pop of France’s Melody’s Echo Chamber, and the mellow, textural indie rock of Shearwater. Enjoy! Maggie Rogers Surrender 2022, 9/10Maggie Rogers delivered an impressive debut with 2019’s…
This week we have Nigerian Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy, Radiohead side-project The Smile, and the smooth monologues of London duo Real Lies. Real Lies Lad Ash 2022, 9/10The sophisticated monologues of London electronic duo Real Lies have an obvious precedent.…
It’s an eclectic bunch this week – Puerto Rican superstar rapper Bad Bunny and English art-pop from Rae Morris. There’s also a new vintage release, with Linda Hoover’s 1970 album finally released from the archives. Notably, half of the songs…
It’s the strongest batch of new(ish) releases for a while – Let’s Eat Grandma’s quirky synth-pop is more streamlined and emotionally affecting than before. Angel Olsen’s previous record, All Mirrors was excellent, but her new one is even better. Grizzly…
This week it’s new releases from rap superstar Kendrick Lamar, the jangle-pop band The Reds, Pinks & Purples, and Gloucestershire’s FKA Twigs. Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers 2022, 8/10Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar has enjoyed a stellar career…
Three albums from female artists this week – the debut album from Mexican folk/jazz artist Silvana Estrada, the sophomore album from Australian dream-pop artist Hatchie, and the third album from Welsh electronic producer and vocalist Kelly Lee Owens. It’s a…
Three records from established acts this week. Canada’s Dan Bejar is back with another album of sardonic bleating (in the best possible way). Indie-folk band Midlake are much less prolific than London’s Sault; Sault’s classical work Air is their sixth…
