New Music Reviews: Sudan Archives, Westerman, and Rosalía

Rosalía delivers on the year’s most ambitious album. Westerman delivers another album of exquisite 1980s-soaked melancholy, while Sudan Archives is inconsistent but sometimes great.

Rosalía

Lux

2025, 9/10
Rosalia Vila Tobella deserves kudos for making four entirely different albums. She started with the traditional and dark flamenco of 2017’s Los Ángeles, then blended flamenco with modern styles on El Mal Querer. She messed around with pop on Motomami, and now she’s collaborating with the London Symphony Orchestra on the grandiose Lux. It’s even impressed Andrew Lloyd Webber, who’s labelled Lux as absolutely brilliant and the album of the decade.

It’s ambitious, split into four movements. The lyrics are in 14 languages, each corresponding to a different female saint. It’s inspired by writers Clarice Lispector and Simone Weil. It might threaten to fall apart under the weight of its pretensions, but it works. There’s a lot to like in the songwriting and arrangements, but arguably Rosalía’s virtuoso vocal performance is the key ingredient. She travels all over her vocal register with supreme control and personality.

In the end, in an age that seems not to be the age of faith or certainty or truth, there is more need than ever for a faith, or a certainty, or a truth.

Rosalía, interview in Mexico City

It’s not entirely pious – the dramatic lead single ‘Berghain’ features dramatic strings and choirs, but the climax features Yves Tumor repeating “I’ll f*** you till you love me”.

There are also gorgeous melodies like ‘Reliquia’ and ‘Divinize’. It’s fun hearing Rosalía veer into operatic mode in ‘Mio Cristo Piange Diamanti’. The second half of the record is less extreme, but features highlights like ‘La Yugular’ and ‘Magnolias’.

Rosalía aims high on Lux, but she hits every target.

---

Sudan Archives

The BPM

2025, 8/10
Brittney Parks’ music is full of contradictions and contrasts. The Cincinnati-born artist balances her violin with mainstream R&B, and her arty and commercial instincts. But she’s always interesting – inspired by a breakup for a long-term relationship, The BPM is another fascinating entry into her discography.

I’m shredding because I’m trying to be like Jimi Hendrix.

Brittney Parks, Hearing Things

Accordingly, The BPM veers between crass R&B like ‘Ms. Pac Man’ to amazing, wide-reaching pieces like ‘Noire’ and ‘The Nature of Power’. It’s frustrating, but it’s worth wading through for the gems. Parks displays her pop sense on ‘My Type, a sophisticated, propulsive song. The tense, foreboding ‘Dead’ is an excellent opener, showcasing her violin skills.

The BPM has some terrific moments, but the weak moments are maddening.um this time around, but it’s not my favourite from her.

---

Westerman

A Jackal’s Wedding

2025, 8/10
Will Westerman is clearly drawing from the 1980s, specifically from the moody, arty sound of artists like Peter Gabriel and David Sylvian. For his third album, he challenged himself to record in just five weeks. He was based at the Greek island of Hydra, in an 18th-century mansion/recording studio named The Old Carpet Factory. The record’s more organic and relaxed.

“I wanted to capture this moment in amber and not really mess with that too much.”

Will Westerman, Paste Magazine

Some of my favourites are the low-key, pretty moments like ‘Spring’ and ‘Nature of a Language’. Conversely, ‘Adriatic’ is surprisingly energetic and almost danceable.

A Jackal’s Wedding is another record of sophisticated, emotional pop from Westerman.

Read More

• 2025 albums on my to-do list
• New music reviews