You could argue that ‘X’s’ is Cigarette After Sex’s most consistent album of the three released so far. While the Texan band deliver their famed reverbed sound, similar lustful lyrics and reveal little desire to move the dial, the overall standard – more so when comparing each record’s weaker moments – is far raised.

The invisible presence of Donna Summer, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Diana Ross, and other goliaths of the so-called Motown sound is felt in every track here, in every scratch of the tape. Yet, Cottrill managed to completely rebuild these genres for herself, almost inventing a new one.

Put together, the disparate elements that make up ‘My Light, My Destroyer’ may betray the occasional influence, but combine to produce a singular world – one that is, at points, both deadly serious and funny, but always habitable.

If 2022 album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ represented a clearing of the decks, a shake-up from top to the bottom, then ‘Happenings’ continues this process. As times, it feels as though you’re caught in a snow-globe, being shaken up and down, from side to side – watching the pieces fall is a thrilling experience.

There’s no denying, though, that ‘LOOM’ does feel slight. In the era of weighty releases profiled for streaming audiences a mere 10 tracks does seem underwhelming – one song is actually repeated twice, but with added J Balvin for more impact. Far from a disaster, it’s an album that dares to be succinct, but also feels blunt.

With the success of his previous albums, Apollo could have easily stayed in the mainstream bedroom-pop genre, but the vulnerability and experimentation displayed on this album makes for an impressive, mature step forward in his career.

‘Bad Cameo’ rightly shines light on the craft, a soothing, extremely subtle song cycle that needs time for its labyrinth to be solved.

It’s a time capsule of how Cash was feeling in the early nineties and is a reminder of his immense talents as both a singer and a songwriter and serves as a poignant and career-defining moment of the Man in Black’s enduring musical legacy.

‘C,XOXO’ isn’t Cabello’s brat moment. A lack of refinement and direction is the burning issue at play here, but she has succeeded in making an inherently fun record.

At times it feels like Martin and Kamaru aren’t just making new music, but they’re trying to invent a new musical language. This is an album to connect with, on every level. Miss at your peril.

From the delicate orchestral arrangement of ‘Theme Parks’ to the frosty beats of ‘IRL’, the devil is in the detail on this pearl of a debut album.

The experience of touring, which she didn’t have at the release of her debut, is clearly heard in her bolder and more open delivery. Maybe ‘The Secret of Us’ is still not her Sour or 1989, yet she is firmly committed to making one someday.

The short and well-paced tracklist is likely to leave fans yearning for more. If Kehlani aimed to create a collision of the soul and mind, for the most part, they succeeded.

‘WeirdOs’ is one of the finest debut albums I’ve heard in a LONG time. It delivers more than the promise of their debut 7” ‘OGO’ and the ‘Slice’ EP suggested. The songs are absolute chonks.

A thriller from start to finish, Been Stellar’s ‘Scream From New York, NY’ is one of the most assured indie rock debuts to land on our desk this year. Focussed, concise, and rippling with incredible energy, it’s an assured 10-track statement that blends visceral melody with raw power, tapping into their live prowess while embracing the clinical control of the studio environment.

Arriving at 14 tracks spread over an hour, it would be remiss to mention that ‘Stung!’ might be a little on the long side (at least, at first), certainly their longest yet anyway. But with music this exhilarating, Pond’s buzz eventually lands a memorable sting.

While mostly pensive throughout, each moment on ‘Sonido Cosmico’ feels different from the other; each picture evoking something different from the imagination. It’s hard to find a track not to like here.

Not quite unshackling himself from the past, ‘always centered at night’ is a rewarding experience which will do much to push back unjust preconceptions.

‘Dopamine’ isn’t a raw confessional either but a balanced, art-directed exercise. It’s a debut that hits the programmed sweet spot, conversant with contemporary trends and greater RnB and soul traditions.

While ‘Model’ might just be the fourth installment for them, it’s clear that growing up together has allowed the members to fully play in on each other’s best qualities, resulting in a no-skips record.

Broad to the point of contradiction, it’s a record that covers a lot of bases, while lacking a singular purpose. It’s almost as if KNEECAP are enacting a cartoonish version of their own lives – it’s fun, but ultimately two-dimensional.

Ultimately, ‘The Art of The Lie’ is a perfect distillation of everything one yearns for in John Grant’s music; his golden baritone voice, icy electronic soundscapes, emotive balladry, sumptuous funk and phenomenal diction all remain intact on yet another fabulous album.

By final track ‘wasting’ the band have taken you on a long, winding journey – not all of it sticks, but the best material here ranks alongside Goat Girl’s finest work.

Such is the ability of Angélica to articulate herself through her songs, you don’t have to understand Spanish to appreciate this powerfully emotive album. A voice to be heard.

This an album that proves Kaytranada’s production skills to be limitless.

The magnificence of Lauryn Hill? The success of Sade? Tems is out there in a lane of her own.

‘I Hear You’ is a solid tribute to vintage house, brought cohesively together under Gou’s powerful artistic stamp. But, there’s a feeling we’ve already seen her best work – 2021’s gorgeous synth-wave single ‘I Go’ is included in this tracklist but is not rivalled, while tracks like ‘1+1=11’ sound a bit too close to Gou’s self-professed love for 90s German trance DJ, ATB.

Broad, in-depth, and held together by her singular sense of purpose, it’s time the world cherished this blossoming star.

On her sixth studio album, Charli XCX comfortably reaches into the extremes of her catalogue thus far, presenting one of her most subversive and conceptual bodies of work to date.

A weighty 20-track affair, it’s a record peppered with highlights.

The major success of ‘The Dream of Delphi’ lies in how Khan communicates with her daughter, which can resonate with many people.

‘In This City They Call You Love’ is an album of universal themes and tones, and one of Richard Hawley’s finest.

Granted space once more to create his own world, ‘Set The Tone’ is an enjoyable addition to one of rap’s core catalogues.

There are times when the producers’ imaginations seem to be tearing at the seams a little, pulling as they are in so many different directions at once. But these are minor critiques in an album which does so much so successfully, and whose ambitions soar so high above so many of its influences, that it more than makes up for the four-year wait.

There’s generally less immediacy on this record than seen on previous albums, and this will no doubt turn off a few fair-weather fans. The flip side is a band pushing its boundaries, grabbing some serious Warp artist vibes, and evolving into something more cinematic and mature.

Some may say Atwell could have opened up further, but there’s no doubt this is an album of depth which deserves repeat listens and which will be loved by her fans as well as enjoyed by newcomers.

‘Ramona Park…’ was a bravura work of therapy, a rap bildungsroman that crafted an entire world. More insular, ‘Dark Times’ is in many ways less accessible; that said, it refuses to let the quality dim, it’s endless stream of ideas enticing and perplexing in equal fashion. In emphatic style, rap’s foremost outlier demands your attention all over again.

The ruthlessly cohesive ‘Dark Superstition’ succeeding in nudging death metal’s borders open by a couple of inches. It’s as likely as any pure death metal album in recent memory to pull a ‘Sunbather’ and convert non-metal fans to its cause.

DIIV have refined their brooding vibe and produced as gorgeous a record as you’ll hear this year.

Moving further than ever from the sound of those initial solo albums, he seems to constantly reach out to new definitions. It doesn’t always land, but it’s incredibly brave; it also needs more than a few listens to truly absorb, and accept – on first listen, this writer couldn’t understand it at all.

Ferocious and feral yet exhilarating and energising, this is music that will reverberate through your bones. One to play loud and ignore the world outside. And boy do we need that right now.

‘AMANA’ walks the line of comfort, and the new; inviting us to come on the journey.

Shellac, across 28 minutes of beat-em-up mutant rock, are on fire here, the six-legged noise beast dependable as ever. ‘To All Trains’ showcases a rock band who get every single thing about being a rock band absolutely correct.

On ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’, it’s evident Eilish is conveying a musical restraint beyond her years, moulding a musical identity to her image and not the ephemeral pop game.

In taking this stripped-back approach, recognisable across the majority of the record, ZAYN lets his audience in more than ever before.

If perhaps lacking something as standout as ‘Mess Around’ or ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked’, it is a welcome return for the Kentucky rockers showing after nearly 20 years together they still know how to groove.

Despite a slight moment of monotony in the back-half, it’s a debut that succeeds in introducing their eclectic current set-up while also highlighting their huge future potential.

Here, Cook examines minimalism from all angles, embracing its ethos while not being scared to keep pushing the boundaries of his sonic experimentation.

It is an intriguing new chapter in the Villagers story that will reward listeners who spend some real time unwrapping it properly.

Bey channels the destabilising loss of her father and its attendant grief into something transcendent yet eminently relatable. ‘Ten Fold’, like the best journeying album, takes you along for the ride whilst serenading your anguish.

In ‘Postindustrial Hometown Blues’ they tell their story, but it’s a universal one. The sense of joy in using lyrics to express emotions is palpable, as is their humour. The duo use their musicality, shifting between soul and blues, punk and passion.

Not everything here lands, and at times the raucous performances can work against the songwriting, but when it connects, this album is ready to lay a haymaker on fans.

We have no right to expect a band to make a record this strong and vital almost three decades into their career. It’s full of piss and vinegar, but it’s full of desire, regret and love, too. Whatever the dismissive album title may tell you, Arab Strap very much still give a fuck.

Snotty, minimal, sparky; so much more than worth the wait. [Jun 2024, p.81]

A gorgeous example of her beautifully sombre world-building, ‘Here In The Pitch’ is another remarkable example of Jessica Pratt’s unique artistry.

This new album pinpoints some of Ibibio Sound Machine’s singular charms, reflecting the band’s live energy back at them. A decade on from their debut, the band remain a force to be reckoned with, a noble fixture on the landscape of British music landscape.

On ‘Fearless Movement’ he’s made something that doesn’t feel overpowering to begin with. Less is definitely more and the songs here pack more of a punch than anything he’s released so far.

In the constant struggle between hiding emotion and indulging in its depths publicly, Vu satisfyingly finds a way to prioritise reflection and release.

A thrilling, needle-to-the-red experience, ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ never sits in one place.

It’s hard not to feel like the lead singles live in their own sonic universe. The remaining album tracks, while lyrically co-ordinated, lack sonic cohesion.

Atmospherically broad, it moves from quiet sounding to the creation of something big and epic sounding. The emotional setting of each track changes a bit throughout, but it’s a record that is deeply connected.

Analog Africa has created a compilation that’s less esoteric than some previous releases and more focused feeling. It’s a fascinating time capsule into not only the artists and studios of the time but the cities themselves and the Congolese spirit as a whole—another must-buy for those who get a kick of uncovering long-lost musical treasures.

After the swelling synths of the album’s intro track, ‘Adulter8’ opens with a chip-tune alarm sound, and you kick your feet out of bed only to find the floor fall from under you, as shards of a euphoric bassdrum take over and fragments of haunted vocals dislocate you from any sense of direction.

The first 11 tracks are an exhilarating dip into some of J. Cole’s core tropes, a finessed exploration of where US rap is situated in 2024. .... Stylistically the production [on"7 Minute Drill"] is slightly out-of-step with the tape as a whole, but it taps into some of the project’s over-arching themes – self-worth, separating talent from hype – and feels more ingrained, really, than Kendrick’s own bars on the hit ‘n’ miss Metro Boomin and Future tape.

Authentic, uplifting and instantly enriching, ‘The Big Decider’ was absolutely worth the wait.

Ambitious, emotive, and completely open, it’s a gorgeous song cycle, drenched in jazz-leaning arrangements.

Enriching yet austere, its methodology seems to embody the title of a previous Claire Rousay song: ‘everything perfect is already here’.

There’s an unpredictable feeling to the way a lot of the songs unfurl and from a purely musical standpoint, they’ve never sounded more confident or finely tuned as a unit.

It’s nebulousness as an LP mirrors the queer experiences that created it – it’s cerebral, constantly in flux, refusing to be defined as any one thing.

Taken as a whole, this is an utterly brilliant, dependably polished listen, and one that is unquestionably up there with the best moments in this duo’s storied career.

On this record Fat White Family solidify their status as a one of Britain’s most unique voices, and ‘Forgiveness Is Yours’ is the strongest example yet of the band’s caustic creativity.

Pushing 50 Iron & Wine proves he still has much to say in a hypnotic record full of lush production, highlighting the warmth and timelessness of his vocals. If not one necessarily to win over new fans, this will delight longtime fans who have been along for the ride.

This latest set sees Clark back in domineering form. There’s not a second wasted on the album’s taut track list, the songwriter managing to balance her teenage inspirations simultaneously, go back to basics, and break new ground all at once.

Daring, experimental, and hugely addiction, Blue Lab Beats may just have delivered your summer soundtrack.

Towards the end of the album, tracks threaten to meld into each other, making for one big visceral haze of love-lamenting. But beat seekers should find their bag on dynamic tracks like ‘Florida!!!’, a thumping, bewitching collaboration with Florence + The Machine, ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,’ and triumphantly-erupting, more optimistic ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.’

It didn’t matter where it was, this writer and many other listeners have been able to get away from their troubles, even if just for a moment, and take a moment to breathe, and listen to this beautiful album.

The punchy ‘Drink N Dance’ utilises ominous 80s synths, while ‘This Sunday’ is potent, and atmospheric. ‘Gracious’ is carefully finessed, more evidence of the duo’s world-building techniques. That said, though, there’s a huge amount here that simply passes you by. ‘Always Be My Fault’ is meandering, lacking structure, while songs like ‘Luv Bad Bitches’ and ‘Mile High Memories’ lack substance.

‘Silence Is Loud’ is unafraid to look beyond this hyper-focussed lens. As such, you’ll encounter jazz and neo-soul vibes, alongside bass-bin rattlers galore.

For all their recent productivity and renaissance, A Certain Ratio are no closer to their zeitgeist moment. But with output as strong as this sitting alongside their back catalogue, they are all the stronger for it.

A fast-paced, immediate selection ‘Dark Matter’ easily ranks amongst Pearl Jam’s most straight-forwardly enjoyable releases.

More in keeping with the spirit of indie rock iconoclasts bar italia, say, than Autechre, it nonetheless feels wholly deserving of its place in the Warp Records catalogue – questing, free, and dissonant, it’s the work of a group who remain steadfast in their ability to challenge themselves.

Each track will find its moment to shine, granting the ability to grow and evolve over the seasons. Skimming just under the forty-minute mark, Khruangbin conclude with a focused and consistent body of work, making their long-awaited homecoming.

It’s METZ’s most confident record so far and a deafening reminder that art wasn’t designed to adhere to paint-by-numbers standards – it’s meant to bend until it breaks into something new.

Where Bodega do succeed is in serving up an entertaining, intellectual and heartfelt riposte to the broken systems that have engulfed our culture, albeit in a slightly less successful fashion than before.

While the playing is never less than exceptional – displaying Mark Knopfler’s assured rhythmic sensibility, and his lyrical lead styles – the arrangements on ‘One Deep River’ can sometimes falter.

Hard to say when each track on this album is ridiculously strong in its own right. Much like the artist behind them.

It’s evident that with ‘Yummy’ that the band’s appetite for creating music remains unsated and it sees the band at their most creative and progressive, delivering an impressive and thought-provoking body of work that can easily be ranked as one of their best.

Each note feels necessary, each word feels heartfelt – in chipping away at the excess to reveal these personal snapshots, Maggie Rogers has unlocked something very special indeed.

A step beyond 2022’s ‘Superache’, ‘Found Heaven’ stretches Conan Gray’s pop template once more. Often emotive, it lingers on his truth while relishing synth-pop immediacy.

‘Only God Is Above Us’ is an elegant summation of the band’s journey and strengths – of joy, sincerity and a feeling of believing in and offering calm amongst the chaos.

As with all their output, ‘Ohio Players’ is a few tracks longer than necessary (the cover of William Bell’s ‘I Forgot To Be Your Lover’ is superfluous) but otherwise finds the duo in spirited form.

The resulting record leaves the listener feeling power alongside their anger, and brings a fresh and compelling blend of punk, rock, grime and rap together in an experimental way.

As both a treatise and a sonic testament, ‘COWBOY CARTER’ is its own triumph; unmoored in form, space and time, it’s the work of a preternatural talent painstakingly poring over every word, stratified vocal, sample and stylistic flourish.

Whilst we aren’t handed the next chapter of The Libertines story on a platter, the beauty and tumult of the band is in the subtext. It’s in John Hassall and Gary Powell joining Barat and Doherty’s mythic duo on vocals for the first time on ‘Man With The Melody’. It’s in the closer, ‘Songs They Never Played On The Radio’, which was born in 2006 and finished for ‘All Quiet…’, one of the most beautiful Libertines songs of all time.

The album is Kelly Moran’s finest work to date and really shows why she is in a league of her own. She is moving in her own field.

Long in gestation, ‘Mother’ feels finessed, her technical skills as a producer aligned to a gut instinct for what works in a club environment. Deftly pieced together, this feels like one of 2024’s most assured and enjoyable electronic records.

Ride seem to be embrace and move past their illustrious past, resulting in one of the most finessed, intriguing albums of their career to date.

With ‘Evolution’ it feels like this has been an album she has been itching to make and she has done so with wisdom, purpose and candour. Truly compelling, her artistry and perspective will make us all open our eyes a little bit wider whilst continuing to hanker after the beautiful human experience.