As with all Dan Deacon albums, 'America' is a challenging listen and at times the sheer amount of things going on becomes a bit much, however it is also a supremely powerful album from a musician at the very top of his game.

On ‘Motordrome’ she returns fresh and reinvigorated. No longer simply living to survive, MØ is having fun being herself.

As expected, the album’s only low moment comes with the introduction of vocals on ‘Richie Sacramento’. Thankfully, this doesn’t last long. The group are soon back on top of things with the majestic ‘Drive The Nail’ and we’re instantly transported back to their uniquely-formed wonderland.

It’s not quite the full spectrum of colours, but there’s an ambitious scale within its palette that allows Arca to craft the textural masterpiece that Xen quite often hints at being.

In her journey to rediscover her own strength Banoffee has created a remarkable pop opus unquestionably destined to empower the marginalised.

Darkness and doom prevail. Just how enjoyable that is depends entirely on how much you are prepared to embrace the darkness, and to submit to Ethel Cain’s semi-fictional world.

‘Music’ is clean listening at its finest. The formula works well but that doesn’t mean the LP is lacking in surprises.

While Muncie Girls might tread relatively familiar musical territory on From Caplan to Belsize, it’s Hekt’s acerbic, no-frills lyricism that shines brightest.

Bolder, brighter and better than ever, Waiting A Lifetime is the sound of a band having fun being free.

With overwhelming confidence the Brooklyn-based trio present 11 songs of unerring quality and an almost uncountable numbers of flicks and tricks.

The diary-entry nature of Bea’s songwriting - over twelve tracks she dips into hair dye as empowerment (‘Dye It Red’), self-harm via blistering highlight ‘Charlie Brown’, and a not-particularly-well-hidden reference to her boyfriend in ‘Horen Sarrison’ - makes the fuzzy, bubblegum grunge of ‘Fake It Flowers’ a perfect brooding soundtrack.

Much of his recent work remains underrated, but by ‘Monuments…’, he was beginning to sound a little short on ideas; happily, the simplicity of Ogilala seems as if it’s rejuvenated him.

At 71 captivating minutes, ‘Heavy Pendulum’ provides a touchstone, alongside new-wave, disruptive tracks that seek to tell tales of political turmoil, the ‘new reality’ of grief and posthumous brotherhood. A long-overdue homecoming.

CLAMM may not be the first group to venture out into the fuzzy Australian wilderness, but with Beseech Me, they’ve shown they might just be the best.

While Horsegirl aren’t presenting groundbreaking musical ideas, on this joyful second outing the band clearly aren’t shying away from new sonic personas.

It's not noise for noise's sake--it's melodic. It's quiet at points, frantic at others. It's dark, it's messy, it's a dank and smelly basement.

There’s little doubt that she’s not finished yet--We Slept At Last gives hints of an artist who could go on for decades, so long as she continues to transport everyday souls into different worlds.

Pairing this with sincere lyricism and soaring musicianship, ‘A Quickening’ emerges as Orlando Weeks’ most personal record by far, and is nothing short of stunning.

This time, the fiery furnace powering their new record comes from slashing open every membrane; letting ideas wildly collide like supercharged, excitable atoms. Brushstrokes and processes are all over this record.

It’s woozy, dreamlike bliss and Mauro Remmidi owns it well.

A fresh, vital take on what post-hardcore can sound like in 2025.

A weird and wonderful new offering.

Kai James’ overt framing of the album acts as a sort of meta literary device, immediately establishing its character and concept (namely, himself and his own mental ill-health) with the narrative nous of fellow Aussie Courtney Barnett. Indeed, over the course of the next ten tracks, it’s as if you’ve been transposed directly into James’ frontal cortex.

It’s a record that’s well-travelled, that’s absorbed a whole myriad of influence and taken two years to digest it into something cohesive. But, impressively, it’s a record that still holds its identity despite all the ideas it’s binding together.

A gorgeous, luscious Eels record, sounding every bit as familiar as any of that suggests, the country-tinged guitars, the organs, piano, sprinkling of xylophone and those comfortingly gravelly vocals in which the world's in love.

It’s refined, mature and an affirmation of the levels she could reach, on a similar path to star labelmates Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski and Japanese Breakfast.

Proffering intimate lyrics on private grief and personal growth (‘Erase’ finds inspiration in the lifecycle of a moth) with the most gorgeously purified vocal shimmer; it’s the cherry that tops this most satisfying of releases, destined to be set on repeat.

This is hyperactive music, pushed to its limits.

While ‘The Hum’ proved a logical step forward for Hookworms, ‘Microshift’ pays little attention to the script, and is all the more thrilling for it.

A supremely intricate record which unfolds further with every listen - much like the brooding build of ‘In Birdsong’ - the band’s fifth album is, at times, a shadowy beast, and it’s sure to leave a mark.

These songs will inevitably end up stuck in their heads. In short, it’s bloody lovely.

‘High Risk Behaviour’ is a record that’s bound to solidify The Chats’ name as a truly unique proposition.

‘Dark Rainbow’ sounds like many of the best bits of each of their previous records. From rousing opener ‘Honey’ to the soft ballad closer of ‘A Dark Rainbow’, there’s a familiarity without ever feeling rehashed; that is to say existing fans will be pleased, while any new ears this falls on should want to hear more.

To Be Kind is a unique and wonderful achievement from a unique and wonderful band.

With this record Hopkins has finally succeeded in putting on record a definitive statement of his musical vision and ideas.

‘The Weightless Hour’ is a mature record that sounds completely at peace with its place in life.

There’s so much going on here that it can be borderline overwhelming. It’s a record that’s enigmatic, a little deceptive in places, and thoroughly gripping throughout.

A great album full of slightly haywire, unpretentious pop music.

hite Lung sound absolutely enormous on Deep Fantasy, and it's a testament to their stamina and technical abilities that they just do not let up on the pace.

At times bleak and nigh on disturbing yet always thick with complexity, it's a record which takes many, many listens to get to grips with and rewards repeat listens with almost unbelievable depth.

An album that manages to be poignant and pointed without sacrificing any of its unabashed sparkle, ‘Vicious Creature’ adds even more dimension to the Chvrches singer; a sonic origin story that’s been well worth the wait.

Even as they strain between varying poles, Frigs still manage to find moments of great, if sombre, beauty. That’s not basic at all.

Its follow-up shows a more skilful outfit--it’s unmistakably Hinds, but souped up and more dynamic.

'2:54' is the sound of two Fallen Angels back to steal what's left of your soul; it's sultry, it's mischievous, and it's damn near magnificent.

This album brings innovation just when The Japanese House began to need it, and hopefully points to more creative exploration in the future.

In astrology, Jupiter is usually said to represent growth, healing and good fortune, and here, Nao’s fourth more than lives up to its moniker.

Social despondency and visceral frustration run throughout ‘I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep’, a masterful soundtrack to a failing society - one that carries even more weight as we redefine community, connection and togetherness.

There’s an expert tenderness to her stories and their delivery, one cut through by often-unexpected melodic switches. Her ability to hold back, to seemingly cut a track short, brims with confidence.

William Doyle is unafraid to bring intellectualism into pop while never letting it feel like an exercise. And ‘Your Wilderness Revisited’ shows that he's kept his knack for mixing the two into a heady blend that’s easy to get lost in.

Emotional yet playful, soft yet strong, Happyness newest is the sound of a band fully settled in their own skin.

Naturally, one would not expect a band whose breakthrough consisted of a list of physical activities spouted over rumbling post-punk to view ‘switching things up’ in an academic way, but the – whisper it – whimsy that runs through ‘viagr aboys’ is plenty to widen audiences’ expectations of the group.

The record is peppered with slower solo tracks, but it’s the crunchy, full band material that really points the way forward, adding another name to the growing list of songwriters that are giving indie-rock a new, more relatable voice.

A glorious running of pure pop’s emotional gamut, ‘The Good Witch’ is an accomplished, bewitching listen.

‘I Inside the Old Year Dying’ will likely take some time to fully unravel, but on the surface, it looks like a daring return.

It may not rock the boat stylistically, with her influences always ever-present, but ‘Time Bend And Break The Bower’ is an experience worth immersing yourself in by unravelling the meaning or just following Sinead’s lead down the rabbit hole.

There is a mesmeric quality to the production on the soothing ‘Vista’, while ‘I Don’t Know What To Save’ builds from a sparse, almost whispered vocal delivery to a euphoric chorus.

The fire will simmer out, and one day this record will sound ridiculously dated, but for the time being it is everything 2013 requires.

‘Cracker Island’ is very much a set piece that prioritises concept and narrative, resulting in one of Gorillaz’s most restrained, contemplative releases yet - one that will perhaps appeal to fans of Albarn’s solo work more than devotees of his monkeys’ more genre-hopping forays.

Capturing the highs and lows of womanhood via catchy pop, ‘Sorry I’m Late’ may have been a long time coming (see what she did there), but it’s worth the wait.

Local Natives deliver a tale of affection deeply rooted in the realism of love, not just in romance but in life.

Abysmal Thoughts is still a frenetic blend of surf rock and new wave, but it also feels daring, languid at some moments and breakneck at others.

Richly detailed and supremely defined, Half Of Where You Live is a wonderfully vivid follow up from a producer at the top of his game.

The mixtape allows space for this experimentation, jumping from one emotion to the next, yet finds consistency in Biig Piig’s inability to stand still.

On Jaded & Faded, Cerebral Ballzy sound more visceral and raw than ever before--they’ve ditched the radio-ready gleam, the whole thing sounds recorded in an abandoned crack den on a half-broken tape player, and they’re all the better because of it.

Debut album ‘WeirdOs’ cements the pair as one of the UK’s most intriguing newcomers. The record is pretty succinct at under 40 minutes, but the twists and turns it takes give it staying power.

This album only re-affirms his unique and inimitable talent.

While we’ve not heard Nick’s vocals out front before, those frantic fretwork and well-trodden chord changes work like an aural comfort blanket. Yet this is no carbon-copy.

Whilst it's a shame we've had to wait the best part of a decade for this collection of songs there is rejoicing in the fact these have been released to the musical world. There is little that will trouble MTV playlist compilers but much to satisfy soul-deprived purists.

From this new personal phase, Flume’s latest techno-charged offering upscales the drops, fidgety distortion and replay value that has proved a constant in his playbook.

A innovative, inventive joy, Crawl Space is a bold first album from an artist likely to stick around for the long haul.

Life-changing? Perhaps not. Life-affirming, on the other hand? You betcha.

Distractions is a highly intelligent, subtle and thoroughly immersive record. Each hook and strained vocal witholds a considered approach that is testament to the brittle nature of the music that Sauna Youth create.

On ‘FEVEREATEN’, Witch Fever are relentless in their pursuit of textural and sonic intricacies, dancing through eerie, Midsommar-esque soundscapes to vividly paint their sonic vision.


Never overstaying its welcome, and always intriguingly structured, the lights might have come up, but the Belfast duo want to remind us that the memories and communities aren’t going anywhere.

Pulling together synth, strings and warped melodies, the love song [‘Winter Is Hopeful’] is tender yet distant, disarming yet comforting, discordant yet oddly harmonious - the way this album sounds.

It's loveable, thrilling and properly innovative.

Their ambition is never in doubt though, and Everything Now brings some of their most sky-reaching moments yet.

Underlining everything is a sense that he’s playing to his musical strengths, both in terms of the way he incorporates so many aspects of his sonic calling card; droll lyricism, field recordings, off-kilter melodies, and a general sense that he’s having the analog and the electronic meet at deliberately awkward junctures - making it all the more impressive when, counterintuitively, the kind of clashes that define ‘Nightmare Scenario’ or ‘Starlight’ actually work strikingly well.

And while, perhaps, this more reflective musing on American life wasn’t quite what we’d come to expect from The Killers, ‘Pressure Machine’ does prove that not all escapism arrives with a hook-laden chorus. This is an album which invites you to dig a little deeper.

With it, The Beths find their most focused sound yet in the midst of uncertainty.

Notes may be reached, riffs rinsed, stop-start moments choreographed, but nothing’s being reached for, on appearance, at least--it’s all so brilliantly effortless.

On their third LP, Two Vines, the band continues to make glossy retro-futurist pop, creating a world of synthesizers and keyboards that feels both primeval and modern at once.

This record still feels raw, it still feels intimate, but a little more bold in its sentiments. It’s in those moments of bravery and risk that Rice still stands worthy of his heart-wrenching troubadour title.

Big Grrrl Small World is an intentionally intense listen – Lizzo’s physical presence (a black woman,“statuesque and big as hell”) is placed meticulously front and centre.

They continue to create and deliver captivatingly unique songs, further cementing themselves as one of the most exciting bands in British alternative rock.

It was already clear from his near-decade of huge DJ sets around the world, but this album cements Daniel Avery as one of the best.

Despite what the album’s plain, monochromatic cover art might suggest, this is a warm, textured collection of songs that breathes life at every corner. A real triumph.

Reinvigorated after a so-so initial comeback in 2012, and with their notorious fire burning once again, ‘in•ter a•li•a’ sees At The Drive In returning with an album that’s worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder alongside their revered back catalogue.

Familiars may not be as obviously fervently intense as their previous work but the truth is its emotional weapons have just been wrapped in a beautiful bow.

As you’d expect, there are bleeps and bloops aplenty, but underneath it all is a sexy, if slightly bizarre, groove.

Permission to sprinkle Big Sounds over their insta-recognisable songwriting might not have been something they’d allow themselves in the past, but here it transforms what could’ve easily been ‘churning out more of the same’ into 21st Century alt-pop bangers.

sity. Dayve Hawke has created a record that's as graceful (sorry) as it is mighty.

This is the first Hot Snakes record since 2004 and it sounds every inch as if it was formed in the same mould as the last three, despite all of the work that John and Rick have done together and apart since then.

The result is a deeply personal album, at once beautiful and mournful, and rarely straightforward.

Trick manages to blend melancholy and unsettling weirdness with a strange, uplifting sense of hope.

There is a lot to take in here but certainly a lot of fun to be had in the process as well.

It’s everything you wouldn’t expect and more.

Star-spangled and confident AF he may be second time around, the Declan of yore isn’t quite lost in a sea of sequins. ‘Zeros’ is a lot of fun.