Strong Stones in the '80s vibes set the tone. [May 2023, p.95]

[Ben Gregory's] emergence from psychiatric treatment to go solo has restored ambition, engineering a starling psychodrama, both spiritual and musical. [Jun 2023, p.87]

The cumulative effect is lulling and hypnotic. [Jun 2023, p.89]

A delightful album. [Apr 2023, p.82]

Villagers lives in its own hermetic and compelling space; it's not too late to pay a visit. [Jul 2023, p.84]

A furiously funky soundtrack to impending doom. [Aug 2023, p.85]

As The Murlocs wave their freak-flag high, the party raves on via the taut Southern rock riffage of Common Sense Civilian and Russian Roulette's rogue Farfisa. [Aug 2023, p.78]

Stylistic touchstones veer toward the William Blake's 7 weird of Julia Holter, Henry Cow and Julie Tippetts' prog-jazz outlier Sunset Glow. Incomprehensible/irresistible. [Sep 2023, p.87]

Expansive, restless, subtly volatile, Radio red is intriguing enough to keep it locked. [Sep 2023, p.84]

A slinky, soulful, witty, mid-paced affair. [Oct 2023, p.81]

The story arc LeBlanc has stitched into the songs never get in the way of sheer enjoyment of the tunes he's created. Grand concepts are a tricky move for any artist, but LaBlanc pulls it off with plomb. [Dec 2023, p.91]

If life's what you make it, here Anderson makes it sound very beautiful indeed. [Dec 2023, p.92]

From top to bottom, what a joy it is. [Jan 2024, p.88]

Nau isn't especially original, but he is especially beguiling. These are songs to luxuriate in. [Feb 2024, p.89]

There are 808s and sensory synths galore, but it's the powerful message and those voices - tough soulful leads and contrastingly sweet gospel harmonies - that hold sway here. [Mar 2024, p.87]

This cool and stylish record should make the jazz best-of-year lists. [Apr 2024, p.90]

The songwriting's uniformly exceptional, the messaging on-the-nose and inspiring - and boy, can he still play guitar. [Apr 2024, p.82]

Love In Constant Spectacle is watchful rather than showy, its songs not boxing up one simple mood at a time but sitting with their uncertainty. Nuance might be going out of fashion in the world outside, but in here, Weaver speaks it fluently. [May 2024, p.83]

What might be their best yet. All the various elements of Joe's songs are here. [May 2024, p.88]

Y'Y shows his fluid piano technique - a hard to quantify mix of Monk, Ibrahim, Corea and Shipp - let loose on looping patterns that trace ever more surprising arcs and mood variations. [Jun 2024, p.88]

Thompson’s extraordinary, lyrical guitar playing squirts out in occasional Day-Glo flashes, but the magic remains in his ability to keep his little microcosmos tightly marshalled. Bleak midwinter 4 EVA; spring forever unsprung. [Jul 2024, p.82]

Hawley continues to enchant. [Jul 2024, p.85]

Stewart's mental health struggles delayed work, but the finished product distils personal pain into a powerful mix of Scott 3 and the Care Bears. [May 2024, p.84]

It is sentimental and raw, demented and ultimately reaffirming. [Aug 2024, p.81]

McFarlane inhabits her songbook, eking out fresh meanings and truths. Unashamedly old-school backing from a core quartet of Giacomo Smith (sax), Joe Webb (piano), Ferg Ireland (bass) and Jas Kayser (drums) plays to her storytelling gifts. [Aug 2024, p.84]

A haunting meditation on the state of America in the age of Trumpery (How I Wish) is the highlight, preceding the title track’s rousing gospel call to civil rights action. In contrast, she also documents the intimate and personal (Nothing Personal). [Aug 2024, p.89]

A quietly entrancing atmosphere is sustained throughout. [Jul 2024, p.84]

It’s a non-stop cavalcade of chá-chá-chá (including flute worthy of Orquesta Aragón) and mambo that should bring any dancer out of their shell. [Sep 2024, p.92]