These new songs see González deepening his palette with subtle gradations, his response to a chaotic world reassuringly measured yet still heartfelt. [May 2026, p.84]

Overall, a compelling set clearly completed in the aftermath of a storm. [May 2026, p.87]

This is the message of Barnett’s fourth: that a blind leap of faith is better than wearing a further groove into your rut; that actually, if it is broke, you should fix it. Because perhaps songs as rewarding as those on Creature Of Habit are waiting on the other side of such a change. [May 2026, p.85]

The Twilight Sad’s first album since reducing to founding duo James Graham and Andy MacFarlane yields the most powerful version of the band’s cathartic soundworld. [May 2026, p.92]

Flea proves to be a nice rather than barnstorming trumpeter, allbeit a subtly ambitious sone: witness his Chet Bakerish take on Funkadelic's Maggot Brain. But ultimately, he respects the collectivist energies of the LA scene he's infiltrated. [May 2026, p.84]

Daunting? Yes. Fun and engaging? That too. [Apr 2026, p.86]

A deceptively simple set of songs that manage to explore his Southern roots while sounding as if they've always been around. [May 2026, p.84]

The track I See Red radiates synth euphoria but the Pet Shop Boys-ish Death In London and single Kingdom Undersea are more about introspection than rapture. [May 2026, p.88]

Some of the 22 tracks teeter on the edge of pure corn. [May 2026, p.86]

Ultimately, Transmitter is a quiet beauty. [May 2026, p.86]

Its [an eccentric take on the Stones' Wild Horses] unlikely beauty is typical of Taylor's bold approach here. [May 2026, p.85]

High Noon Hymns is possibly the Ryders' most directly activistic LP of all, from the title itself through to the anti-Trump sentiments of Four Winters Away and the T. Rex-powered Stand A Little Further In The Fire. [May 2026, p.87]

In turning inward, back to their own natural successors, Tinariwen have made a fine tenth album befitting of that milestone. [Apr 2026, p.86]

Besides A Sympathetic Person's skippable spoken-word intro, every move lands securely, with melody and frontman Ramon Shanker further assets. [Apr 2026, p.90]

It's to the band's credit, then, that Only You Left spins in its own unpredictable orbit, pulling out new mysteries from their off-centre helix of goth, shoegazing and post-punk. [Apr 2026, p.85]

It all conjures visions of student unrest, mud-strewn festivals and the pink island label, and the chutzpah and belief at work make it pretty much irresistible. [Apr 2026, p.89]

As closing track Assagasswar fades out, we are left with a synthetic breeze, the sound of the 21st century Sahara. [Feb 2026, p.89]

Another vibrant, joyful, fun rock'n'roll record, albeit 'fun' with a slighter smaller 'f'. .... The music world is a better place for having The Black Crowes and A Pound Of Feathers in it. [Apr 2026, p.82]

It seems to have been compiled via the randomness of fridge poetry, but that's a strength rather than a weakness. [Mar 2026, p.96]

Musically satisfying. [Apr 2026, p.93]

The guests - six singers including Belle And Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch and SFA's Gruff Rhys - seem attuned to Wasylyk's rising star, all sounding suitably entranced and inspired. [Apr 2026, p.93]

While Oldham frames his Bonnie 'Prince' Billy alias as a group name this time out, it's a collaboration which enhances his long-running idiosyncrasies rather than blandifies them. [Apr 2026, p.92]

In Of The Earth he has slipped its bonds almost entirely, crafting a holistic, electro-acoustic world music that defies categorisation. [Apr 2026, p.89]

Crooked Fingers' downcast Americana hues always felt like Bachmann's most commercially potent mode, a point Swet Deth proves time and again. [Apr 2026, p.91]

With [producer Justin] Raisen, she creates a powerhouse sound, one that twists so it can't be easily "curated", labeled, boiled down for vibes. [Apr 2026, p.87]

Forgotten outfits like The Romans and Mod Fun come on like the '60s band Thomas Pynchon invented in The Crying Of Lot 49, but the prevailing geekdom suggests a scene that's ultimately as indie and introverted as our own C86. [Apr 2026, p.98]

GENA craft deliciously anachronistic R&B, rewiring the lushness and melodic complexity of '70s soul and funk for the post-Dilla era. [Apr 2026, p.91]

West's intimations of mainstream modern pop sit alongside the less direct and impressionistic. [Mar 2026, p.89]