A loving feat of minimalist yet atmospheric collaboration, executed with exquisitely controlled restraint. [Oct 2025, p.133]

It has been five years since their last studio album proper, and with The Wilderness, Explosions In The Sky have created something very special indeed.

Staples is in strong voice throughout, yet on All Over Again, the closing folk blues look back on a lfe lived without regrets, she sings even lower than usual, sounding her age--impossibly wise and dignified. A fitting end to a great record.

It succeeds by drawing in the listener and urging them to do some interpretative work. [Mar 2026, p.103]

Howard’s voice is at its best when doing that kind of Arethra/Irma Thomas-ish stuff, and where the band uses simple dynamics, rather than density, to showcase the song.

With seamless storytelling through its 34 songs, magical moments of intricate instrumental interplay abound, magnified by an orchestra and massed choirs, while a template for the staging of a musical production sees the principals realising a grandiose next-step in their creative development.

A joyous blend of dumb fun and sonic smarts with the talent that Stevens has been peddling for nearly 20 years to glue them together, this feels a fresh start in a career that didn’t exactly need one. Somehow, a wonderful surprise. Wow.

It all adds up to reaffirm that The Unthanks are among the most quietly accomplished groups around.

Just when you're thinking Saint Etienne can't possibly maintain such high standards after three decades, The Night begins to turn your head around. [Feb 2025, p.105]

All very highbrow and ambitious for sure, yet despite portentous advance warnings of material involving fallen angels, the Garden Of Eden and Dante-ish visions of Hell, songs such as the plaintive Morningstar and the Buddy Holly-aping rattle of Letting Me Out quickly prove Hart’s still more than capable of channelling his lofty ideals through good ol’ verse-chorus-verse.

The ball keeps rolling. A rare hushed ditty, That Was My Brain On elves, is surreal and witty. The other five have muddy, chunky basslines and spearing guitars. [May 2026, p.102]

This is an album which doesn't reveal its secrets all at once, and instead invites you to spend time with it. [Nov 2024, p.101]

Listening now, it’s easier to understand. Buffed to perfection by Scott Litt and John Keane, Out Of Time is a proudly pop album that demands new audiences. ... For hardcore fans, the extra material is a full but mixed bag.

The album isn’t radically different from the five other records Motörhead have made with Webb since Inferno, in 2004.

A soulful set of tunes that includes a lush, laid back version of Georgia On My Mind that oozes a languorous eroticism.

The musical equivalent of a super-caffeinated espresso laced with Jack Daniels.

The Big Decider spins and struts with the joie de vivre of old, statements of intent provided by crunchy opener Creeping On The Dancefloor and Pauline, another groove-infused witty ode to a difficult woman, cut from the same cloth as Valerie. [May 2024, p.105]

The music on II is undoubtedly a gorgeous trip, but it's a sound which many producers have caught up with in the last decade. [Aug 2024, p.104]

A sublime soundtrack for summer nights. [Sep 2025, p.104]

It's not that the music is especially innovative, but songs such as Darkness Always Wins and Like A Woman Can sound highly compelling, thanks in part to frontwoman Lzzy (sic) Hale's commanding presence. [Nov 2025, p.96]

Like Iommi jamming with Bonham, Melvins duo Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover lay down the uncompromising riff-rock they’ve been prolifically perfecting since the 80s. Mars Volta axeman Omar Rodriguez- Lopez is the most muted talent present, resigned as he is to bulldozing basslines, so you’ll find none of his trademark proggy noodling here, which is probably for the best. And Gender Bender? Her fierce vocal dexterity channels the spirits of Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Plant, KatieJane Garside, Donita Sparks and even Russell Mael.

By the spangled keyboards, spectral funk and squalling sax of closing pair Toots and Teeth, Van Dinther has successfully forged his own new personal universe, showing jazz’s original questing spirit still alive, kicking and able to make new sonic waves.

Charming, heart baring, polish-free and not buffed beyond recognition. Alive, basically. A pleasure.

Throughout, The Clientele’s mellifluous breeziness accommodates fresh sounds without signs of strain.

The songs aren’t always resolved and have an element of hit-or-miss jam around the edges, but they are thrilling at times.

The unpromising combinations separate rather than coalesce. The talented, pugilistic youngster’s best feels yet to come.

A Splash Of Colour will resonate most with those who frequented the Groovy Cellar on a Friday night. The rest might find that three discs is an overdose.

Westerman has crafted a collection of songs steeped in nostalgia and simplicity. [Jan 2026, p.103]