He Squeezes endless crescendos into numerous mastered genres, from the no-wave funk of "Jerskin Fendrix Freestyle" to surprise post-rock hurricanes on "Sk1". The straight-talking piano ballads, meanwhile, contain almost too much grief and joy to bear. [Nov 2025, p.32]

Shards of pure folk goodness poke through the ambitious, abstract arrangements on tracks like "Life's Work" and "Surviving You". [Nov 2025, p.33]

Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas' latest masterpiece is dense but unfathomably gorgeous. [Nov 2025, p.28]

Here, on "Afraid" and "Theo", she articulates her feelings in lush folk ballads, whose effortless warmth belie the challenges facing Wasner. [Nov 2025, p.32]

Hopefully, no one other than Eno and Wolfe will use the term "nong" (non-song) to describe this bridge between the Summer's ambient Lateral and song-based Luminal. Nonetheless, these 11 songs occupy that space successfully, whether Wolfe's voice is filling out Eno's eerie soundscapes as a textural but poetic component ("Little Boy") or mere embellishment (the slow-motion "Flower Women"), or conjuring Julee Cruise ("Part Of Us"). [Dec 2025, p.30]

Exuberant opener "Sushi And Coca-Cola" signals Philip Janeway's intention to loosen up, which he reiterates in the "I saw the light" refrain of "Ooo Wee". The band morphs into The Four Tops on "Nothing More Lonely". [Nov 2025, p.39]

They've reverted to broader strokes on their self-titled follow-up. If few musical envelopes are pushed, the pounding melodic rock of "Like I Had Before" is irresistible, and will sound huge live. [Dec 2025, p.31]

In looking to ramp up their sound for bigger stages, the Galway trio have adopted a polished style of shoegaze in place of the earthy charm that won them admirers such as Robert Smith. This suits the muscular new songs of Julie Dawson. [Dec 2025, p.36]

Disquiet is a marathon - it's more than three hours long - but every minute matters. [Nov 2025, p.35]

Vivid and unsettling [Dec 2025, p.33]

Ana Kravanja, Iztok Koren and Samo Kutin plays sympathetically, but they're also careful enough not to homogenise, each voice finding its own space in which to speak. [Dec 2025, p.36]

A fine record. .... The title track and "Come As You Are" are creations of Jimmy Webb-ish sumptuous lachrymony. [Nov 2025, p.35]

It's a chronological trip, serving as a scrapbook of memories for Gedge himself, borne out by his lively track-by-track annotation. [Nov 2025, p.51]

11 raw but gorgeously melodic songs. .... One of the least cliched [breakup] records you're ever likely to hear. [Nov 2025, p.31]

While diligently pursuing McCaslin's own vision, this could be an extra disc on Bowie's I Can't Give Everything Away boxset, breathing the same excited, expanding air. [Nov 2025, p.35]

It's a little disorienting at times, but it's a vibrant and varied listen nevertheless. [Nov 2025, p.35]

It all sounds like prime Jennings, all twinkling swagger on such upbeat tracks as "After The Ball", and bruised pride on the exquisite ballads. [Nov 2025, p.47]

Electric glitches and intriguing lyrics add to a quietly seductive package. [Nov 2025, p.27]

Some of the best moments involve lesser-known artists, such as The Mad Lads tearing through "Don't Have To Shop Around" and Wendy Rene Delivering a superlatively funky "Bar-B-Q". [Sep 2025, p.50]

While there's a little less shouting than usual going on, a more laconic American influence serves the well when Charlie Steen's drawl lends the title track's electro-pop textures a Dandy Warhols feel, and "Lampiao" channels an LCD-style tale of gangster mythology. [Nov 2025, p.36]

McKenzie tries to have it both ways, peppering Freak Out City with schlocky tunes like the title track and "Too Young" that fail to deliver comedically or musically. [Sep 2025, p.33]

These are songs ripe for revisiting. [Oct 2025, p.35]

Tim Wheeler's flair for crashing power-chord melodies and happy-sad lyrics remain undimmed. .... Graham Coxon makes two slight but likable cameo appearances. [Nov 2025, p.28]

Quite a lavish package. It includes some very rough demos from Headley Grange. .... Both the high-water mark of the prog concept album, and the most potent example of the genre's glorious, boundless absurdity. [Nov 2025, p.40]

The gradual brightening of "Living" feels like some form of private epiphany; "Streetlights And Stars" and "Friend Zone" take on a pale cinematic grandeur. The latter proves Shires' playfulness is still intact. [Nov 2025, p.32]

You could mount an argument that these are the definitive performances, although that probably isn’t the point – the idea is to view these time-honoured tunes from a surprising new vantage point. Whatever, you leave Mulatu Plays Mulatu in reverence. Astatke’s status – as gifted musician, visionary bandleader and eternal innovator – is forever assured. [Nov 2025, p.34]

Based On The Best Seller is a high water mark. [Nov 2025, p.39]

While "Choir In The Wires" showcases Watson's forte for lustrous, wide-scope chamber pop, more characteristic is the gentle hush of "House On Fire". [Nov 2025, p.39]