Ross Horton
A laugh track might be a cheap way of making something or someone seem more impressive than they actually are, but this album is the total opposite – a clear and consistent exercise in true class from a band who clearly haven’t lost a step, they just took a few stray ones.
Indie rockers aim to deliver the definitive rock album of the century while paying homage to rock’s rich history with a fresh perspective.
His 29th album is easily his strongest in decades, and a testament to his resilience and seemingly endless creative capacity.
Concepts like this would be tacky, or at least redundant, in the hands of lesser artists. As it is, Cabral and her band have taken what could have been a disaster and turned it into her best work. A stunning, unexpected album from an artist to keep a very close eye on.
It’s a fantastic example of how artists can still come to a project with tonnes of contextual flavour that they want to include and not have it overpower the entire dish. STRUGGLER is superb, with the distinct feeling that there’s still more to come.
The returning four-piece’s ninth album is a captivating sonic journey that offers proof of their ability to blend genres, experiment with sound and deliver thought-provoking moments.
Impressive, but the full power isn’t on display.
A showcase of The Strokes guitarist’s growth as a musician, with a grab-bag approach and unexpected collaborations drawing inspiration from his solo work and his band’s career.
Josh Homme and co return with a heavy collection that reminds potently of past glories.
The post-punks’ second album juxtaposes delicate melodies and introspective moments with bursts of raw energy.
As they continue to challenge conventions and push boundaries, while still being utterly and completely themselves, Protomartyr stand tall as a testament to the enduring spirit of innovation that defines Detroit's rich musical history.
Billy Corgan’s 33-track rock opera monster is finally offered up in its complete form. But when taken in individual pieces it works much better.
First Two Pages Of Frankenstein is the second consecutive album that lives up to the very accusation The National’s detractors have been making about them from the start: they’re actually, frequently, rather boring.
Monstrously long it undoubtedly is, but it is also their most consistent work since the ‘Black Album’, and features some of their most creative work to date.
Another lovely album from Damon Albarn features a characteristically wide range of sympathetic collaborators, from Thundercat and Beck to Stevie Nicks and Bad Bunny.
While it’s not his greatest studio album, or even his best since the turn of the millennium, Mercy is a great example of all that Cale does well, and a real triumph. It's one of the most tonally consistent albums he's ever done.
To combine so many seemingly disparate elements into one cohesive whole is impressive, but to do so having successfully navigated the pitfalls of hype, and of endless comparison, is tantamount to excellence. Gigi's Recovery is an excellent record, and The Murder Capital have laid the first real claim to Album of the Year.
All things considered, there are far more winners than losers here, and that's nothing if not a pleasant surprise.
It’s charming and enjoyable and engaging and attractive and all of the adjectives you could ever want out of an indie-pop record - and not only does it hold up to multiple listens, it actually seems to expand and grow in stature with each run-through.
Third album from London trio adds another gem to the crown of a band who are fast becoming one of the very best of their era.
It’s full of genuinely bracing moments that deftly thread punk grit with austere humour and unabashed sincerity. It’s just a shame that what they’re best at seems to have been done so well so recently by other bands.
The New Zealander’s latest is beautiful on the surface, yet becomes even more wonderful when given a chance, staking its claim as the first great album of the coming summer.
This is neither an essential nor an endlessly replayable record - but what it is, thankfully, is a delightful entry point to the works of Tony Bennett. Nothing else much matters.