Raincoat

There's a quietness in this album that's utterly captivating. Applying an outside lens to the usual layers of overdubs and harmonies strips away much of the turmoil that bubbles under most of Fleet Foxes' work. I certainly don't agree that it's smaller in scope than its predecessors; sure, the absence of navel-gazing rumination makes 'Shore' a less intensive listening experience than one might expect from the band. But its existence in a liminal space between past and future prompts thorough ... read more

A reminder that finding respite doesn't have to be escapist. Barwick's soundscapes are simple loops, but by densely populating them with choral flora she lets them dazzle in stately glory. Feel free to stroll through at a lesiurely pace - taking time to soak in the rush of the wind, the flocks of bird up high, the rustling grass - and find peace. Increasingly, we approach healing as a privilege, "mindfulness" as a frivolous marketing buzzword made to sell increasingly nebulous ... read more

The folk-rock scene that rose from West London in the late 2000s was mostly completely awful, every bit as graceless and schlocky as the Syco pop these prissy middle-class waifs were supposedly the antithesis to. Laura Marling's 'Alas, I Cannot Swim' is the best from this sorry crop by some distance, albeit mainly because it hints at the makings rather than the arrival of a landmark singer-songwriter.

Entrenched in the twee sonic trappings of its brethren, 'Alas...' flits between breezy ... read more

Each track on 'Mystic Familiar' is a giddy, whooshing race up to the tops of kaleidoscopic hills. Atop these heights the air feels thin, colours run wild, and we desperately try to take it all in before the dizzying heights lead us tumbling back down to the ground. The thrill is undeniable - how much did we miss? What will we find on the next one?

But once you find your footing, the mysticism fizzles out rather quickly; the formula becomes predictable, and before long you're left with only ... read more