The opener of Matthew Mole's latest effort, 'Wake Up, It's Morning', is a gorgeous love letter which is written in pop and entitled 'I'm With You'. However, once this fleeting moment of joy passes, the album recedes into dullness, deteriorating in quality and sentiment with each track. This is especially disappointing considering the potential displayed by the Cape Town singer-songwriter - let's hope that in future he lives up to the awards he has won in his home country

A vast improvement on his previous offering, but still not enough to place the London rapper amongst the greats of his city

Not quite the harmonious, innovative masterpiece that some believe it to be, but certainly a pleasant, wholly satisfying indie folk album. Some moments, particularly throughout 'My Red Little Fox' and 'So You Are Tired', are moving to the point of tears, yet overall this album marks no new territory for the Michigan native

Nobody expected these reworks to be better than their originals, especially considering 'This Is Why' is undoubtedly one of the best albums of the year so far. That said, nobody expected such a mixed bag either, with Foals, Zane Lowe and Bartees Strange dismally failing while Wet Leg, Romy and Julien Baker shine. The demo of 'Sanity' in a way makes up for the rollercoaster ride of quality that 'Re: This Is Why' provides, yet overall this remix album is disorientating, confusing and messy

The publication Classic Rock insist that this album triumphs 'by not trying too hard', but I believe that it is this which holds it back. Steven Wilson's 'The Harmony Codex' is over an hour long, and not interesting enough to warrant this length. However, brief moments throughout seem to make up for its overall dullness, such as the sonic exploration seen in 'Actual Brutal Facts' which is certainly a highlight

The influence of various genres and sub-genres permeate Slow Pulp's sophomore album, punctuating it with shoegaze, indie rock and bedroom pop throughout. For many bands, these influences would perhaps drown out their own true potential, yet this US group perfectly avoid this and, as a consequence, their own talent and innovation take centre stage instead. The world should look forward to what they have to offer next, as it may well be masterful - they are clearly beginning to realise their full ... read more

Criminally underrated. Lucia & The Best Boys' debut full-length exhibits darkness, romance, sensuality, vulnerability, sincerity and so much more across its 11 swaggering tracks. Throughout the album, it becomes evident that the Glaswegian group are here to stay, and may well command the indie rock scene in a matter of years

The 'Boyz N da Club' hitmakers return with a dance EP that thrills, entertains and invigorates

Oliver Tree still exists?

Tinged by gospel, funk and jazz influences throughout, Cleo Sol's second album in the space of just as many weeks is a triumph for modern music, albeit a relaxed and peaceful one. The Ladbroke Grove singer's voice holds an irresistible allure, drawing the listener in and sustaining their full attention throughout the record's 42 minutes as she utilises her full range, living up to the hype while also offering a diverse array of narratives and emotional landscapes

The first half of Mae Muller's debut LP is painfully average, utterly bland and very unoriginal. Her lyrics try too hard to be current and relatable, becoming tiring far too early into her debut album's 17 tracks. However, in the second half the Eurovision entrant leans away from forgettable and nearer towards pop perfection, displaying a potential which is not fully realised here

Thank god for Aaron and Bryce. This project, albeit a mixed bag, is cohesive, genuinely interesting, and entirely surprising. Sheeran demonstrates significant development and improvement across the 14 'Magical' tracks, sinking into mellow folk-pop instrumentals inspired by the classical world. Although there are, of course, slip-ups expected within an Ed Sheeran album (some lyrics here are questionable at best), nothing here is enough to cause a physical cringing reaction - even that's new for ... read more

Jorja's signature blend of silky-smooth R&B becomes laced with various influences including jazz, gospel and dancefloor, creating an enthralling contemporary listening experience. Across the album, Smiths's voice simultaneously soothes and enlivens, cementing the Walsall star as a generational talent. Accusations that Smith 'finds herself stuck in a musical straitjacket' (as stated by Mojo magazine) are entirely invalid, as 'falling or flying' is undeniably adventurous, exciting and wholly ... read more

Bea's first full live album allows her not only to demonstrate her talent in performing onstage, but also to exhibit the reaction she receives from thousands of adoring fans during these performances. Across the 22-song setlist taken from her October 2022 Brixton show, the audience almost begin to play the role of backing singers, screaming every word back at the young artist throughout a hometown show which will be remembered for decades

On its tenth anniversary, HAIM's debut sounds just as fresh, and just as ahead of its time, as it did on its release a decade ago. Echoing their most significant influences (notably Fleetwood Mac in particular on 'If I Could Change Your Mind' and numerous other tracks) yet managing to include nuance and somehow avoid plain imitation is part of the reason that 'Days Are Gone' is a sure-fire modern classic, but the three sisters' undeniable talent and irresistible allure certainly add to this ... read more

From blistering opener 'Golden Age' to eponymous closer 'Lamb', King Nun's second album brings nothing but excitement. Kerrang may argue that 'it is so breezy that it blows right by the listener', but actually listening to this LP proves that the London band's wind is strong enough to make an impact. 'Lamb's singles, admittedly, did leave little impression initially, but in the context of a full album they make sense - 'Selfish', in particular, displays significant talent both instrumentally ... read more

Based on this album's singles alone, it seemed that Vistas' third full-length would demonstrate very little development. However, listening to this in full proves that assumption wrong as the Scottish trio explore largely new ground on highlights such as 'Cruel Hearts' and 'Dopamine', overall constructing a listening experience which is purely thrilling

Stephen Sanchez has an incredibly impressive voice. However, the potential this brings him is consistently undermined throughout this LP as he insists on relying entirely on nostalgia, imitating crooners of the past to the point where he becomes a simple caricature. Even on songs such as 'Shake', which is a clear highlight as it demonstrates a willingness to embark on some form of sonic exploration, Sanchez fails to do anything but emulate: the influence of Elvis Presley here departs from ... read more

Most of the tracks here are all acceptable, but unfortunately there's nothing exceptional and the project's hour drags as a consequence. Highlights including 'Colossus' add fleeting specks of excitement, but overall the dance duo and all of their collaborators have been unable to find true success this time around

The queen of pop is back in full force. 'Tension', the Aussie mega-star's 16th studio album spanning five hugely successful decades, proves that Kylie still firmly has her finger on the pulse of modern pop music. This album recognises the importance of popularity but reinvents the dance music taking the current charts by storm, incorporating influences from throughout her triumphant career which, together, form a perfectly escapist record. Although the production (and admittedly Kylie's own ... read more