I kind of missing her Slow Club days. She finally found her voice and happy about it.

Favorite album cover of the year, with a cinematic collection of tracks that rewards and surrounds at each repeated listens.

A frantic and frank piano-and-vocal work of straight forward honesty and vulnerability. Listening to Full Mood made my heart swell in this day of hearts. Like a cross between Karen Dalton and Daniel Johnston.

Rather a Nick Cave vibe, don't you think?

"Will this day ever end?/ I need a new beginning.”

Named after a particular shade of pink known for its calming effects, their rambunctious and incendiary sophomore effort further cements their name on the post punk scene as an immense talent. Like a combination of Women or Gang of 4, this is truly the first must-listen record of the year.

Going to put on my shoes tonight and dance the night away with the oscillating neon strobe lights to this.

Am I in heaven? I must be. Or I might be just floating elsewhere.

Beyond these sleepless nights clothed in uncertainties, this record gently wraps around you like a warm embrace, a kiss on the cheek, and a dream-pop wonder that unfolds, drenched in beauty. Horses is so beautiful.

Traps you into a nocturnal haze of the 80's and takes you on a romantic spin with its atmospheric take on sophisti-pop, and done so well. Fans of Sean Nicholas Savage, rejoice.

Absolutely brute in execution but with passion, thrill and emotion thrown into it. An essential addition to their prolific canon of records.

Literally no fucks given on this, an unrelentless, brazen followup to Joy but this time, a Molotov thrown straight up to the ears with its muscular drums and destructive atmosphere. They had made their most abrasive, cathartic release to date that never lets up until its last track. I like my post-punk fast, blunt and not subtle, personally.

The new record from Colombian polymath Lucrecia Dalt combines fractured rhythms and diaphanous vocal work to surreal heights, almost cobweblike in structure that ultimately results to a phantasmal world you could (or not) lived in. The cacophony of sound in this was strangely hypnotic.

Herculean and bombastic soundtrack to a time-bender of a film. A combination of temporal, heady electronics with precision coupled in operatic string arrangements that enhances the movie experience. This is the only soundtrack you'll need to hear this year.

The Welsh electronic artist Kelly Lee Owens released her self-titled record in 2017 to much acclaim, a star-making debut that blends techno with multitudes of styles and tropes that garnered positive response from critics and listeners alike. At such time, she struggled personal turmoils and emotional distress which prompted her to explore pain and anxiety through musical ideas and channeling it to different heights. With the postponement of this current release and the ongoing pandemic, it ... read more

The fifth record from vocalist Molly Hamilton and guitarist Robert Earl Thomas subtly evokes teary-eyed folk and laidback shimmer laden with breezy atmosphere, almost gauzy and dream-like. Clearly a culmination of their work from the past, Plum showcases their distinctive sound with dream-pop sensibilities, from its first four singles released in advance, primarily the majestic Breadwinner that evokes rich tapestries of sound and words. Prescient and multi-faceted, this material is a hushed ... read more

I've always had a sweet spot for these guys as they were the first live concert act I've saw and I still immensely remember it with joy. This return brings back the familiar thump and groove from their first effort, Settle and with so much guest features, from Kelis to slowthai, Mick Jenkins to Common that succeeds to pull us back unto the dance-floor. Perhaps a return to form or a honing of their skill, they are at best in bringing out the best of these club-ready anthems to life with such ... read more

This new effort from Dutch-Iranian singer-songwriter's title was taken from a mythical Persian horse and casts a sensuous, intriguing spell on the listener. These tracks moves effortlessly from trip-hop to Gothic, acoustic to classical that often defies genre identification and works really well on her commanding, deft vocals. Just like her bruise-stricken eye and gold-laced décolletage, we finally had taken peek inside her layers, gently and assuredly, to her subconscious.

A spare, achingly inspired re-contextualization and earlier versions of tracks from her 2019's All Mirrors' that results unto a more stripped back, minimalist atmosphere with Angel's introspective vocal front and center. Two singles were released prior to this (and new songs too) echoes yearning and poignancy to the track list. The sparseness of this record works well with its delicate, nocturnal vibe that seamlessly mirrors her debut effort, Strange Cacti. Such a beauty of a record here that ... read more

Rather too familiar and safe pop return that fails to deliver. She is a good pop star but this is not it.