New album: The charismatic Tyneside-raised singer-songwriter of Norwegian and Pakistani heritage returns in fabulous, rich-voiced form with a powerfully dark fifth LP, resilient after a tumultuous few years of family grief, failed marriage, attempted suicide and rehab
Read moreThe Last Dinner Party: Prelude To Ecstasy
New album: A much hyped, but also arguably merited debut by the London five-piece of luxuriant, theatrical rock-pop with some echoes of Abba, and lavishly super-produced by James Ford
Read moreLYR: The Ultraviolet Age
New album: A beautiful, profound, utterly absorbing second LP by the trio of current British poet laureate, Simon Armitage, singer-songwriter Richard Walters and multi-instrumentalist and producer Patrick J Pearson
Read moreFeist: Multitudes
New album: A beautifully intricate, delicate, intelligent and innovative new LP by the Canadian singer-songwriter with among others, a theme the many selves we possess and present, now, in the past and future
Read moreStormzy: This Is What I Mean
New album: Smooth, mellow, self-healing, candid, with many nods to his faith, the third album by the south London rapper is far from his edgier grime origins, and particularly mixes soul, R&B and spoken word alongside gospel choir and keyboards
Read moreLoyle Carner: Hugo
New album: The British rapper returns with one of his best LPs yet, a candid exploration of his own identity, from seeking out his estranged biological father, how that reflects back onto his own son, ADHD, being mixed race and fearing inner-city violence
Read moreThe Big Moon: Here Is Everything
New album: An emotive, hooky, candid third album by the London indie-rockers fronted by Juliette Jackson, with a running theme around her experience of pregnancy and its life-changing consequences
Read moreBrian Eno: FOREVERANDEVERMORE
New album: An unusual vocal 22nd LP by the acclaimed producer marries his ambient, evocative, sonic landscapes and his full, rounded rather beautiful delivery - slow, chant-like but filled with profundity, emotion and dark humour about our ultimate, apocalyptic fate
Read moreThe Mysterines: Reeling
New album: Dark, loud, and powerful, the much anticipated debut LP by the Liverpool rock band finally lands with a set of searing guitar riffs, stadium-filling sounds and an electrifying lyrical sizzle provided the vocal range of frontwoman Lia Metcalfe
Read moreYears & Years: Night Call
New album: Now the solo project of Harrogate’s Olly Alexander, this third album is an unabashed set of catchy commercial disco pop numbers, ticking all the usual boxes, successfully doing what it sets out to do with gay abandon
Read moreElvis Costello and the Imposters: The Boy Named If
New album: Classic Costello, with a vigorous new LP that rolls back the years, recalling all the the sharp, fast, clever punk-pop of the late-70s, 80s and 90s albums with the Attractions, including old friends Steve Nieve on keyboards and Pete Thomas on drums
Read moreAgnes: Magic Still Exists
Album: Released in October, a fabulously stylish LP of retro pop by the Swedish Agnes Emilia Carlsson, her fifth, but first since Veritas (2012), rich in orchestration and with echoes of ABBA, but with a result far superior to her forbears’ own 2021 return
Read moreLana Del Rey: Blue Banisters
New album: The American singer-songwriter returns with her eighth LP and second LP of the year with further slow, cinematic piano-based numbers filled with her soaring voice and vivid, heartbreak stories and images
Read moreThe Lathums: How Beautiful Life Can Be
New album: Breezy, sunny, uplifting, melodically beautiful as well as melancholy songs in this full debut by the Wigan indie band reminiscent of The Smiths and The Coral with that impressive, if familiar, jangly guitar sound that still resonates
Read moreLorde: Solar Power
New album: New Zealand’s Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor returns with a far mellower LP than her previous mega-selling Pure Heroine and Melodrama, concentrating on simpler pleasures - relaxing and escaping the public glare though not doing much with any eco theme
Read moreFryars: God Melodies
New album: Mischievously wry and marvellously inventive twinkling electro-pop in the third full album by the multi-instrumentalist and producer Benjamin Garrett who has also released multiple EPs and mixtapes
Read moreKings of Convenience: Peace or Love
New album: The Norwegian duo of Eirik Glambek Bøe and Erlend Øye return with their first LP since 2009, and fourth in 20 years with a collection of beautiful indie acoustic guitar-based folk, perfectly blended voices and barely drumbeat to be heard
Read moreGreentea Peng: Man Made
Album review: The debut album by the south Londoner is has woozy, easy, hazy, lazy summer feel, a mix of languid hip hop, reggae, jazz, and soul with a dash of dub, a dribble of drum’n’bass and even psych with a hippie sprinkle
Read moreBillie Marten: Flora Fauna
Album review: We’ve previously highlighted her single, Garden of Eden, and the singer-songwriter from Ripon in Yorkshire’s third LP of folk-pop lives up it with its hushed, intimate vocals and an understated maturity that echoes Fiona Apple and Billie Eilish
Read moreAlbum reviews roundup: Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, The Avalanches, Nas, Sigur Rós, Caro, Alex Maas, M. Ward, Flohio
Album reviews roundup: From the former Beatle to a country/pop mainstream artist, 2020’s running theme seems inspire isolation, survival, DIY and experimentation. But as this selection shows, there are also many new, innovative artists out there
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