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Hatchie: Liquorice
New album: With distinct echoes of Cocteau Twins and The Sundays, the third album from Australian indie pop singer-songwriter Harriette Pilbeam is beautifully awash with dream pop guitar effects and her high, sensual breathy vocals, largely co-written with her partner Joe Agius and produced by Jay Som
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Jens Lekman: Songs For Other People's Weddings
New album: Borne from a 2020 novel-with-music side project idea with writer David Levithan, the Swedish singer-songwriter charts his 20 years’ experience of being an occasional and accidental wedding musician in this witty, profound double LP that among other issues and emotions, examines the role of love songs in our live
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Porridge Radio: Clouds In The Sky They Will Always Be There For Me
New album: The London band fronted by the passionate singer-songwriter Dana Margolin return with a fourth indie LP of angst-ridden intensity, using her signature repetitive phrasing, vivid lyrics and emotional dynamics
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Loren Kramar: Glovemaker
New album: Released two months ago, but simply too good to overlook, a timelessly serene, soaring soulful debut release by the Los Angeles artist, one of love, lust, and loss, secrets, Hollywood dreams, Chateau Marmont Hotel-era tragedy, and a voice somewhere between Cat Stevens and Jeff Buckley
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Faye Webster: Underdressed At The Symphony
New album: Gentle, reflective indie with flecks of country in this fifth LP by the Atlanta singer-songwriter, capturing tiny, intimate details of life’s in-between, under-the-radar moments, and inspired by the idea of slipping late in the audience at an Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert
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ANOHNI: My Bridge Was A Bridge For You To Cross
New album: Taking a new direction the last LP, 2016’s Hopelessness, the artist formerly known as Antony Hegarty releases a gorgeously tender soul album inspired by the sound of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On
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Baby Rose, aka Jasmine Rose Wilson
New album: With a voice as rich, smooth, deep and pure as anyone around, sublime, tender, passionate, perfectly paced soul, funk R&B in this second LP by Washington D.C.-born Atlanta-based Jasmine Rose Wilson
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Temperatures rising and falling: Yeah Yeah Yeahs return with their fifth album Cool It Down
A welcome return from the New York trio of Karen O and co, with a fifth studio album and their first since 2013’s Mosquito, one filled with sonic menace and tenderness, with a running theme of embracing the natural world and raging against climate change and its deniers
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Stella Donnelly: Flood
New album: Second album by the Australian brings a refreshingly simple, humorously ironic indie-pop with cutting, personal songs about relationships, provocative but honest lines metaphorical themes of the world
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Porridge Radio’s sixth album (including early self-released LPs)
New album: Already a sixth LP in as many years by the Brighton-formed indie band fronted by Dana Margolin, packed with raw, heartbreak, candid emotions, sparse guitar and organ, and the distinctive use of repeated phrases to drive feelings home
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Le Ren aka Lauren Spear
New album: Beautifully assembled tapestry of gentle, sensitive, personal songs about different relationships with mothers, lovers, and friends by Montreal singer-songwriter Lauren Spear who sings with refreshingly candid clarity and directness
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Two peas in a pod: cover art art from Deacon by serpentwithfeet
Album review: An unusually delicate, tender and eccentric affectionately album of gospel-infused R&B about a black gay relationship and friendships, the second by Baltimore-born Brooklyn-based singer Josiah Wise
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CocoRosie aka sisters Bianca and Sierra Casady
A big, broad week of releases includes a mix of new and old artists, from the passionate female artists Porridge Radio, Nadia Reid and JFDR, the return of Nigel Godrich’s electronica project, to veterans Maria McKee and the Boomtown Rats
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Aldous Harding wins the prize for most unusual moves for her song, The Barrel
The first part of our selection of the pick of albums from 2019 by Song Bar readers and the Landlord editor, in alphabetical order by title, not a ‘best of’ or countdown. The second part is here.
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Shura
Cracking returns from Sleater-Kinney, The Murder Capital, Ride, Oh Sees, The Hold Steady, and some Prince-style funk pop from Manchester’s Shura are among this week’s latest roundup of album releases
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Which way? Her way. Cate Le Bon
A huge selection and range this week includes the unique and original sound of Welsh artist Cate Le Bon, Australian punk rockers Amyl and the Sniffers, soul, funk and hip from The Internet’s Steve Lacy and cinematic rap from Flying Lotus
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Dave. Articulate, analytical, angry, honest.
A selection of great contrasts and innovations includes a debut from the British rapper, experimental work from Solange, rare and unreleased material from folk legend Townes Van Zandt, and the return of industrial artists Test Dept
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The Specials are in their 40th anniversary, but how does the new album shape up?
Brass beauty from Beirut, a 40th anniversary album from The Specials. and a new solo album from the Stone Roses frontman are among this week’s roundup of releases that are various experimental, rock, electronica and more
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Big Joanie
Acoustic, raw, and live from the Boss and Neil Young, gentle a-caustic from Moffat and Hubbert, postpunk from Big Joanie, and some passionate posthumous material from Richard Swift are among this week’s releases
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