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Sophia Kennedy’s Monsters - impossible to control or define
Album review: An unholy, beguiling and at times mischievously brilliant mixture of pop, Tin Pan Alley, vintage showtunes, hip hop, abstract electronica and horror film culture, the Baltimore-born, Hamburg-bred artist is just as impossible to define as to not enjoy
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Beautiful emptiness: Will Graefe’s breakup album Marine Life
Album review: This fragile solo album of exquisite melancholy from the Brooklyn-based Okkervil River guitarist was written and recorded after a devastating breakup during Covid lockdown and echoes the sensitivity of Elliott Smith
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Squid’s full debut LP Bright Green Field
Album review: A bold, expansive, experimental and exciting full debut by the postpunk Brighton five-piece, with songs full of musical adventure and dynamic changes, combining krautrock, prog and even a dash of jazz
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Rocking the dance floor: Royal Blood’s Typhoon
Album review: Third album across a decade of of signature thumping bangers of big fuzz guitar, heavy drums and high rock from the Brighton duo of Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher is also given an extra disco kick alongside producer Josh Homme
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Julia Stone’s Sixty Summers
Album review: Third album leaning towards quirky, intelligent and inventively experimental pop by the artist from Sydney with oodles of brass, drums and funk guitar and electronica – by Annie Clark aka St Vincent and Thomas Bartlett
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Girl In Red
Album review: “Honey, I’m not doing so well". Impressively candid, clever pop debut capturing a variety of emotional, relationship and sexuality traumas through catchy songwriting by Norway’s Marie Ulven who has already become a bedroom-produced YouTube star
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Epic scale: The Million Masks of God by Manchester Orchestra
Album review: The Atlanta indie-rockers’ latest LP is has an even more expansive, full-bodied sound of vocal harmonies led by frontman Andy Hull that echo Fleet Foxes with strong songwriting, psychedelic parts and a sense of epic scale that would fill large venues or festivals
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Teenage Fanclub’s Endless Arcade
Album review: This first album for five years by Scotland’s indie veterans as ever is wonderfully consistent, here marrying the musically sunny and uplifting with dark, tragic subject matter to reflect recent times
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Superwolves by Matt Sweeney and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy
Album review: Gorgeously sensitive and emotional collaborative album between old friends, guitarist and singer-songwriter of folk, Nashville country, Appalachian and some Malian in the mix with guest players
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A cri de coeur on climate change: Gojira’s new album, Fortitude
Album review: Metal may not be to everyone’s taste, but there’s no denying the songwriting and musicianship of this seventh album by the French quartet which is a powerful, engaging and stormy cri de coeur about climate change
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Poetic ends: friends Marianne Faithfull with Warren Ellis
Album review: Alongside music by the Australian composer and musician, the iconic singer recites well-known poems from Coleridge, Keats, Wordsmith and more, with addition sounds by friends Nick Cave, Brian Eno and cellist Vincent Ségal
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The Coral’s new double album
Album review: Themed loosely in setting, characters and narrative around a British seaside resort, this new double album by the Liverpool band glitters with beautifully relaxed, timeless tunes that shimmer with a late-60s psychedelia
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Alfa Mist’s third album, Bring Backs
Album review: A mellifluous weave of jazz, soul, poetry hip hop by the east London rapper, producer and instrumentalist aka Alfa Sekitoleko with a nod to his various musical influences, especially the capital's vibrant jazz scene
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Art D’Ecco’s In Standard Definition
Album review: A stylish and charismatic glam-rock electro-funk-disco pop second album, echoing everything from early 70s Bowie or Bolan’s T-Rex to 80s synth New Romantics, by the wonderful Canadian androgynous singer
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Dinosaur Jr return with Sweep It Into Space
Album review: Packed with tender lo-fi to full-on rock numbers, the distinctive voice and playing of J Mascis joined Lou Barlow’s bass and Murph on drum, rolls out in the form of a very fine new LP, their first together for five years
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Album review: Refreshing, full-bodied vocal harmonies and almost messianic, upbeat lyrics make this new indie pop album by the West Country quartet a breath of positivity that also echoes the energy of Arcade Fire and The Polyphonic Spree
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Lady Dan’s debut I Am The Prophet
Album review: A strong, emotional debut by singer-songwriter Tyler Dozier from Alabama, in which she address a number of issues from a strict religious upbringing to escaping from a difficult, controlling relationship
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Flat White Moon
Album review: The eighth LP from Sunderland brothers Peter and David Brewis brings together a wealth influences and accessibility, cleverly marrying pop, funk and postpunk with echoes of the Beatles, XTC and Todd Rundgren
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Sharon Van Etten is joined by guests’ new cover version on this special 10-year anniversary double album edition
Album review: A decade after the American singer-songwriter’s acclaimed second album, seven wonderfully written songs are reissued alongside versions by contrasting guests including Fiona Apple, IDLES, and Lucinda Williams
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Greta Van Fleet
Album review: This second LP by the quartet from Michigan will again raise Led Zeppelin comparisons, but the derivative 70s rock influence on the Kiszka brothers and drummer Danny Wagner also has vocal echoes of Rush, and especially Slade
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