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Malice K: AVANTI
New album: Angsty but beautiful, reminiscent of the whispery, intimate style of the late, great Elliott Smith, but also the occasional punk scream eruption, this darkly mesmeric, candid, introspective indie-folk-grunge-punk LP by New York-based visual artist and songwriter Alex Konschuh is a vivid, ghostly, and deeply emotional
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Fontaines D.C.: Romance
New album: With a new look, the popular Dublin post-punk band return with their fourth LP, one with a much broadened scope of sounds, poetic but also at times cinematic in musical image and in lyric, with big-time producer James Ford at the controls
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Quivers: Oyster Cuts
New album: After 2021’s Golden Doubt, the shared-singing, indie-guitar jangly-pop quartet from Melbourne’s LP is a sensitive but cynical, beautiful but painful finding-love-after-grief LP displaying musical influences such as Galaxie 500 and The Pretenders
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Hifi Sean and David McAlmont: Daylight
New album: After last year’s Happy Ending album, the seasoned British duo return with a sparkling selection of electro-pop, disco and rave bangers, often with tender lyrics, all decorated with the silky beauty of McAlmont’s high resplendently soaring voice
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Brigitte Calls Me Baby: The Future Is Our Way Out
New album: Summoning musical echoes and powerful, soaring vocals reminiscent of The Smiths and Vauxhall-era Morrissey and dash of rockabilly, Richard Hawley, Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, an impressive debut from the Chicago-based rock band fronted by vocalist – the be-quiffed Wes Leavins
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Pom Poko: Champion
New album: Vibrant, joyful, frenzied musicianship simply flies out of this third LP by of Norwegian indie quartet whose style has some parallels with the prog-postpunk of Deerhoof, but with their own eccentric twists
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Rosie Lowe: Lover, Other
New album: A gorgeously original fourth LP by the English singer-songwriter whose voice has power, presence and intimacy and whose unique sound blends soul, pop, jazz, electronica, clever samples, and a dash of bossa nova
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Dark and revealing: Hamish Hawk's A Firmer Hand
New album: The dapper Edinburgh indie-pop troubadour returns with his ready wit, polished lyrics and soaring, strong melodies of finely detailed, candid, revealing reference-rich narrative, but also oozing with darkness, irony, empathy and double-edged melancholy
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King Gizzard’s latest to take off is Flight b741
New album: We’re already into August, but surprisingly it’s only the first LP of the year, (after at least 26th in 12) by the prolific Australian band this time explore a 70s bluesy-country rock and glam style with a inexhaustible live-feel
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beabadoobee: This Is How Tomorrow Moves
New album: Delicately voiced, thoughtful, perceptive indie pop by the Filipino-born English singer-songwriter aka Beatrice Laus, in a third album also co-produced by Rick Rubin, it grows as it progresses, showing depth and quality of balladeer 90s-influenced songwriting
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Milton Nascimento and Esperanza Spalding: Milton + Esperanza
New album: An inspired collaboration between the veteran 81-year-old Brazilian singer and the American jazz bassist, singer and arranger, 39, their low and high voices blending beautifully and bringing new life to the former’s old catalogue, plus covers and guests including Paul Simon and Lianne La Havas.
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Wand: Vertigo
New album: Magic is waved indeed in this experimental psychedelic rock by the now Los Angeles quartet of Cory Hanson, Evan Burrows, Robert Cody and Evan Backer with great ghostly echoes of a British flavour, particularly Radiohead and Verve
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Empire of the Sun: Ask That God
New album: Eight years since their last LP, Australian duo Luke “Emperor” Steele and Nick “Lord” Littlemore return with an eye- and ear-catching set of synthy nostalgic 80s pop of colourful capes and astral fantasy
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Orville Peck: Stampede
New album: A hugely enjoyable, mischievous, tuneful and genre-spanning LP by the South African-born openly gay but often masked country singer-songwriter, joined by an impressive array of co-performers doing original numbers and covers, including Beck, Elton John, and Willie Nelson
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Killer Mike: Michael & the Mighty Midnight Revival - Songs for Sinners and Saints
Meshell Ndegeocello: No More Water - The Gospel of James Baldwin
New album: A remarkable, substantial, powerful and emotional release by the US singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist, channelling the words of the influential African-American writer, and tackling race and gender issues, with guests including Jamaica-born poet Staceyann Chin and soul singer Justin Hicks
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Alex Izenberg & The Exiles
New album: Esoteric, sweeping, warm-embracing experimental rock and psychedelia by the Los Angeles artist who takes inspiration from the Beatles, philosopher Alan Watts, the storytelling of King Crimson, and the imagery of Fleet Foxes
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Crack Cloud: Red Mile
New album: Sharp, witty satire and parody abound in this third LP by the Canadian indie-garage-rock collective, playing with cliches across pop to rock with a striking set of clever, aggressively tuneful, curveball songs led by frontman and Zach Choy
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Sam Evian: Plunge
New album: A catch-up on a superb fourth rock, pop and psychedelic album released earlier this year by the US artist, the title after regular winter cold-plunges into a nearby creek at his Catskill Mountains home to create fuzzy, warm, live-feel 60s/70s sound of the era George Harrison or Harry Nilsson
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Cat Burns: Early Twenties
New album: A strong, sensitive, substantial 17-song debut LP by the 24-year-old south London singer-songwriter who combines a range of pop styles with gospel, R&B and indie with a very candid, personal lyrics
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