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Rats on Rafts
Album review: This third album by the alternative post-punk band from Rotterdam is a conceptual journey into the id punctuated with rhythmic kabuki modal mood swings, thunderstorms, digital beeps, traffic noise echoing The Fall and Snapped Ankles
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Stormy power: the cover of The Besnard Lakes new album
Album review: Elemental, stormy, epic in its scope, the new indie-prog LP from Montreal with soaring guitar textures, falsetto, and strong falling bass lines has echoes of Mogwai and Sigur Rós, and is perfect to take on a winter walk or for a profound fireside evening
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A catchy oddball odyssey: SkyWay Man’s new album
Album review: The second full-length project from American rock/cosmic country/psychedelic folk singer, songwriter and producer James Wallace is a catchy, but very easy listen oddball odyssey, a cinematic psych folk opera
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Great albums of 2020: clockwise from top: Agnes Obel, Phoebe Bridgers, Bob Dylan and Sault’s Untitled (Rise)
Albums of 2020 roundup: Out of crisis comes great art. A year of lockdowns, no gigs, alternative sounds, experimentation and surprises. This is the second half of our roundup of favourite albums of 2020. Part 1 was here
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Lianne La Havas, Fiona Apple and Yves Tumor are among three artists who have released outstanding LPs
Albums of 2020 roundup: A year of lockdowns, alternative sounds, experimentation and surprises. This is the first half two roundups of a total over 50 favourite albums of the year that musicians stayed at home. And here’s Part 2.
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This week’s nine is filled with contrast, but also many 2020 themes …
Album reviews roundup: A selection of contrasts – some dark, 2020-slanted Christmas other recent seasonal releases and other recents and earlier releases, from Chilly Gonzales to Mark Lanegan and a Beethoven anniversary piece
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Nine more albums to help complete further selections reflecting on 2020
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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Nine more albums to investigate …
Album reviews roundup: Psychedelia, jazz, prog and electronica dominate this week, including a synth album by the Smashing Pumpkins, eastern flavours by King Gizzard, exquisite Norwegian vocals by Ane Grun and a superb debut by Jack Cheshire
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Nine more for the curious listener
Album reviews roundup: Great contrast mark this week’s group of nine, from Nick Cave’s solo concert album to the first Cabaret Voltaire for 26 years, vibrant pop and hip hop from Megan Lee Stallion and Tayla Parx to the beautiful minimalism of Ana Roxanne
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This week’s selection …
Album reviews roundup: This week’s selection includes a surprise but strong return for the Aussie rockers, three innovative debuts in in hip hop, pop and folk, and an outstanding series of instrumentals by a Welsh guitarist
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This week’s very colourful square of album covers is matched by the quality of the music
Album reviews roundup: This week’s selection again reflects the times - divided political America to grief and isolation, but also presents an abundance of creativity, wit and musical invention crossing everything from jazz to hip hop
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The latest square of nine new albums
Albums reviews roundup: The latest selection includes a big reunion for the Boss. a mass collaboration via Fraser T Smith, Stormzy and more, exquisite work by This is The Kit, and reflective breakup by Laura Veirs
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Album reviews roundup: This selection features many an eclectic style, from the cartoonish band headed by Damon Albarn with guests, clever hip from Open Eagle Mike, disturbing new sounds by Young Knives and mesmerising beauty from Snowdrops
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Nine more albums of note
Album reviews roundup: Hip hop comes up strong this week with Black Thought and a recent Public Enemy release with heavyweight guests, but there’s not shortage of other highly original artists from Future Islands to Sylvan Esso
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The latest celebrity square of innovation, commercial and creativity …
Albums reviews roundup: This selection mixes some serious disco and dance grooves with Róisín Murphy, K-pop megaband Blackpink, the return of a Spice Girl, northern electropop from Working Men’s Club and much more
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Another square of nine great new albums
Album reviews roundup: This selection has a particularly political and topical element with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, IDLES, Bob Mould and Diana Jones tackling issues in different styles, as well as other stylish pop and experimental releases
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Another nine great albums square up
Album reviews roundup: The latest section sees the return of Fleet Foxes in full voice, yet another high quality release by the Sault collective, the ever inventive Thurston Moore, Alicia Keys in collaboration and many more
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Another artful square of nine notable albums
Album reviews roundup: A particularly strong lineup includes the return of Doves, The Flaming Lips’ signature sound, a farewell from Toots, a stunning debut from Anjimile, and more beauty and innovation from Mammal Hands, Susanna and Bróna Mcvittie
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The latest mesmeric musical nine
Album reviews roundup: This week’s selection mixes deep emotions with philosophy, evolution with the elemental, with a mixture of folk, pop, electronica and indie, and including drone music featuring five ancient church organs
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Another nine albums to explore …
Album reviews roundup: This week’s selection includes an exquisite gem from Bill Callahan, clever dance music from Disclosure, a stark reworking of her last album by Angel Olsen, and a second helping of a previous by My Morning Jacket
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