Here, Cook examines minimalism from all angles, embracing its ethos while not being scared to keep pushing the boundaries of his sonic experimentation.

It is an intriguing new chapter in the Villagers story that will reward listeners who spend some real time unwrapping it properly.

Bey channels the destabilising loss of her father and its attendant grief into something transcendent yet eminently relatable. ‘Ten Fold’, like the best journeying album, takes you along for the ride whilst serenading your anguish.

In ‘Postindustrial Hometown Blues’ they tell their story, but it’s a universal one. The sense of joy in using lyrics to express emotions is palpable, as is their humour. The duo use their musicality, shifting between soul and blues, punk and passion.

Not everything here lands, and at times the raucous performances can work against the songwriting, but when it connects, this album is ready to lay a haymaker on fans.

We have no right to expect a band to make a record this strong and vital almost three decades into their career. It’s full of piss and vinegar, but it’s full of desire, regret and love, too. Whatever the dismissive album title may tell you, Arab Strap very much still give a fuck.

Snotty, minimal, sparky; so much more than worth the wait. [Jun 2024, p.81]

A gorgeous example of her beautifully sombre world-building, ‘Here In The Pitch’ is another remarkable example of Jessica Pratt’s unique artistry.

This new album pinpoints some of Ibibio Sound Machine’s singular charms, reflecting the band’s live energy back at them. A decade on from their debut, the band remain a force to be reckoned with, a noble fixture on the landscape of British music landscape.

On ‘Fearless Movement’ he’s made something that doesn’t feel overpowering to begin with. Less is definitely more and the songs here pack more of a punch than anything he’s released so far.

In the constant struggle between hiding emotion and indulging in its depths publicly, Vu satisfyingly finds a way to prioritise reflection and release.

A thrilling, needle-to-the-red experience, ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ never sits in one place.

It’s hard not to feel like the lead singles live in their own sonic universe. The remaining album tracks, while lyrically co-ordinated, lack sonic cohesion.

Atmospherically broad, it moves from quiet sounding to the creation of something big and epic sounding. The emotional setting of each track changes a bit throughout, but it’s a record that is deeply connected.

Analog Africa has created a compilation that’s less esoteric than some previous releases and more focused feeling. It’s a fascinating time capsule into not only the artists and studios of the time but the cities themselves and the Congolese spirit as a whole—another must-buy for those who get a kick of uncovering long-lost musical treasures.

After the swelling synths of the album’s intro track, ‘Adulter8’ opens with a chip-tune alarm sound, and you kick your feet out of bed only to find the floor fall from under you, as shards of a euphoric bassdrum take over and fragments of haunted vocals dislocate you from any sense of direction.

The first 11 tracks are an exhilarating dip into some of J. Cole’s core tropes, a finessed exploration of where US rap is situated in 2024. .... Stylistically the production [on"7 Minute Drill"] is slightly out-of-step with the tape as a whole, but it taps into some of the project’s over-arching themes – self-worth, separating talent from hype – and feels more ingrained, really, than Kendrick’s own bars on the hit ‘n’ miss Metro Boomin and Future tape.

Authentic, uplifting and instantly enriching, ‘The Big Decider’ was absolutely worth the wait.

Ambitious, emotive, and completely open, it’s a gorgeous song cycle, drenched in jazz-leaning arrangements.

Enriching yet austere, its methodology seems to embody the title of a previous Claire Rousay song: ‘everything perfect is already here’.

There’s an unpredictable feeling to the way a lot of the songs unfurl and from a purely musical standpoint, they’ve never sounded more confident or finely tuned as a unit.

It’s nebulousness as an LP mirrors the queer experiences that created it – it’s cerebral, constantly in flux, refusing to be defined as any one thing.

Taken as a whole, this is an utterly brilliant, dependably polished listen, and one that is unquestionably up there with the best moments in this duo’s storied career.

On this record Fat White Family solidify their status as a one of Britain’s most unique voices, and ‘Forgiveness Is Yours’ is the strongest example yet of the band’s caustic creativity.

Pushing 50 Iron & Wine proves he still has much to say in a hypnotic record full of lush production, highlighting the warmth and timelessness of his vocals. If not one necessarily to win over new fans, this will delight longtime fans who have been along for the ride.

This latest set sees Clark back in domineering form. There’s not a second wasted on the album’s taut track list, the songwriter managing to balance her teenage inspirations simultaneously, go back to basics, and break new ground all at once.

Daring, experimental, and hugely addiction, Blue Lab Beats may just have delivered your summer soundtrack.

Towards the end of the album, tracks threaten to meld into each other, making for one big visceral haze of love-lamenting. But beat seekers should find their bag on dynamic tracks like ‘Florida!!!’, a thumping, bewitching collaboration with Florence + The Machine, ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,’ and triumphantly-erupting, more optimistic ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.’