Irish born, Berlin-based, Wallis Bird’s seventh studio album is an incredibly bracing listen, whether she’s hitting us up with skew-whiff R&B (‘Go’, which sounds like Joni Mitchell hitting the town) or up-front pop rhythms (‘What’s Wrong With Changing’, w…

Oh wow! This Teesside four-piece have released their new album on a gorgeous chunk of vinyl, which comes with gatefold sleeve, cool abstract cover art – the lot! And within its grooves you’ll fine a myriad of delights, particularly if you like post-punk, …

You’d be forgiven for thinking that an album called ‘World in Flames’ would feature hardcore punk, or industrial metal. Not so! Rojor is a Teesside fella who pens widescreen, sophisticated pop, that harks past to Aztec Camera, Prefab Sprout, The Blue Nile…

Featuring Emese Arvai-Illes on vocals and Krisztian Arvai on keyboards, Black Nail Cabaret are a dark-pop synth duo from Hungry (singing in English) who have begun to receive more attention outside their home country. So much so, in fact, that this – thei…

Komparrison were originally formed in Redcar by friends Elise Harrison and Kaitlyn Kempen. In late 2020 the pair brought in Ellie, Jess and Elliot to complete the package, and man what a package! Their latest EP features guitar pop that has all the melodi…

Alexander O’Connor has supplied us with 11 more songs of his trademark sweet vocals and kicked back vibe. What separates ‘WHO CARES?’ from his other works is how it’s laced with rich string accompaniments, which shades his sound with a new sentimentality.…

The fourth album from these Australian favourites sees frontman Dave Le’aupepe opening up about the loss of his father with an achingly sincere rawness. Grief and loss undoubtedly dominate the record, but what is great about ‘angel in realtime.’ is that i…

Kalme is Berlin-based Sonja Deffner (singing in German), who has previously worked with a number of groups. She’s also an artist and has acted on stage. Her debut album is a real envelope-pusher, evolving out of avant-pop and R&B into areas that take in e…

This is Dublin newcomer CMAT’s debut album, yet you would never think it. The confident lyrical eloquence and distinctively spellbinding vocals, with which she has strutted onto the scene, have a strength of identity that usually takes artists a good coup…

This is a mess. But it’s either a glorious mess, or an unlistenable mess, depending on your tastes. It features a wild mix of spoken work rants and growled vocals alongside a crunchy selection of electronic beats, industrial/metal/punk riffs and more. Pic…

Featuring Emese Arvai-Illes on vocals and Krisztian Arvai on keyboards, Black Nail Cabaret are a dark-pop synth duo from Hungry (singing in English) who have begun to receive more attention outside their home country. So much so, in fact, that this – thei…

Metronomy’s song ‘Salted Caramel Ice Cream’ is one of my favourites of all time, so I was excited to hear their new album. Despite being no strangers to an evolving sound (there’s a notable shift between each of their albums) I was surprised to discover s…

This young Liverpool bunch have been widely tipped and this, their debut album, does much to back up such promise. They take the garage rock template and drag it downtown to a place where The Stooges, The Doors and Sticky Fingers era Stones are smashed in…

Yova are Macedonian vocalist Jova Radevska (singing in English) and Mark Vernon (who has worked with John Cale and PJ Harvey) and their debut album – which reunites PJ Harvey’s original rhythm section of Rob Ellis and Ian Oliver – is a pure delight. They’…

Lady Bri’s latest album is the definition of feel good music. Witty lyrics of empowerment, strength, self love and resilience dominate the fun, colourful sounds of this record. These themes are a perfect match for Bri Bryant’s vocals, which are the only t…

This Stockton fella grew up immersed in house and US garage sounds, but it wasn’t until 2014 when he began his ‘Mental, Gentle, Man’ series. This is the third in the run, and it sees McNally pushing his effervescent electronics into some very uplifting ar…

Rocket Boy is Chris Hill’s outfit. Hill grew up in Salford, and in the late 70s was in Sister Ray, a band that numbered Johnny Marr among its members. During lockdown he started writing again – with Chris McDonald, and Andy Bell from Blast Studios – and m…

US hyperpop singer Slayyyter lends her frothy vocals to this cold-stone banger from the Aussie production duo of Peking Duk. Produced by dance music royalty KLP, its punchy and rhythmic magic grabs you right from the get-go and then never lets up. And it’…

At first, I thought alt-J’s fourth album was going to be defined by fun and quirkiness - opener ‘Bane’ is a love letter to Coca-Cola and third song ‘Hard Drive Gold’ satirizes cryptocurrency. Then all of a sudden, they struck me right in the feelings with…

In her latest release, up and coming R&B artist Amber Mark takes us on a journey through, as the title suggests, three dimensions: insecurity, self-discovery and self love. The immaculate story-telling of her lyrical talent is made clear by the contrast b…

I’ve been a fan of Foxes since she burst onto everyone’s radio in 2014 with her hit ‘Holding onto Heaven’, but despite entering the music scene with the speed and stealth of her namesake, she also disappeared the same way. Thankfully, Foxes is back and th…

‘Starfruit’ is an explosion of flavour, with a combination of woodwind, electronic and sampled sounds giving each track limitless texture. Amber Navran’s light as a feather vocals multiply and weave together in intoxicating harmonies, adding a little deli…

Hinako Omori is a London based sound engineer and her debut album is pure aural balm. She’s interested in the physical and psychological effects of different frequencies and takes inspiration from the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku or forest-bathing (l…

I’m never not going to a love an album that contains titles such as ‘Elvis Knickers’, ‘Don’t Swallow The Horse’ and ‘Bob Hope’, particularly an album boasting such impressive electronica chops as this one. It’s been put together by Newcastle’s Brian Feral…

Babeheaven (not a TV show you’ll find on channel 946) are a duo from London featuring singer Nancy Anderson and Jamie Travis. They make electronic pop that is far less in-yer-face than their moniker might suggest. And they’ve moved away from their trip-ho…

Jody & The Jerms formed in Oxford in 2019 and they’ve already caught the ear of BBC 6 Music types with their frothy indie-pop. They do a very nice line is sugar-rush jangled guitars, and although there’s nothing too original going on here, fans of Voice o…

Born and raised in the small town of Marion, Arkansas – just outside of Memphis – Bailey Bigger has always been steeped in country sounds. And the authentic sound of Americana runs deep through her debut album, which is packed with mid-tempo, gather-round…

Specky Cult? Aren’t they that three-piece acoustic punky outfit from the north-east who don’t take themselves too seriously? Bang on, and their latest album is packed with tuneful ditties (and ditties is the right word) that are the polar opposite of po-f…

Placebo are back! Who’d have thought it! This is their eighth studio album (their first in nine years) and, pleased to report, they still have plenty to say about the human condition in all its messy glory. They remain a band who deftly manage to strip aw…

MJH&TSB are a recording project from Gateshead and their self-titled debut album, released in 2018, was a dream-pop-dunked thing of beauty. Their second long-player sees Hammond exploring the impact five years’ worth of training to become a psychotherapis…

In ‘Few Good Things’, Saba opens up about the deep period of reflection that successful artists often reach by their third album. In his own words, “The concept of ‘Few Good Things’ is the realisation of self after a search for exterior fulfilment. It is …

Sea Change (aka Norway’s Ellen A. W. Sunde) won plenty of plaudits for her previous album ‘Inside’, which was inspired by the club culture of Los Angeles and Berlin, but her latest stuff was recorded back in Norway during lockdown. This – the first cut fr…

Our favourite Glaswegian rock duo sound completely different on this quirky, pop-infused album. It is a far cry from the heavier anthems such as ‘Heart and Soul’ and ‘No Sleep’ that the band are most known for. However, their charisma makes it work. I did…

Full of synthy, indie goodness, ‘Now or Whenever’ has a song for whatever mood you’re in: energetic, sing-a-long anthems, chilled out, bluesy explorations of emotion, and pretty, stripped back acoustic croonings. The poetic lyrics and sense of bittersweet…

Two of the most exciting artists on the hip-hop scene right now - Grammy nominated producer and songwriter, Murrille, and up and coming rapper and lyricist, Lady London - join together for this electric album. The witty lyrics both have become known for e…

This 6-track release from New York DJ and music producer, POZIBELLE, is a colourful explosion of sound. From 90s mixtape samples, fizzing textures, thundering beats and jungle influences, it is an all you can eat buffet for your ears. POZIBELLE’s music tr…

Boris are the female fronted rock outift from Japan who are the very definition of a cult band. These dark-riff boffins have collaborated with everyone from Sunn O))) to Merzbow and have been around, in one form or another, since 1992. This is their first…

This London indie-rock band have been around for 15 or so years now, but they still sound bursting with ideas on this, their sixth album. They know exactly when to wheel out those huge, anthemic riffs, but they’re also keen to push their electro-pop melod…

This is the sixth album from this feisty indie-rock duo and, pleased to report, they remain as crunchy as ever. What’s different this time is the very real sense of dark drama they manage to inject into these tracks – from the electro thrum of ‘Morbid Fas…

Suthering (formerly known as Julu & Heg) have won much acclaim on the folk and acoustic circuit for their fresh, feminist interpretations of traditional and self-composed songs and their latest album (featuring eight original songs and a couple of covers)…

Sasami won much critical acclaim for her self-titled debut album back in 2019, with its indie-rock stylings, and she’s upped the heaviness for her second long-player. Even on power-ballads such as on the fabulous ‘The Greatest’, she brings a certain scuzz…

This is the third in Cat Power’s reinterpretations of songs by classic and contemporary artists and, once again, she’s produced an arresting collection. Alongside covers of rock and roll tracks from icons such as Nico and Nick Cave, she’s also tackled the…

This is the seventh album from this Japanese singer and guitarist and this time she’s pulling a concept album on us. A soundtrack to an imaginary film (a fantasy science fiction thing about a voyage through the East China Sea) it’s a gorgeous piece of wor…

Oh man! The new album from this north-east rapper is citrus sharp and it should see him catapulted into the national consciousness forthwith. His grime-inflected beats are never less than fresh, interesting, and right up in your business, but he also know…

Featuring Kathryn McCaughey’s confident yell and blistering bassline, along with Sarah Dion’s pounding drums, this chunky release oozes more glam chops than Suzi Quattro being dunked in a large vat of glitter. It gets in and out in little more than two an…

Adele has been making headlines for persuading Spotify to remove the shuffle button from albums, tweeting: “We don’t create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason. Our art tells a story and our stories should be listened…

What better way to chase away those winter blues than with this: an explosion of Colombian warmth from Paulo Olarte Toro’s latest musical project, El Dragón Criollo. From bouncing beats to chilled out basslines, this is an undeniably feel-good album - kee…

Rachael Talbot Dunn and Richard Dunn (aka Isolated Community) are based in Newcastle and have a noted reputation for ambient recordings. Their latest release features things such as ‘The Cat Enters the Hedge’ (discombobulating piano and disembodied voices…

This Danish quartert are the next bunch to emerge from Scandinavian rock scene and they’re fully intent on jacking things up that extra notch. This – their second album – is a full-on blast of punky hardcore, which is toting an abundance of energy and fie…

The debut album from this North London band harness the vocals of Danielle Kranendonk (who has something of Amy Winehouse about her) for a release that finds room for both plenty of trip-hoppy, jazzy cuts such as ‘Unfold’, to more up and at ‘em bangers an…

Following the release of her acclaimed ‘Penelope Three’ album in May 2021, Penelope Trappes has now hit us up with a very sparse and very magnetic instrumental reworking of that original album, imagining – get this! – the sounds and moods felt within the …

Louise McCraw – chief mover and groover behind Human Danger – has been inspired by everyone from St. Vincent (check out those strident melodies) to Daughter (check out that urban gothic atmosphere) for an album of dream pop that tracks a world made up of …

The first solo album from Julie Doiron since 2012 couldn’t be more welcome. Doiron’s voice is as beautiful as ever, it’s chameleon-like nature able to convey the power of the rocky, upbeat tracks as well as the gentle vulnerability of the more stripped ba…

‘Cocoon’ is the eagerly awaited follow-up to this Scottish folk singer’s lovely ‘The Hidden World’ album and it’s every bit its match and then some. Put together under lockdown restrictions, it’s a release that captures life in slow motion, mixing memorie…