North-east band Quarterlight are fronted by Gary Chaplin, who local aficionados will know as he’s a founder member of local punk heroes Penetration. And he – and the fluid collective of musicians who make up the rest of the band – are on sterling form her…

Huge melodies simply teem out of this Teesside fella and on his new album he’s packing plenty. His sophisticated pop songs have a gorgeous 80s vibe (I’m talking the sumptuous end of the 80s – Black, The Kane Gang, Everything But The Girl) and on his lates…

The third album from this Canada-born, London-based singer/songwriter is teeming with good stuff particularly if you’re a fan of louche decadence. Tracks bubble up out of the ether, her dreamy vocals adding to the vibe, in a deft show of insouciance that …

‘Cutouts’ is The Smile’s second album in just nine months, so they’d be perhaps forgiven if it didn’t quite hit the same mark as January’s ‘Wall Of Eyes’, which came out to much critical acclaim. On the contrary, I may even prefer this third release from …

Nina Nesbitt’s fourth album is her best yet, and one of my favourites of the year. It’s a beautiful folk-pop record, with gentle acoustic guitar and piano melodies and light, airy vocals that evoke the ethereal mountain scene on its cover. Inspired by her…

Sunderland’s finest return with a new album and suddenly the winter months don’t seem quite so bleak. It’s a release that is packing delights wherever you look, with those delights slowly revealing themselves to you with each new listen. The band have mas…

This one was a nostalgic listen for me, as Falling In Reverse were one of the bands that caused me to fall in love with rock music back in my early teens. Their first album in seven years, it’s clear to see that the band have used this time to hone their …

‘Short n’ Sweet’ has seen Carpenter rise to astronomical heights seemingly out of nowhere, despite this being her fifth album. She has definitely found her sweet spot as an artist - fun, flirty pop anthems charged with a wicked, at times filthy, sense of …

Little Hag have previously referred to themselves as “bitch rockers”, and this third album of theirs is full of bitch rocker energy in the best kind of way. Bold and unflinching, the lyrics cover uncomfortable, taboo subjects unapologetically - including …

UNIT 8 are a fabulous band from Alnwick/Cullercoats who have a very easy on the ear classic rock sound that is given extra oomph by some excellent progressive stylings. This – their second album – has all the melodic nous of Michael Head’s outfits (includ…

This north-east duo conjure up a rare kind of alchemy as they skip gleefully between trip-hop and dream-pop. Sam Nixx takes most of the vocal duties (she nails everything thrown at her here) and Conrad McQueen provides that all-important and enticing latt…

The first album from this Mercury Prize-nominated singer-songwriter in ten year has certainly been worth the wait. Featuring vocals that veer between sturdy and lean-in-close, and a mesh of beguiling sonics – taking in enchanting guitar picking, other-wor…

I’ve long loved this Manchester band. Led by the fab Heather Baron-Gracie, they’ve always looked like dodgy goths, but they make fab indie-dream-pop. Their latest album – let’s call it their fourth – is their best yet. They’ve amped up those glorious and …

Durham’s Tim Head IS Faithful Johannes and he paints the most wonderful pictures with his languid raps. His third album – in which he teams up with producer Neocia – sees him tackling childhood and parenting (among other stuff) in his own inimitable style…

This is the third solo album from this Swedish singer and multi-instrumentalist and it’s a real beguiling delight. Its eight tracks – apparently an ode to Mariam’s respect and devotion to air, breath and space – conjure up rhythmic enchantments featuring …

This is Norwegian-American artist Okay Kaya’s sixth album in six years, so it’s safe to say she’s been busy since she first broke onto the bedroom pop scene. If that isn’t already impressive enough, ‘Oh My God - That’s So Me’ is entirely self-composed, an…

If you’re unfamiliar with Foster The People, you will at least know them for their breakout hit ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, but I highly recommend you get to know them beyond this. This fourth album (their first since 2017) indeed invokes a Paradise State of Mind,…

Martha Hill has cemented her reputation as one of the finest artists working in the north-east today with this, her superb debut album. Her pointed and often bruised lyrical concerns – that take in many different kinds of loss and longing – are sung above…

Fontaines D.C.’s fourth studio album, Romance, released in 2024, marks a new chapter in their discography. The band built anticipation for the album with singles like Starburster, Favourite, Here’s The Thing, and In The Modern World, raising expectations …

After the huge success of 2020’s ‘Dreamland’, Glass Animals had a lot of hype to live up to with this fourth album. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t measure up. There are plenty of interesting sounds and influences to be found here - a bit of electronica he…

beabadoobee’s latest release is a perfect study of the growth of an artist. The Filipino-born, London-raised artist has always clung to her 90s grunge influences, and they continue to peek through her new music, but ‘This Is How Tomorrow Moves’ makes it c…

Orville Peck always stands out for me among the host of country stars currently taking the world by storm (and not just because of his iconic masks). Stampede is a collection of duets that spans a variety of genres and includes an impressive roster of col…

The debut album from this French born London-based singer-songwriter and producer is just gorgeous. He cut his teeth playing with the groovy instrumental quartet YUUF but here he’s embracing balmy soft-rock and a sunny retro sound that delivers in spades.…

The musical project of producer, singer and artist Robert Alfons, the latest from TR/ST takes synth-pop on a journey through various shades of a scuzzy psychodrama. From chrome-plated, neon-drenched trawls through LA at 3AM, to the darkest backrooms of th…

Born in LA but now based in Scotland, Alas de Liona hovered onto radars when she crowd-funded her debut album in 2017. It was a release that merged folk with synths and was packed with great tunes. And her melodic talents are in full effect on this follow…

London-based Los Bitchos make the kind of music that’ll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and go “Woo! Woo! Woo!” Their second album is a knickerbocker glory of a release that takes in funk, disco, Latin and Turkish rhythms, and then blends…

Groundbird is North Shields’ singer/songwriter Richard O’Brien – together here with producer Martin Francis Trollope and multi-instrumentalist Mateus Borges – and their debut album is a lo-fi delight. Much of its charm comes from O’Brien’s arresting lyric…

This album – well, six-track EP – is a quite glorious collaboration between two of the region’s finest electronic acts. It features two tracks culled from Tunnel Club’s and Summer Night Air’s most recent albums; two new tracks; and two remixes/re-interpre…

This powerful second album from Millie Manders and the Shutup actually made me feel very nostalgic, as the band’s sound is reminiscent of the 2000s punk that personally had me in a chokehold in my formative years. It’s all thundering guitar riffs and driv…

This is SOFT PLAY’s first album since they changed their name from Slaves, and it’s glaring proof that they have gone anything but soft. HEAVY JELLY is a 30 minute white knuckle ride through 11 extremely strong tracks - you’ll find no skips on this one. I…

Sam Grant (Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs, Pigs) has collaborated with a whole bunch of amazing artists including Rozi Plain, Voka Gentle and Newcastle’s own Me Lost Me and Ceitidh Mac for his second album under the Rubber Oh moniker. And – what do yo…

Clairo’s third album, Charm, is a soulful exploration of desire and nostalgia, wrapped in smooth vocals and groovy beats, with jazzy undertones and a clear R&B influence. The instrumentation on Charm is beautiful with a flute, clarinet and saxophone feat…

Eminem is a timeless artist whose hits continue to be played even by generations too young to remember the height of his success. These hits, however, seem to be restricted to his pre-2013 catalogue, with his more recent releases unfortunately being forge…

BERWYN is still a fairly fresh face on the UK music scene, which makes his latest release even more impressive than it already is. Combining a modern, unique take on R&B music with lyrics that turn the harsh truth of moving to London from Trinidad into vi…

Disclosure: Cigarettes After Sex are in fact my favourite band. Perhaps this makes my review biased, but – honestly! – this is fab. X’s is brimming with the kind of decadent romance you’d expect from an album inspired by classic, sensual cinema (frontman …

This north-east trio – featuring former Angelic Upstarts guitarist Newts Newton, Northumbrian psych rock bassist Si Cadelik, and Shaun ‘Nasty’ Richardson (of post hardcore band Crane) – bash out the kind of wired punk/post-punk/etc that feels like a cross…

This Middlesbrough outfit make, primarily, instrumental stuff, and the first album of this double set sees them exploring the life of 19th century clairvoyant Helene Smith. If your “TOO NICHE!” alarm is flashing like billy-oh then fear not, because this r…

Born in Ashington and raised in Burnopfield, this folk artist bagged our Album of the Month slot for his ‘This November Guest’ album back in 2019. And, pleased to report, his second long-player is every bit its equal. It’s a release steeped in the Norther…

Geneva Jacuzzi is something of a player on the LA underground scene – noted for her rather unhinged multimedia performances and massive art installations. Her third album sees her ramping up the neon-drenched snyths over 12 pop songs that are darkly melod…

This celebrated Norwegian singer and composer has worked with people like Jenny Hval and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, but this solo album – completed with a small ensemble of trusted musicians – sees her very much doing her own thing. It’s a shimmering release …

This is the fourth album from this band – who are based in the borderlands between England and Scotland – and their exuberant sound, which incorporates everything from alt-folk, to indie-rock, to feel-good country, sounds like it’s been steeped in a huge …

Zach Bryan is one of the artists at the forefront of the craze for modern country and folk music that’s been taking over recently, so this release has been hugely anticipated. Inspired by characters that can be found in watering holes across the states - …

Megan Thee Stallion is most associated with the sexually charged lyrics of viral hits such as WAP and Hot Girl Summer. However, like many female rap artists, this is often all her talent is reduced to by critics. This latest release refuses to be simplifi…

The debut album from this Darlington-based artist is quite something. The vibe slinks between expansive hip-hop and loungecore trip-hop – with R&B flavours – and the sheer inventiveness and songwriting ability on show is truly impressive. A whole roster o…

This latest album from Alfie Templeman is an all-you-can-eat buffet for your ears. Colourful, maximalist and experimental, it blends a range of different instrumentation and bends genre to make way for a confident step forward into endless musical pasture…

Normani has been making waves across the R&B scene for quite some time now, yet she has been patient with the release of her debut album. This has definitely proven to be the right move, as DOPAMINE has the maturity and self assuredness of an artist who k…

This third album from Sea Girls is British indie music at its best. The band are known for the energetic, anthemic quality of their songs and Midnight Butterflies supplies another fresh batch of catchy tunes you can imagine yourself belting out at one of …

I love a good curio and the second album from this Tyneside/Wearside four-piece is bountiful with its intrigues. A concept album of sorts – exploring nihilism, death, rage etc (all shot through with traces of humour) – it sees the band pushing their lo-fi…

Born and raised in Hexham, but now based in Manchester, The Spy From Balzan is the latest musical project of producer Khabs who has been making waves in the grime/dubstep/140 beats scene. His new album, however, sees him opening up a real grab-bag of infl…

Featuring award-winning vocalist Zoe Gilby and multi-instrumentalist Andy Champion, Living In Shadows bring a whole load of influences to the table for their second album. The pair have a jazz background, but they also add classic rock riffs, baroque pop,…

Scene Queen is New York’s Hannah Rose Collins and she coined the term “Bimbocore” – a kind of feminist metalcore. Her debut album is a glittery take on emo – think: maximalist pop with a bratty heart. Not that she has much time for genre purists, or misog…

Alan Chapell – or, hey, Chapell – was something of a musical prodigy when he first bubbled to the fore in Connecticut where he worked with producer Jimmy Lenner when he was aged just 15. Chapell is older now, with a few albums under his belt, and his late…

Birdie got together in the 90s and they included Debsey Wykes (Dolly Mixture) and Paul Kelly (East Village) among their ranks, the pair bonding over a love for sunshine pop and 60s/70s soft rock. ‘Some Dusty’ – which is getting a vinyl 25th anniversary re…

In the age of music streaming and short attention spans, the greatest compliment you can give an album is that none of the songs make you want to reach for the skip button. For me, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT has achieved this coveted feat. Expanding Eilish’s tr…