Josh Tillman’s fourth Father John Misty album ‘God’s Favorite Customer’ marks a new chapter in his career, channelling his wit and self-deprecation into his most emotionally brutal record yet.
Now in his fifties, Stephen Malkmus’s appetite for casually experimenting with his mellifluous indie-rock sound is only getting more voracious, as ‘Sparkle Hard’ demonstrates.
Parquet Courts’ fifth album ‘Wide Awake!’ is the boldest record they’ve made so far, both musically bold and unambiguously political.
‘Tell Me How You Really Feel’ sees Courtney Barnett aim for a richer, darker and more harrowing sound for her sophomore effort, and it feels like a natural and successful musical evolution.
On ‘7’, Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally make their most dramatic alterations yet to the tried-and-tested Beach House formula, and it’s a creative risk that pays off handsomely.
Skating Polly’s fifth album ‘The Make It All Show’ is loud, dynamic and graceful, and the kind of record a band makes when its at the peak of its imperial phase.
Jon Hopkins’ ‘Singularity’ is one of the best-produced British dance albums of recent years.
The risky sonic gamble made on ‘Beyondless’ pays off handsomely, resulting in the most consistent, dark and heavy Iceage album so far.
Nandi Rose Plunkett, aka Half Waif, delivers a quiet and understated success with debut full-length album ‘Lavender’, full of lush synths and incisive observations.
‘Dirty Computer’ is outspoken, political music done properly, and expands Janelle Monae’s already rich musical palette even further.
