The Vaccines’ fourth album ‘Combat Sports’, a sleek and focussed effort, sees them reacquire their confidence by returning to first principles.
Refracting the pop and rock psychedelia of the Sixties through the prism of modern songwriting and with soulful delivery, The Shacks have delivered what will surely be regarded as one of the best guitar debuts of 2018.
A surprise mini-album released in time for Easter, ‘My Dear Melancholy’ sees Abel Tesfaye leaning a little more towards his origins and away from the fanbase-splitting ‘Starboy’.
The erratic and diverse sound of Sunflower Bean’s debut has been transformed into maturity and consistency on sophomore effort ‘Twentytwo In Blue’.
Preoccupations’ third record ‘New Material’ is just as nihilistic and apocalyptic as their earlier albums, yet also more melodic and accessible.
George Ezra’s second record ‘Staying At Tamara’s’ is pure escapism – a decently put together, well-produced but slightly artless half an hour.
Jack White’s third solo album ‘Boarding House Reach’ is easily his most bizarre and adventurous effort yet, but sounds critically underdeveloped and muddled in many places.
The first Hot Snakes album in 14 years, ‘Jericho Sirens’, does a magnificent job in living up to the cult reputation that their first three records built up in their absence.
Yo La Tengo’s 15th studio album might not make you want to man the barricades, like the classic Sly Stone album with which it shares a name, but it could lead to personal enlightenment and comfort.
With its singularly weird and shockingly new vision for underground music at the end of the ’80s, Pixies’ debut album ‘Surfer Rosa’ is a unique kind of classic album.
