IDLES’ third album ‘Ultra Mono’ lacks the off-kilter energy of their debut and the joie-de-vivre of their second, but hits just about hard enough.
Competently and entertainingly interpreting their post-punk / new-wave influences, ‘Gentle Grip’ is a fine debut from Public Practice.
The purest expression of Mike Hadreas’ artistry as Perfume Genius yet, ‘Set My Heart On Fire Immediately’ is a resounding masterpiece.
Ghostpoet’s grimy hybridisation of hip-hop and indie has never left much room for light, but fifth album ‘I Grow Tired But Dare Not Fall Asleep’ is incredibly prescient.
‘The Don Of Diamond Dreams’, the latest album from Ishmael Butler’s Shabazz Palaces, occasionally drifts too much, but few make hip-hop as immersive as him.
A bland and often banal mish-mash of elements from their four previous albums, Bombay Bicycle Club’s grand comeback is a serious disappointment.
Alex O’Connor’s major-label debut as Rex Orange County, ‘Pony’ contains all the affectionate charm that has made him such a hot property.
A hulking beast of bleak experimentalism, Girl Band’s second effort ‘The Talkies’ is bewildering yet emotionally cathartic.
Returning to a more basic, garage-punk sound, ‘Twelve Nudes’ is a short, consistent blast of intelligence and energy directed at the parlous state of society in 2019.
A beginner’s guide to hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest.
