ALBUMS
ALDOUS HARDING ****
Designer (4AD/Flying Nun)
The much-praised New Zealand singer-songwriter has made a fine followup to 2017’s Party, raising the stakes when it comes to the quizzical and captivating. Simple, effective melodies are once again a key draw particularly in opener Fixture Picture and lead single The Barrel. The lyrical content and her contrasting vocal tones paint a perplexing and beguiling picture: I’ll never know what “show the ferret to the egg” means but I certainly can’t stop singing it. words Charlie Piercey
AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS ****
Amyl & The Sniffers (Rough Trade)
Following last year’s reissue of their two scarce EPs, Oz rockers Amyl And The Sniffers are back, with all the candid energy of punk and the self-awareness of 70s rock. Full to the brim with a balanced concoction of intimacy and immediacy but tempered with a healthy dose of self deprecation, it’s hard to not appreciate the raw energy of this album. While the tracklist can suffer from some throwaway songs, it’s thankfully punctuated frequently enough with plenty of crowd-moving, raucous bangers. words Alison Powell
BEAR’S DEN ***
So That You Might Hear Me (Communion)
This Ivor Novello-nominated two-piece are back, and presumably hoping to better the sixth place in the charts they reached in 2016. So That… offers 10 brand new tracks of their trademark folky rock, intimately woven like a tapestry. The thud of a drum machine keeps Fuel On The Fire burning bright, folding in nicely with the electronic side of Bear’s Den. Blankets Of Sorrow, meanwhile, hits a trance-like feel, projecting a poignant familial message. words Owen Scourfield
CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN ****
The Balance (Island)
The follow up to 2016’s The Ride hits the shelves and playlists after a busy few years on the road for the Welsh foursome. That unmistakable vocal of frontman Van McCann and clean, crunchy palm-muted guitar tone makes for a pretty identifiable formula for the north Walians – hey, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Every song has a perfectly rhythmic progression, leading to a climatic chorus, standouts Fluctuate and Coincide perfect examples of said style. words Owen Scourfield
A CERTAIN RATIO ****
ACR:BOX (Mute)
When it comes to unearthing unheard gems, Mute have the knack. ACR:BOX celebrates 40 years of A Certain Ratio and contains more than 20 previously unreleased tracks from the punk-funk pioneers. Included is Talking Heads cover Houses In Motion, originally earmarked for Grace Jones’ vocals, but never completed – which is ACR at their damned funkiest. Also in the box are alternate versions of singles and B-sides. ACR:BOX is essential and more than just a completists dream come true. words David Nobahkt
CHARLY BLISS *****
Young Enough (Lucky Number)
Charly Bliss’ Eva Hendricks has an unusual voice that, combined with synth-driven upbeat music, adds a comic-book quality to songs about pain, abusive relationships and other serious matters. Their lyrics may be dark but are never preachy, and the songs have emotional depth. It’s unusual to find an album where all the tracks have equal merit, but this is one. In the midst of so much generic indiepop, this Brooklyn four-piece are a breath of fresh air. words Lynda Nash
CLINIC ***
Wheeltappers And Shunters (Domino)
Part of the fun of the fair, Clinic understand, is feeling the thrilling frisson of fear. “You’re joining the circus”, hisses Ade Blackburn on Tiger, like Papa Lazarou doing an impression of Thom Yorke. The Liverpudlians are as reliably unsettling as ever on their first LP for seven years, a creepy psych-garage skewering of Brexity nostalgia for Britain’s misremembered past. It’s over far too soon, and there’s nothing here to rival their early ‘hits’, but should Scarfolk ever become a TV series, it’s got a readymade soundtrack. words Ben Woolhead
DRAHLA ***
Useless Coordinates (Captured Tracks)
For any fans of Kim Gordon who find her post-Sonic Youth project Body/Head a bit too esoteric, may I recommend Drahla. The trio’s debut LP starts off deceptively, Gilded Cloud initially coming across like slowcore legends Codeine before the familiar prickly on-edge guitars, needling drums and Luciel Brown’s casually deadpan vocals kick in. Serenity is anything but, while Stimulus For Living gives Joy Division an art-punk makeover. If only the skronking sax had been used a little more sparingly, though. words Ben Woolhead
FAT WHITE FAMILY ****
Serfs Up! (Domino)
Fat White Family has returned with a gorgeous, sophisticated and refined sound, which is not to say they’ve lost their identity. Serfs Up! is rife with an animalistic energy that FWF excel at, yet there are also understated, soft moments with hints of jazz – take Vagina Dentata, an unexpected but pleasant addition to their sound and one which breaks up the wilder moments on the album such as Feet and Tastes Good With The Money. words Lloyd Best
FLAMINGODS ***
Levitation (Moshi Moshi)
Indie disco openers Paradise Drive and Koray could have come from any half decent synth- and 60s-loving indie band from the last decade. As they go further down the tracks, though, Flamingods’ Arabic DNA starts to mutate their fun festival music into an east-meets-west cosmic bazaar of Baba ganoush and Baba O’Reilly, with Eastern scales threaded throughout psychedelic Peaches and the camel walk shimmy of Club Coco. Olympia is herculean and Mantra East is a bubbling and Beatleseque raga. words Chris Seal
FLOWDAN ****
Full Metal Jacket (Tru Thoughts)
One of the absolute best grime MCs historically and contemporaneously: Flowdan’s mic style, mixing the rapidfire cadence of his chosen genre with the gruffest ragga chat, has been instantly recognisable since the early 00s. Full Metal Jacket is his third album, and finds this OG hooking up with, mostly, fresh heads: Plastician and Footsie produce a track apiece, alongside the newer Filthy Gears and, er, Muszolini. A kind of crisply minimal bombast prevails as Flowdan unloads his time-honoured icy menace. words Noel Gardner
FRANK CARTER AND THE RATTLESNAKES ***
End Of Suffering (International Death Cult)
Based on the frontman’s past work, I was expecting something real heavy, but to my surprise this is a rollercoaster of rock’n’roll in a nutshell. Distorted to the max, Frank Carter covers numerous bases on his 40-minute showcase. Love Games, a nice tip of the hat to Amy Winehouse, leaves a haunting sound echoing throughout; Little Devil’s grungy rhythm cuts through stunningly, while Tyrant Lizard King’s funky licks are lent a hand from special guest Tom Morello, who adds some vintage Rage stylings. words Owen Scourfield
GONG ***
The Universe Also Collapses (Kscope)
Gong began in 1969 and have fallen into myth and legend. Their latest offering is four tracks of old-school psychedelic space-rock with hints of sitar: discordant and jazzy with lyrics that need deep analysis. Opening track Forever Reoccurring is 20 minutes long and covers a lot of bases – not all of which are pleasing to the ear. There are glimpses of melody here that made me want more, but much more that made me want less. words Lynda Nash
HONEYBLOOD **
In Plain Sight (Marathon)
In Plain Sight represents a fresh start for Honeyblood: new line-up (just founding member Stina Tweeddale), new label, new producer (US indie’s current go-to guy John Congleton) and new ambitions. However, whether this break with the past will secure the big break Tweeddale is clearly angling for is debatable. Fuzzed-up girl-group stomp The Third Degree made for a terrific lead single, but otherwise the attempts at self-reinvention fall rather flat, suggesting she’s leapt into the unknown without first checking her parachute. words Ben Woolhead
IMPERIAL WAX ***
Gastwerk Saboteurs (Saustex)
When Mark E Smith died, the three remaining members of The Fall weren’t about to chuck away years of honing their craft together, or the opportunity to play without having their kit interfered with. Imperial Wax are named after the first Fall LP they contributed to and the album title could have come straight from the pages of Smith’s beer-stained notebook, but this messy cocktail of punk, psychobilly and Touch And Go Records noiserock suggests that in time they can escape that sizeable shadow. words Ben Woolhead
MAC DEMARCO ****
Here Comes The Cowboy (Mac’s Record Label)
The Canadian reaffirms a cultish reputation for smooth slacker songcraft here, blending the familiar alchemy of quirky humour and laconic lo-fi with a genre-hopping tendency, tacitly dabbled with on This Old Dog. Embracing an increasingly synth-soaked sound, DeMarco faithfully deploys his signature hazy acoustic balladry while veering into r’n’b and funk territory, notably on Heart To Heart and Choo Choo. Firmly in his element, this fourth album delivers a reliably mellow soundtrack for summer sauntering. words Chris Hamilton-Peach
NOUVELLE VAGUE ****
Curiosities (Kwaidan)
Certainly different reimaginings, these. Will Nouvelle Vague’s jazzy, bossa nova-styled new wave covers make you forget what came first? No, but that’s not the point. They succeed in changing things up. Girl You Want is now rockabilly cool; the spaghetti western feel of Under The Flag is preferable to the original. Slow Shiver’s vocals are oh-so-smooth on the ballad I’m In Love With A German Film Star and the orchestral Bacharach-ish Brass In Pocket, while Blank Generation could have been a beatnik anthem. words Rhonda Lee Reali
PETROL GIRLS ****
Cut & Stitch (Hassle)
Petrol Girls didn’t take any shortcuts making this album. Every note is hit as hard as anything you’ll ever hear and every word is sung or spat with the conviction of the hurt and the hungry. Feminism runs throughout the album, with standout songs like Big Mouth spelling out the problems in no uncertain terms: “Bite your tongue / Keep your head down / Know your place.” But the treatment of women isn’t presented like a theme for discussion, more like an inescapable truth that lives in all their songs. words John- Paul Davies
THE SKINTS ***
Swimming Lessons (Mr Bongo)
Reggae, punk, rap, soul – some super chilled, sunny grooves take you into the weird and wonderful word of The Skints. Having dug their way out of the London punk scene, they seem to be riding the crest of a wave right now. Learning To Swim has a nostalgic No Doubt feel about it, while I can only hear Madness while Restless rings out. That’s not a bad thing, certainly. Definitely one for a summer afternoon. words Owen Scourfield
SPOTLIGHTS *****
Love & Decay (Ipecac)
On their latest release, Brooklyn-based duo Spotlights strike a balance between oppressive downtuned instrumentation and ethereal vocals to bring accessibility to sludge metal. With a relatively trim run time and innovative approach, it avoids the bloat, repetition and stagnation from which the genre can suffer, yet still produces a morbidly inviting soundscape. By borrowing elements from shoegaze and electronic music, the album shrugs off traditional expectations and heavily moulds the melodies, all without losing sight of its metal roots. words Alison Powell
TACOCAT ***
This Mess Is A Place (Sub Pop)
The fourth album by this Seattle band is also their first since spring 2016, which naturally ushers in a pretext for This Mess Is A Place being galvanised by life – particularly as feminist punks – in Trump’s America. For all that, their lyrics rarely feature direct targets, and are more given to invoking coping strategies in a grim timeline. Musically, their harmony-heavy powerpop is given a little more buff and bombast, although not enough to turn off old fans. words Noel Gardner
DEMOS
ACOUCHRISTO
Formally known as Chris Young, AcouChristo is a Cardiff-based soundtracky/soundscapey sort whose practise ranges from music for theatre pieces to more song-based compositions. Tongues, a 16-track collection, doesn’t appear to be for anything precisely, but ranges nicely from cutup instrumental electronics to crypto-commercial near-EDM stuff to showcases for poets and spoken word artists. Rufus Mufasa is the most prominent of these guests, with her words feeling especially trenchant on mid-album cut Dynion. words Noel Gardner
LEYTON D JAMES
A hip-hop MC and producer from Cardiff who has recently uploaded two of his songs online, Ego Tripping has a remarkably heavy bassline (I tell yer, this isn’t turned up loud and I’m expecting the neighbours to complain any minute), It Takes Two style whoops and early 90s style sunny vibes. One In Seven Billion is a shouty paean to positive affirmation with a bizarre trashy electro-rap fidelity that I strongly suspect is not supposed to remind me of Peaches… and yet. words Noel Gardner
THE SECRET FACES
A lyric from These Days, the first song The Secret Faces have stuck online, has been recycled into a slogan of sorts: “Live fast, laugh loud, roam free”. This so closely resembles wall art one might find in the kitchen of an extremely corny family, I’m wondering if this Brecon Beacons area band are blithely unaware of such cliched naffness, or very aware of it and think it’s good. Musically, These Days is ponderous gravel-voiced MOR Americana which touts the likes of CSNY as influences but is closer to the Bon Jovi song of the same title. words Noel Gardner