ALT-J ****
Reduxer (Infectious)
Finally, a remix album that’s not just for fans. Acclaimed indie three-piece Alt-J veer way off the beaten track with an imaginative hip hop reworking of third album Relaxer. A truly global collaborative effort, each track has been painstakingly reworked by the band and a host of rapper and producer mates. The German language version of In Cold Blood with Berlin’s Kontra K and a vaporwave-driven rehash of Pleader stand out in particular, but every track showcases an aspect of Alt-J’s enduring versatility. BH
CALVIN JOHNSON ***
A Wonderful Beast (K)
If Calvin Johnson, onetime frontman of 80s indie pioneers Beat Happening, didn’t invent twee pop, he bears responsibility for its evolution. A Wonderful Beast still isn’t exactly Manowar, but is relatively rocking and accessible – in its production (courtesy of The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney), lyrical tack (uncomplicated romance and cod-youthful escapism) and arrangements (fingersnapping, chirpy garage-pop). Michelle Branch, of all people, does backing vox on a few songs and Calvin does a good Johnny Cash impression on another. NG
CARW ****
Skin Shed (Blinc)
Choral, monk-like vocals and spacey guitar riffs add a far more melancholy edge to this album than even on the works of Carw’s clear influence, Depeche Mode. The kick-led synth grooves are still there, and still very much danceable, but when a part of the rainy-day atmosphere together with the aforementioned choral vocals, in both Cymraeg and English, they provide a roving backdrop in the mind’s eye similar to that of the land it was made. It might make you homesick. JM
CAT POWER ****
Wanderer (Domino)
The 10th LP from Chan Marshall aka Cat Power doesn’t reach the heights of 2006’s career standout The Greatest, but as ever, her soft Atlantan drawl is sufficiently potent to instantly hold your ears captive. Most attention will inevitably fall on Woman because it sees Lana Del Rey join her already lengthy list of collaborators, but in truth it’s the following track, Horizon, that is the album’s real stunner – so good that even the use of autotune can be forgiven. BW
CURSIVE ****
Vitriola (Big Scary Monsters)
After a six year hiatus Omaha post-hardcore veterans Cursive unleash another bout of bleakness – and this time they’re talking nihilism. Vitriola opener Free To Be Or Not To Be You And Me is a direct hit of spiky Saddle Creek emo, but the band prove they can turn down the bitterness on piano-led, Death Cab For Cutie-esque ballad Remorse. It’s a jarring, at times uncomfortable listen, but Cursive’s tightly wound musicianship and Tim Kasher’s impassioned vocals are worth hearing out. BH
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN *****
The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon (BMG)
As trailblazers on the darker side of the 80s, the Liverpool outfit’s sombre yet sonorous scope subverted the decade’s pervasive pastel and neon excess. Reinterpreting career-defining tracks through a series of string-centric renditions, this 13th studio offering embodies the eternal core of the band’s songwriting. Ian McCulloch’s inimitable vocals eviscerate and lull in equal measure, carrying Ocean Rain and Seven Seas with characteristic grandeur, resistant to decay, testament to the timeless lyrical and sonic essence underpinning their work. CHP
HENGE ****
Attention Earth! (Platinum Rare)
Henge have been drawing a cult (and making a scene) for a couple of years with their live shows: frog-headed dancing girls and alien masks are part of their pop sci-fi Venus-via-Manchester chic, as well as crowd-churning ravey synth grooves, proggy funk guitar riffs, love lyrics about the moon and a tongue placed firmly in alien cheek. Short of capturing the energy of their gigs, Attention Earth! is surely the first of many brilliant, eccentric outings. Watch the skies. JM
HMS MORRIS ****
Inspirational Talks (Bubblewrap)
A bold, exciting album that pulls us into unexpected and pleasant places with an interesting mixture of retro instrumental sounds, beautiful vocal harmonies and experimental soundscapes. It also boasts some of the best Welsh language music that the scene has to offer, leading to songs like album highlight Cyrff. In short, HMS Morris are one of the most interesting bilingual bands in Wales right now. LB
JOE STRUMMER ****
001 (Ignition)
A ‘best of’ Strummer’s solo work is well overdue and takes us from his days with the 101ers up to The Mescaleros, via film scores, and on to ‘unreleased rarities’ including the demo of This Is England. Strummer’s strength is his lyrics about war, unfairness and the working class hero – who else could mix God, the financial district and be-bop guns in one song? There’s reggae, country, hillbilly and a nod to Buddy Holly in It’s A Rockin’ World, which shows the singer’s playful side, and a gem of a collaboration with Johnny Cash on Bob Marley’s Redemption Song. The box set is available in a number of formats including a vinyl limited edition and is a reminder that Joe Strummer existed before and after The Clash. LN
JOHN CARPENTER ****
Halloween OST (Sacred Bones)
OG synthlord John Carpenter returns with more variations on dat Halloween riff that haunted your childhood. There’s a lot of familiar territory treaded with this soundtrack to the upcoming film, which is the first to have Carpenter involved since Halloween III. Pounding electronic drums, mournful piano and stabbing synths abound throughout, and it’s obvious to see the influence Carpenter had on Disasterpeace for the It Follows OST. Judging by the soundtrack, the new film stands a chance of not being a complete disgrace. GM
LARRY AND HIS FLASK ****
This Remedy (Xtra Mile)
A lot of good, beer-sodden memories are tied up with Larry And His Flask inside this writer’s brain, so a first album in five years was welcome news. Their last album was rather dull, so it appears that the break has at least offered time for the band to recharge songwriting batteries. There’s more of the heart-on-sleeve sincerity that made their debut so charming (Never All the Time) and more full-on bluegrass punk (opener Atonement). FT
MEWITHOUTYOU ***
[Untitled] (Big Scary Monsters)
Album seven brings more shuddering melancholia from US post-rockers Mewithoutyou. Taking a reflective look at today’s political landscape, the band explore their own responses to the wave of scandal washing over their home country. Discordant riffs and unexpected tempo shifts keep things feeling fresh, while haunting highlights Tortoises All The Way Down and [dormouse sighs] live up to the expectations set by their titles. [Untitled] isn’t much of a progression from their previous output, but a formula that works. BH
NAKED CITIZENS *****
Naked Citizens (Country Mile)
When a project with such lofty ambitions sets sail you fear the worst, but Naked Citizens have joyfully succeeded in delivering an album of diverse realms that makes you smile throughout. Helmed by Dan Nichols (Railroad Bill) and Rob Smith (Wonderbrass), with Nichols’ bandmates Chris Walker and Andy Baillie helping along, more guests than you can shake a stick at keep it free-flowing and varied: Junior Bill, Monique Bux, Maddie Jones, Suzi Chunk, Johnny Cage, Fred Snow and tons more. JE
NENEH CHERRY ****
Broken Politics (Smalltown Supersound)
Neneh Cherry’s 2014 album Blank Project has a sparse post-punk sound to it, its songs angry and claustrophobic. For those that yearn for another Raw Like Sushi or Homebrew, though, Broken Politics should be right up their street – warmer sounding with live instrumentation, hip-hop beats and electronic dub thrown into the equation. The glue that holds Broken Politics together is Cherry’s voice: still as powerful, defiant and emotional as ever in songs that tackle difficult sociopolitical subjects. DN
NOVO AMOR *****
Birthplace (Allpoints)
The music is melodic, the tone is gentle and dreamy, and once you get accustomed to Ali Lacey’s vocal pitch this debut album is a delight to listen to. The Aberystwyth-born singer covers hard-hitting themes such as drug addiction, cruelty to horses, and personal change but in a more palatable way than most angsty artists. The single Birthplace is accompanied by a video highlighting plastic waste in our oceans – both are stunning. Could become addictive. LN
PERFECT BODY & ZAC WHITE **
Split EP (Bubblewrap)
In their press release Perfect Body are described as having a distinctive sonic identity, which is nowhere to be found on this record. Each song is overly long and ultimately formless which makes for difficult listening. Zac White’s half of the EP makes for easy listening with a handful of gems and some forgettable but ultimately good songs, very reminiscent of Mystery Jets circa 2008. LB
TERROR *****
Total Retaliation (Nuclear Blast)
Scott Vogel and the boys are back with an absolutely storming new album. There’s nothing new to report: Terror, being one of the most consistent bands in hardcore with a catalogue of faultless albums, have delivered once again. Furious riffing, vicious beatdowns, crew shouts, Vogelisms – all present and correct, with a groove to bring even the oldest swinger out of mosh retirement. What more do you want? CA
UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS ****
Wasteland (Rise Above)
The fifth album from the occult rock masters once again finds them in fine form. The band have benefited from a crisper production, compared with past releases and sound better than ever – while, vitally, maintaining their signature retro feel. Still very much the product of Kevin Starr’s vast imagination, the tracks have more grounding on this record and reflect the difficult times we live in. But fear not, Uncle Acid are still from another planet. CA
YAZOO *****
Four Pieces (Mute)
Thirty-six years on from their debut, a beautiful summation of Yazoo’s small but perfectly formed catalogue, including both albums released during Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke’s short-lived spell as a duo, alongside a disc of remixes and their revelatory (and previously unreleased) BBC sessions. Both studio releases sound as crisp and memorable as they did on their first outing, with synthpop hits sharing the spotlight with diaristic ballads and stranger sonic experiments, but for the initiated the real pearls are saved for the later discs: a gorgeous orchestral take on Only You preempts Bjork’s work by a decade, whilst Winter Kills from their sole Peel session offers a fascinating suggestion of what might have been had they stuck around a while longer. AJ