04.05.2025-LIME GARDEN One More Thing (So Young,2024)

 

INDIE POP

   Influenced by Bloc Party and The Breeders, but also Charli XCX, the Brighton band's sound is upbeat and fuelled by wilful experimentation.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/hirmj5

02.05.2026-GRETEL Squish (Breadcrumb/AWAL,2026)

 

INDIE ROCK

   With Squish, Gretel, the alias of British artist Maddy Haenlein, steps into the spotlight with a debut that feels both delicate and quietly powerful. Like the fairy tale figure that inspires the name, Gretel builds a world where apparent innocence conceals something deeper, more intense, and often more unsettling.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/3fd3se

29.04.2026-JULIA CUMMING Julia (Partisan,2026)

 

INDIE ROCK / INDIE POP

   Julia Cumming has had a very successful career as the bassist and lead vocalist of psychedelic indie-rockers Sunflower Bean.

     Julia, her solo debut, came about after decamping to LA, where she worked with producer Brian Robert Jones.

     The singer’s voice, which recalls Beach House’s Victoria Legrand, is the perfect vehicle for delivering her touching, graceful lyrics, addressed mostly to herself. She’s at her best when wandering through the back corridors of her mind.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/5p8w9r

27.04.2026-LYDIA LOVELESS Daughter (Honey,You're Gonna Be Late,2020)

 

COUNTRY

   On her fifth and best full-length album, the Ohio singer-songwriter follows the rangy contours of her electric guitar playing with heartbreak stories and searching questions.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/2x3bg7

24.04.2026-SECRET SISTERS You Don't Own Me Anymore (New West,2017)

 

AMERICANA

   You Don't Own Me Anymore is their first release with New West Records, and hopefully it's the charm. Brandi Carlile, a singer-songwriter who's also an understated gem on the current folk scene, took the sisters under her wing and produced this album along with Tim and Phil Hanseroth. The sound quality is pure and glorious in its simplicity—the Rogers could have performed these 12 songs acapella and the emotion would have been relatively undiminished. It's clear, however, that the judicious use of talented musicians that include Carlile and the Hanseroth brothers supports the singers and expands their gorgeous tones in a way that will remind you of spare yet focused music produced by T-Bone Burnett in the last couple of decades.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/ra44dg

20.04.2026-FORETASTE Happy End! (BOREDOMproduct)

 

ELECTROPOP

     Tense. This is the first adjective that is coming to my mind while listening to the latest Foretaste's album "Happy End!". Their sixth album has been deeply influenced by the feelings the pandemic events raised in all of us. Most of the lyrics are dealing with a feeling of uncertainty and self-preservation. 

     My preferred songs are the opening "Welcome", "Pure Madness" (on this one the melody is a bit more catchy), the instrumental "Bored To Death", "Dead Star" (which recalls me a bit Depeche Mode of the 80s) and the closing "Happy End!" (this one is almost a techno tune and I found it really intriguing and I'd like they would have played a bit more in this key just to give to the album a wider palette of sounds). A usual for Foretaste, the album needs more listenings to be fully appreciated

https://www.sendspace.com/file/m6s8tm

18.04.2026-ANDREA SCHROEDER Void (Glitterhouse,2016)

 

POP NOIR

   Her vocals, which oscillate between Marlene Dietrich and Nico, sound sublime, dark, melancholic, contemplative, and poetic on Void . Andrea Schroeder is Nick Cave's younger sister in spirit.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/tu58tm

16.04.2026-FOXES Friends In The Corner (PIAS,2021)

 

POP

   Foxes’ latest EP, Friends in the Corner, allows love, pain and everything in between to sit comfortably side by side. After a 4-year hiatus from releasing music, she returns with 8 tracks that cover seldom-discussed themes such as the vulnerabilities of friendship, the joy of independence resulting from breakups, and the importance of family. This release consists of well-crafted pop that takes its time to dwell upon insecurities, as well as relish in moments of uplifting joy. 

https://www.sendspace.com/file/ke2zfx

13.04.2026-CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA To Believe (Ninja Tune,2019)

 

ELECTRONIC / DOWNTEMPO

   To Believe is heartbreakingly brilliant: a collection of exquisitely assembled songs that appear delicate from a distance before revealing a close-quarters core strength. Band leaders Jason Swinscoe and Dominic Smith have loosely arranged seven lightly jazzy tracks around the themes of belief and what it means to believe. Much as the pair attempt to make movies with their music, the best song has no dialogue: the meandering instrumental Lessons is a glorious balm, nine minutes of murmuring conversation between the players, dominated by Luke Flowers’ gently military drums. It has depth and meaning without context, the ideal soundtrack to a film that doesn’t exist. The sweeping grandeur of A Caged Bird/Imitations of Life is another cinematic collaboration with the always articulate and engaging Roots Manuva, a sort-of sequel to the epic All Things to All Men, and just as good. Every song here could easily be five or 10 minutes longer. 

https://www.sendspace.com/file/b4vfzl

11.04.2026-TWEAK BIRD Any Ol' Way (Let's Pretend,2014)

 

PSYCHEDELIC ROCK

   Any Ol' Way is a record of promise from a band that has clearly found focus. But its overreliance on tight structures nips too many moments for expansion in the bud.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/2qvt15

09.04.2026-STAVES All Now (Communion,2024)

 

INDIE FOLK

   The Staves have shown they’re happy to branch out into more indie-rock territory which sits well alongside their folk roots. It’s an accomplished record that leans into the familiar with flourishes of exciting new textures that make it a constantly engaging listen with plenty to unpack. 

https://www.sendspace.com/file/65zy4d

07.04.2026-OTOBOKE BEAVER Super Champon (Damnably,2022)

 

PUNK ROCK

   Champon is the Japanese noun for a jumble of different things, Super could well be a descriptor for the gloriously vital and anarchic sound emanating from the foremost four-piece punk garage band from Kyoto, Otoboke Beaver.

     Featuring blistering guitars and drums, wildly rampageous lyrics and masterful musicianship that bobs and weaves like a flyweight on speed, Accorinrin, Yoyoyoshie, Hiro-chan and Kahokiss deliver 18 short tracks of total randomness. Songs with obtuse and wacky titles such as Dirty Old Fart Is Waiting For My Reaction, First Class Side Guy & Leave Me Alone! No Stay With Me! all zip ferociously along and before you know it it’s gone, flashing by at just over 21 minutes, Super Champon truly is a masterpiece of chaos music. 

https://www.sendspace.com/file/gn1jlc

04.04.2026-KIRSTY ALMEIDA Moon Bird (All Made Up,2020)

 

FOLK / POP

   This album feels very much a fusion of the many influences within Kirsty’s life. Born in Scotland, but raised in Gibraltar from the age of 11, she moved back to the UK to study for her degree, making Yorkshire her home. After winning the prestigious ‘Take 5 Jazz Award’ in 2009, Kirsty was signed to DECCA which allowed her to play internationally and release her debut album under the production of renowned musician Martin Glover.

     Moonbird is stunningly soulful and reinstalls a childhood naivety and untainted perception of the world within what often feels within the genre an old and weary narrative. The album radiates warmth and peace, whilst addressing the pain and fragility of romance and the confusion of new beginnings. It’s a poised and graceful yet immensely powerful introduction both into the world of Kirsty Almeida and also the incredible power of folk as a genre. 

https://www.sendspace.com/file/gtgivv

01.04.2026-KALIA VANDEVER Another View (Northern Spy,2025)

 

JAZZ

   Despite several moments of quiet intensity, Kalia Vandever’s Another View flows like a dream, with composition and improvisation beautifully intertwined.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/i75uj8

30.03.2026-WORK DRUGS Insurgents (Bobby Cahn Records,2014)

 

SYNTHPOP

   Smooth indie/synth pop that unabashedly embraces the yacht-side soft rock of artists like Christopher Cross and Michael McDonald.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/o9ef5l

28.03.2026-CULTS Host (Sinderlyn,2020)

 

INDIE POP

   On Host, Cults find solipsistic charm in retreading the shadowy pastures of their past, bolstering the dream pop of their earlier work with the tactile verve of live instruments.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/roshtw

24.03.2026-MAMA'S BROKE Narrow Line (Free Dirt,2022)

 

FOLK

   A Canadian folk duo consisting of Lisa Maria and Amy Lou Keeler, as Mama’s Broke the multi-instrumentalists bring plenty of vocal harmonies to their diverse Americana that welcomes a few guests, too.

A very thoughtful record that touches on folk, blues, ragtime and old time sounds, too, thematically, the pair surround the cycles of life and death, and it makes for a very substantial body of work.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/33at1u

21.03.2026-GABRIEL BRUCE Come All Sufferers (Virgin/Luv Luv Luv,2016)

 

POP ROCK

   The entirety of the album is a thrilling sonic journey. Flitting from genre to genre is something Bruce has always done well and his ability to lace the tracks together seamlessly is a trait which has been carried through from ‘Love In Arms’ to ‘Come All Sufferers’. Apocalyptic and religious themes tie the album’s eleven tracks together, facilitated by Bruce’s enthralling ability to illuminate a narrative. It’s a record that makes you think, but more importantly it’s a record that makes you feel something.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/x57iez

18.03.2026-ANNA B. SAVAGE In Flux (City Slang,2023)

 

INDIE ROCK

   These songs are theatrical by design, Savage’s writing intimate and complex all at once, and thankfully, its varied soundscapes keep one’s attention throughout. Savage is constantly at the bottom of one’s thumb through the whole album — with the exception of snarky comebacks on the title track and the tepid proclamation “I think I’m gonna be fine” on the closure — it’d be nice to see her at the top. But as a snapshot of a relationship where she kept on wanting more, she doesn’t hold back.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/sg10ye

16.03.2026-SUNFLOWER BEAM Mortal Primetime (Lucky Number,2025)

 

INDIE ROCK

   This NYC trio has been rocking out long enough to know exactly how to get what they want. Their fourth album polishes their sound up to a higher gloss and a harder edge, maximizing the gritty glamor of uptempo anthems like “Nothing Romantic” and “Champagne Taste.” Ballads like “Shooting Star” and “Look What You’ve Done To Me” sparkle more brightly, too, with some of singer Julia Cumming’s most deeply felt performances to date. A decade ago, Sunflower Bean drew attention for their youthful energy, but these days they’re sounding like confident stars at the height of their powers.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/v82zbb

14.03.2026-FUTURE ISLANDS People Who Aren't There Anymore (4AD,2024)

 

SYNTHPOP

   Opener King of Sweden has Herring defiantly reclaiming the memories of his years spent there with his last partner, while The Fight plays like a paean to the restorative power of moving on. Throughout, the group’s tried-and-true, gleaming synth-pop palette is flecked with fresh sonic ambition, particularly on slow-burning epics Corner of My Eye and The Sickness. At the centre of it all remains Herring’s fabulously expressive voice, tailor-made to spin tales of heartache.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/n9q2si

10.03.2026-WARHAUS Karaoke Moon (PIAS,2024)

 

INDIE ROCK / INDIE POP

     From the first track, Where The Names Are Real, you’re enveloped in the warmth and presence of Maarten Devoldere’s vocals, accompanied by sleek, sultry bass lines and pulsating synths. However, this is a moon of two phases, and I found the waxing lyrical on songs like Jim Morrison a little hamfisted. Ultimately the polish and storytelling in this album is excellent, and can excuse the weaker points.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/oep2wc

08.03.2026-LIDWINE My Own Crown (Not On Label,2023)

 

ELECTRONIC / INDIE POP

   Lidwine is back with what could be her best album yet.

  She ventures into new sonic territories,
alternating between English and French lyrics.

  This album is pure joy, and it makes us realize just how much we've missed Lidwine.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/e84nzy

06.03.2026-XIU XIU 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto With Bison Horn Grips (Polyvinyl,2024)

 

EXPERIMENTAL ROCK

   So is Stiletto the best Xiu Xiu? Hard to say, because there’s so much here that is divided from what the band usually explores. And not every song works – “Veneficum” is almost too goofy in its new wave, its melody contrasting too strongly with the track’s dark subject matter, while Bobby Bland’s complex audio collage almost seems part of a different project.

     Fact remains, though, that the density of the record’s production allows listeners to come back repeatedly, finding hidden instrumentation that’s been clever mixed into the background. There’s a compositional mastery at play that many of their critics denied Xiu Xiu’s barebones electronic work. And the songs reverberate stronger than those on the group’s more recent albums.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/8ja5in

04.03.2026-CRYSTAL CASTLES Amnesty (I) (Fiction,2016)

 

ELECTROPOP

After a less-than-cordial breakup, the new iteration of Crystal Castles shows that the vocalist plays a major role in the sound of the band.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/buvs6u

28.02.2026-CHRYSTABELL Midnight Star (Love Conquered,2022)

 

POP ROCK

   Midnight Star, a synthpop explosion centered around science fiction and fantasy narratives, is a departure from the dark, sultry rock of previous albums like We Dissolve and Feels Like Love. 

     “The big difference for this one is that there were no guitars, no bass, no drums,” says Chrystabell, who worked with her longtime collaborator Christopher Smart on Midnight Star. “This was a very new territory for both of us.”

https://www.sendspace.com/file/t2vc4m

26.02.2026-JAI PAUL Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones) (XL,2019)

 

POP

   This is not the debut album from Jai Paul. It’s a collection of largely incomplete drafts that was stolen and illegally posted online in April 2013. Ever since, the 16-song release has lived on via dusty MP3s and cobbled-together YouTube playlists as a testament to boundless, unrealized promise. All the while, the London singer and producer stayed almost completely silent, creating a vacuum for an insatiable internet to fill with conspiracies, desires, and frustrations. 

https://www.sendspace.com/file/kmb4l8

23.02.2026-FOSTER THE PEOPLE Paradise State Of Mind (Atlantic,2024)

 

INDIE POP

   Their fourth full-length studio offering comes in the neatly packaged 70s infused rock of Paradise State of Mind. Following on from 2017’s Sacred Hearts Club, Paradise State of Mind maintains its predecessors hazy pop stylings but takes it one step further as they teeter into Tame Impala territory (“Sometimes I Wanna Be Bad)”.

   Paradise State of Mind is a refreshing modern offering from the LA-duo, their numbers may have dwindled by half, but their sound is bigger than ever.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/gqdusq

20.02.2026-ELIZABETH ANKA VAJAGIĆ Stand With The Stillness Of This Day (Constellation,2004)

FOLK / EXPERIMENTAL

   Stand with the Stillness of This Day, the dramatic debut from Montreal songwriter Elizabeth Anka Vajagic, is relentlessly black. Its seven slow, tear-drowned laments paint a dark and unsettling otherworld that you want no part of; a derelict, rat-ridden distopia of neglect and madness which she draws with such vividness that, at times, it seems as though you're already there; strapped in the backseat whilst she gives you the guided tour.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/1jxefv

 

18.02.2026-THREE TRAPPED TIGERS Silent Earthling (Superball,2016)

 

EXPERIMENTAL / MATH ROCK

   It takes some talent to blend elements of metal, prog rock, classic electronica (Brian Eno has been an acknowledged influence, and Rogerson will be releasing a collaboration with him in the near future), techno and hip hop into an album, but Three Trapped Tigers have pulled it off so convincingly here that it makes some of their previous material look unfairly clunky in comparison.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/ob15w9

16.02.2026-KATE CEBERANO Sweet Inspiration (Sony,2021)

 

POP / SOUL / JAZZ

   This album is pure audible ecstasy on every level, yet it is gentle when needed and embedded in that gentleness is a warmth and strength that relates to loss, not always in sadness, but most definitely something we have all felt at one time or another. Yet another milestone for Ceberano in what can only be described as one hell of an illustrious, varied and incredibly accomplished career.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/rv4u62

14.02.2026-SHIELD PATTERNS Contour Lines (Gizeh,2014)

 

TRIP HOP

     ‘Contour Lines’ is a work of unhinged beauty, which borders on the edge of celestial serenity, and on the polar opposite it leans towards the edge of the darkest unknown. Sexy, intricate, menacing, haunting, and quite frankly hypnotic – Shield Patterns have arguably released what could be the best electronic album of the year. Even more so, this is possibly one of the best debut albums that has been committed to record in a long, long time. A mini-masterpiece.

https://www.sendspace.com/file/838bza