CD reviews

Six years after the 2011 release of Helplessness Blues and nearly a decade since their excellent 2008 self-titled debut, Fleet Foxes return with an effort that offers no great departure from their...

At the forefront of bubblegum trap, 19-year-old Atlanta rapper Lil Yachty has garnered a reputation for his blissfully exuberant brand of rap, exemplified by his Grammy-nominated turn on the...

On his fourth solo album, Kansas City songwriter Kevin Morby delivers a set of 1960s and ’70s-indebted sonic wanderings as an ode to the mix tape of metropolitan experience.

Fleetwood Mac fans as well as casual passers-by will recognise these names.

Born in America’s South, Benjamin Booker merges his love of soul, R&B and blues with the lo-fi electric squalls that punctuated his 2014 debut album.

The seventh album from the son of legend Steve Earle continues a journey along the byways of Americana, fusing country and folk storytelling to a rhythm and blues bar-room vibe.

Twenty-seven years since their first UK No1 (Some Friendly), The Charlatans achieve that rare feat of completing a 13th album that offers compelling listening.

The Imperfect Sea. Penguin Cafe. Erased Tapes CD

Slowdive’s self-titled fourth studio album comes some 22 years after its last effort, Pygmalion, following which the British pioneers of shoe-gaze promptly split.

Forty years (to the month) since The Jam released its debut album, Paul Weller continues to show his curious mix of angular restlessness and pop-rock craft.

... or, "Boy-Band Heartthrob in Decent Album Shock!".

Comprising eight songs, the third album from Broad Bay troubadour Matt Langley is succinct in more ways than one: it is an exercise in editing, the sharp honing of its lyrics matching its deft and...

As one of the late-’90s most combustible bands, At The Drive In brought a cerebral edge to the hardcore scene, producing one of the genre’s most feted releases (2000’s Relationship of Command),...

Ceol Manawatu should be applauded.

Apparently more popular at home than compatriots Bjork and Sigur Ros, Icelander Asgeir Trausti has followed his debut, In the Silence, with an effort that might be borne on the afterglow (sorry) of...

Cartoonish times demand cartoon voices, and with The Archies on extended hiatus, it falls to Gorillaz to fill that void.

The follow-up to the Ohio rock outfit’s 2014 effort, Do to the Beast, In Spades is sprawling, messy and ambitious in equal measures.

Having roamed down country roads and imbibed the steamy soul of Memphis, American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow has opted for a blend of big pop songs and minimalist, groove-infused electric guitar...

John Congleton, the Grammy-winning producer behind Franz Ferdinand, St Vincent and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, apparently went back to basics, opting for a live approach when recording the 11th album...

Despite its title, there’s nothing remotely memorable about the debut album from former Syracuse University EDM brats The Chainsmokers, whose quest for safe commercialism is only bettered by their...