Birdy’s Young Heart: intimate but homogeneous heartbreak folk
After a hiatus, “Skinny Love” singer Birdy returns with a record of Woodstock-inspired crooning.
ByAlbum reviews
Read all the latest album reviews from the New Statesman here.
Dry Cleaning’s New Long Leg: brilliant and barmy observational post-punk
The south-London quartet’s debut record shows off Florence Shaw’s deadpan vocals and droll lyrics.
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serpentwithfeet’s Deacon is a sweet, powerful collection of love songs
On his wholesome, dreamy second album, the singer celebrates fulfilling and compassionate relationships between black men.
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Ringo Starr’s Zoom In is a paean to pre-lockdown partying
The former Beatle has released a distinctly 2020-flavoured EP.
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Paul Morley’s A Sound Mind is an intimidating history of classical music
This is a collage of Morley’s life as a long-time music journalist, slightly shorter-time classical music advocate, and conspicuously mortal…
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Israel Nash’s Topaz: sun-baked country rock in need of some frankness
On his sixth album, the Americana musician subtly queries his place in a genre long associated with conservatism.
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Zara Larsson’s Poster Girl: pounding, charismatic hits from a Swedish pop prodigy
On her third album, the Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson digs deeper into her electro sound.
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Danny L Harle’s Harlecore is a celebration of the club
On his debut record, the British electronic producer conjures an environment many of his listeners will have been pining after for eleven…
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Slowthai’s TYRON is not quite an apology record
Apologies have come to define Slowthai’s recent career, but his latest record tries to have it both ways.
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Katy Kirby’s Cool Dry Place: soft but subversive folk-pop
Kirby’s sharp lyrics, layered melodies and complex manipulation of rhythm mark her out as an exciting and sophisticated songwriter.
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Virginia Wing’s Private Life: chaotic, dream-like pop
The brilliant, daring new album from the Manchester alt-pop outfit throbs with a contemporary sonic anxiety.
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“It was a meteorite in our worlds”: the Staves on surviving grief and returning to music
After the death of their mother in 2018, the three sisters took time away from making music. On their third album, Good…
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SOPHIE’s playful, defiant music broke pop boundaires
The work of the pioneering electronic artist, who died last week aged 34, asked: why be one thing, when you…
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Black Country, New Road are one of the most exciting and original British bands in years
With their debut For the First Time, the septet from Cambridgeshire have created a thrillingly chaotic sound.
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Why Carole King’s Tapestry still speaks to us
In 2021, this extraordinary album still warms a room much the same way it did 50 years earlier.
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On Drunk Tank Pink, south London post-punk group Shame come back down to earth
Drunk Tank Pink is, in many ways, a typical second rock album in that it reflects on the madness caused by the…
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The Avalanches’ We Will Always Love You: uplifting disco meets celestial trip hop
Listening to the Australian electro duo’s third album is like floating around a zero-gravity party.
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Yungblud’s Weird!: bland, indistinct pop-rock
The Doncaster musician has cultivated a fanbase around his celebration of nonconformity, but his music is unadventurous.
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Miley Cyrus’s Plastic Hearts: rebellious, retro pop-rock anthems
Drawing from 1980s rock, metal and her country roots, Cyrus abandons her belting soprano to sound like a 50-year-old smoker in cowboy…
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McFly’s Young Dumb Thrills: an artificially wholesome school run soundtrack
Noughties pop-punk boyband McFly, now in their thirties, return to music after a decade with the audio equivalent of a gratitude…
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