The Swedish indie-poppers’ fourth album consolidates their pop-savvy strengths.
Shout Out Louds – Optica
Chris Lo
Nosaj Thing – Home
Nosaj Thing returns after a three-year absence with an album that has its share of exquisite moments but can’t quite match up to its predecessor’s dynamism and breadth of expression.
Crystal Castles – III
Further distancing themselves from the early noisemongering, Crystal Castles’ third LP is their clearest and most confident statement to date.
El Perro Del Mar – Pale Fire
As winter approaches and cold seeps into our bones, there are few albums better suited to raging against the dying of the light than El Perro Del Mar’s downcast but typically layered fourth.
Flying Lotus – Until The Quiet Comes
Electro-maestro Flying Lotus continues his sonic voyage on album number four, a lush journey into dreams that unearths a host of heady new sounds.
Vessel – Order of Noise
The Bristol-based producer’s debut is like a Magic Eye puzzle for your ears: initially confusing, but slotting into place when you step back and squint.
Peace – EP Delicious
The Birmingham four-piece’s debut EP might be lacking that spark of inspiration, but the potential on show here is more than enough to give Peace a chance.
Calexico – Algiers
New Orleans has worked its powerful voodoo on Calexico, giving them a way to deepen and broaden their sound without compromising any of their distinctive aesthetic.
Dan Deacon – America
Dan Deacon’s debut for the Domino label is an album of two halves; he gives us his classic sound for the first, then embarks on an ambitious orchestral journey for the second.
Fang Island – Major
Fang Island’s second album continues their quest to bring sheer, bloody-minded joy back to rock ‘n’ roll with duelling guitars, overblown solos and plenty of high-fives.
TNGHT – TNGHT EP
Hudson Mohawke and Lunice’s transatlantic dream team knocks up a constant carousel of hip-hop textures and rhythms designed to make the mainstream rap world sit up and take notice.
Frank Ocean – Channel Orange
Frank Ocean’s stunning studio debut takes the greatest strengths of last year’s mixtape and spreads them, top to bottom, across a whole album.