Mark Lanegan - Field Songs

This is a very solid collection of songs that touch on country, folk, and a lot of soul. It's also the first Lanegan album I've ever heard from start to finish.

Guided by Voices - Crystal Nuns Cathedral

I've not listened much to this super-productive band, but I like their ability to write songs that feel like they're made by people who know what they're doing. This is obviously made by people who know their instruments and genre well, but therein also lies the problem: the songs can feel complacent. On the other hand, I've no idea how their other albums sound; their last album was released a handful of months ago and they might have switched styles completely between their last two albums, so that would not make them complacent. You be the judge.

Lucrecia Dalt - The Seed (Original Score)

Her wonderful album No era sólida, was masterfully made, an apex of experimental music. This soundtrack is made partly by using various pieces of metal, a tape delay, and the Korg Monologue.

Ramesh - Eternal Spring

The frontman of one of my fave bands 15 years ago—Voxtrot—has now released a new solo album that feels very torch song-y. It's good. A lot of drama is juxtaposed with different song styles; 'New Style' sounds a bit like New Order, 'Valentino' smells of Trent Reznor vocals, and the title track is sweet. I miss some of the Voxtrot melodic hooks, but Ramesh seems to consciously have travelled in another direction.

Marco Beltrami - No Exit (Original Soundtrack)

A pretty straightforward Hollywood soundtrack for a scary-type film. The possible exception to the formula are the end titles, Hans Zimmerish in style.

Deserta - Every Moment, Everything You Need

Shoegaze, nimble synths, swooooshy feel: this is like a few variations on a My Bloody Valentine song. It's nice.

Laura Cannell - Antiphony of the Trees

I've never before heard recorders used to make music like this! What an astounding, astutely made album. Go in and prepare to get physical.

Jenny Hval - Classic Objects

This is a lovely missing link between pop and art. Wow. I had no expectations going in, but this album overwhelmed me with vocal harmonies and pieced-together sequenced stuff. I like this album a lot. Feels like an advert for Spring.

Jonathan Johansson - Om Vi Får Leva

Swedish music, slick production, simple string arrangements, modern percussion, south-of-Sweden dialect… This is pretty.

Blanck Mass - Ted K.

A flowing, veiled soundtrack to follow a genius and insane mind. Sounds at times like somebody has played saws. Am I the only one to think of The Fugees' Ready or Not as I hear the song Desecration?

Son House - Forever On My Mind

This is a collection of newly restored recordings with Son House, the godfather of Delta blues.He didn't care much about tuning his guitar to perfection for these recordings, but listening to them, it's clear that the power in his song and playing means everything. There's so much soul in these recordings that each hum and note makes a difference.

Bogdan Raczynski - ADDLE

This guy knows electronic music. For me, it's a bit hit and miss. I like this album. The ending song, 'ALDDE', is the best: ten minutes of rain sounds and pounding bass plus some experimental percussion and synth sounds. It's what I imagine how a jazz band would sound in the basement of Tresor.

ROSALÍA - Motomami

Here's an album that brings fun and experiments to the listener. When I first heard this album, I thought about Bonde do Rolê, and their brilliant With Lasers.

Destroyer - LABYRINTHITIS

It's so weird to see Destroyer become popular. My wife introduced me to Destroyer at a place in time after she was unable to find physical copies of his albums.

This album is, as usual, different from a lot of his other albums, even though it's similar to the latest ones. One thing that I love about Destroyer is that Dan's strengths are in many things: melodies, anarchy, song, lyrics, the fact that he recently told Bandcamp the following about Trouble in Dreams, his 2008 album:

“The writing, when I look at it, it’s the best writing I’ve ever done,” Bejar says. “As a lyric sheet, I’ll never get close to that again—so the fact that I botched it as a singer is kind of a symbol of what’s wrong with me doing what it is that I’ve been doing for the last 27 years. Because the best thing I’ve done is also the worst thing I’ve done.”

This is quite an addictive album. Some of the hooks won't leave my head, even after a month, which is quite rare for me; I listen to a lot of new music, which often is a recipe for not having something stuck in my head for long.

Abbath - Dead Reaver

Finally! Everyone's fave black-metal clown, Abbath, is back with his new album. This collection of songs has some really good tracks and some that are entirely forgettable. I can't say I've gone back to this album more than once, but in the words of one of my cousins who wanted to describe listening to a then-newly released AC/DC album: 'It's like wearing a new pair of Levis 501s: you know exactly how they're going to feel even before you slip them on.'

Kavinsky - Reborn

When Kavinsky released their OutRun album, I became obsessed: I listened to it over and over. This time around, not so much. I somehow feel the sound has taken precedence over content, which can work, but I've not returned to this album.

Desolate Shrine - The Dying World

Some really nice shrieky black metal! Very nice.

King Dude - Songs of The 1940s - Part One

Interesting collection of covers, made with love and care. Dark country from an artist who obviously has found their own place.

Bill Fay - Still Some Light: Part 1

Wow. This is some collection from an artist that I've just discovered, but who's been around for a long time. He's well-liked by a lot of peers, and I very much see why. These songs are fascinating, haunting, pleasurable, at times great. He's nailed down his own sound and has put a lot of care into the songs themselves rather than be a...peacock, lacking a better word.

JARV IS... - This Is Going To Hurt

A soundtrack for a TV series, this is performed by Jarvis Cocker's new band. This is a ride, and I feel it's cosmically connected to the album that consists of covers of French songs that Jarvis recently released. This is a good in-between thing that encapsulates both art and rock. There are some nice segues and melodies here.