Album Reviews

Adelaide musician and producer LOS LEO has released his latest record, LL-1000, an ambitious project that far transcends the music itself. Setting himself the seemingly impossible challenge of writing, recording, and producing an album within one calendar year, he has just scraped in, and the result is a stunning 14-track record that showcases this insane…

If you’ve clicked on this article, I’m going to assume that you are one of two types of people: you either think I’m rage-baiting you or you’re in complete agreement. If you’re the former, hear me out. If you’re the latter- hey, we were probably friends on Twitter back in 2011. I was first introduced…

It’s been five years between albums for Tame Impala. In the intervening years between 2020’s The Slow Rush and Deadbeat the multi-instrumentalist behind the project, Kevin Parker, has also become a husband and a father, making the choice of name for the album an interesting one indeed. Following on from the huge success of earlier…

The Maple State are back! Seventeen years after their original disbanding, the Manchester emo-punk outfit has released their new album Don’t Take Forever. A staple of the early 2000s punk scene, The Maple State steadily developed a loyal following over the years – one that includes Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and The 1975’s frontman, Matty Healy….

Pop-punk favourite Taylor Acorn has finally dropped her debut LP, Poster Child – her first release since signing to Fearless Records last month. Across 12 tracks and a short but sweet 37-minute runtime, Acorn delivers an album that is sharp, emotional, anthemic, and so damn fun. Opening track “People Pleaser” immediately sets the tone with…

Fans of UK post-punk/alt-rock band, Savages, will know Jehnny Beth from her time as their dynamic front woman. Others may know the French singer/songwriter from her numerous collaborations with some of music’s biggest names, including Trentemøller, Gorillaz, and Julian Casablancas, to name but a few. Released at the end of August, Beth’s second solo album…

All Time Low return with their tenth studio album, Everyone’s Talking, out today. The title alone feels loaded in all the right ways, coming after a few turbulent years that saw the band face some scrutiny- this record marks a reset and reclamation in their journey. The colourful album cover features the band in bright…

Little more than 18 months after their breakout debut album, The Last Dinner Party return with another instant classic, the soaring rock-opera From the Pyre. After initially coming out of nowhere with the singles from Prelude to Ecstasy (including “Sinner”, “Nothing Matters” and “My Lady of Mercy”), the majority British act wowed crowds and critics…

A little over a year since the release of his Sincere LP, R&B singer Khalid has decidedly changed his tune from those airy, harmonic rhythms to a more pop-forward, liberating sound with After The Sun Goes Down, a confident, at times sexually charged collection of beats that leans into an almost Y2K sense of sound….

Proving themselves each other’s muses, Swedish power popstar Zara Larsson and British singer-songwriter-producer MNEK have maintained their musical forces for her latest LP, the euphoric Midnight Sun, a decade after they first struck electropop gold on their 2015 collaboration “Never Forget You”. Their blend of EDM sonics and R&B sensibilities course through the veins of…

Meanjin/Brisbane petalcore outfit Torizon have just dropped their debut EP Meliora, exploring infertility through the characters of Luna and Sam. It’s rich and emotive, blending heavy sounds with vocal and lyrical vulnerability. Torizon teamed with Emerge Creative to create short videos accompanying the single releases, exploring how the couple fall apart from the grief, but…

Sometimes the greatest ideas come from a spur-of-the-moment text. Case in point: in 2023, Ashe, established star in her own right with her viral smash hit “Moral Of The Story” and incredible debut record Ashlyn, messaged her long-time pal Finneas, aka Grammy-magnet and brother/co-writer/bandmate of Billie Eilish, simply saying “Hear me out. Should we start…

I Prevail are no strangers to high stakes. The Michigan rock band has been carving out their place in the heavy since 2013, with massive choruses, crushing riffs and lyrics that cut deep. 2025, however, makes a turning point. With the departure of vocalist Brian Burkheiser earlier this year, co-vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe has stepped up…

We’ve experienced a drought of shirtless Scottish rock in the four years since Biffy Clyro released their last studio album, The Myth of the Happily Ever After, but today, at long last, we have the release of their much-anticipated tenth album, Futique. The album’s title is a compound word, as explained by Simon Neil, combining…

RinRin – the musical project of Perth-based singer-songwriter Qarin Hipe – will drop debut album The Nut House later this week. Taking cues from the likes of Poppy, BABYMETAL, and Bring Me The Horizon, RinRin’s sound is an eclectic mash-up, with metal, pop-punk, and pop influences punctuated by big riffs and bigger screams. Upcoming LP…

Few bands wear their convictions as proudly as Rise Against. For over two decades, the Chicago rockers have been a voice of fury and hope, delivering anthem after anthem and balancing urgency with melody. Now, with their tenth studio album Ricochet, they’ve taken a huge leap forward. Produced by Catherine Marks (Boygenius, Wolf Alice, Frank…

Wolf Alice have always been known for their edgy indie music; a sound that at times bordered on punk, littered with loud guitars, forceful percussion and sparingly, complete anger. They crafted this sound across multiple albums and EPs, touring the globe regularly to increasingly large crowds. And yet here on their new album The Clearing,…

In 2025, where everything either feels like a bin fire or no one can seemingly get along with anyone else, there always has to be a space for art that doesn’t take itself too seriously, while allowing those who consume it to have an unfettered experience when indulging in it. And honestly, this is exactly…

Pop-punk trailblazers of the early 2000s- Good Charlotte, burst back onto the scene after seven quiet years with Motel Du Cap. A highly anticipated release, expectations were high after the release of the lead single “Rejects”, which felt like a true return to form. The record kicks off with a spoken word monologue, an homage…

Have you ever had a bad time listening to female led harmonies on a near acoustic soundtrack? I’m here to tell you the answer is no, and you can add Folk Bitch Trio to the list of bands that meet this description of releasing ridiculously pleasant indie-folk. Here on their debut album Now Would Be…

Seven-piece London jazz outfit Kokoroko return to our ears with their triumphant sophomore album Tuff Times Never Last. It sounds just as its cover artwork looks – vibrant, joyous and dance-floor ready. Kokoroko’s sound is built on connection. Forming when percussionist Onome Edgeworth and vocalist/trumpet player Shelia Maurice-Grey met on an arts trip in Kenya,…

Following the success of 2021’s Simulation Ride, Melbourne/Naarm-based artist Merpire (Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt) returns with Milk Pool. Across eleven tracks, she leans into themes of longing, intimacy, and self-worth. Moments of quiet vulnerability meet fuzzy distortion, holding tension between softness and grit. Sometimes beautifully, sometimes unevenly, but always with sincerity. Opening track “Leaving With You” immediately…

It feels rather fitting that Kesha release her latest record on America’s Independence Day, July 4th, as this – her 6th LP – truly embodies a sense of freedom, following a tumultuous period surrounding legal battles and sexual assault charges that threaten to derail her exciting pop trajectory. There’s a whole rabbit hole you can…

Later this week, Sydney/Eora punks FANGZ will unleash long-awaited debut album Shui (like FANGZ shoo-ey, get it?). Already suitably hyped by singles “Wasting Time”, “Wide Awake”, “Same Old Story”, and recent release “Anne Marie”, Shui comes to us via Impressed Recordings, and will drop on Friday July 4th. Of the new album, frontman Josh Cottreau…

As a genre, hardcore is having a serious moment right now. Bands like Turnstile and SPEED are pushing boundaries and bringing a raw intensity to global stages, shining a newfound spotlight on a genre that’s long thrived in the underground. With over twenty years in the game, Melbourne hardcore veterans Iron Mind have returned with…

With the advent of streaming, music has never been more accessible. The assumption might’ve been that artistic creativity would thrive in a technological era unburdened by label demands, industry cynicism or trend-chasing. Commercial interests however, continue to outpace creative ones. Rather than fostering experimentation, the streaming system has rewarded immediacy. Playlist-friendly singles and algorithm-driven exposure…

When most artists choose to get introspective, they tend to wear their hearts on their sleeve. Hein Cooper, however, opts to open the door to the garage, set up the mic, and let the world listen in. Written, recorded and produced entirely by Cooper in his mum’s garage over six months, My Own is the artist’s…

Masked band Sleep Token are about to drop their latest album, and the hype surrounding the release feels palpable. Four albums in, it’s hard to call them an overnight success, but 2023’s “The Summoning” going viral definitely had a role to play in their huge rise over the past year or so, culminating in a…

  Dope Lemon – the multiple-award winning project created by acclaimed Sydney singer-songwriter Angus Stone – are set to release much anticipated fifth album Golden Wolf on May 2nd. Singles off of the new album have dropped throughout the last few months, including tracks “Golden Wolf”, “Sugarcat”, and “Electric Green Lambo”, each unique in sound…

It’s rather uncommon for a band approaching two decades in the business to release a self-titled album. It might seem even more uncommon when that same album happens to be their fourth studio release. Lucius, however, the American four-piece led by Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, is far from common. The band’s self-titled fourth album,…