Thom Yorke: Anima review – angst, anguish, paranoia and … jokes?
The Radiohead frontman gives a glimpse of his fun side on this intriguing, infuriating solo album. But you’ll have to listen closely
Black Midi: Schlagenheim review – the weirdest buzz band of the year
This hyped quartet of Brit School graduates deliver some powerful kicks between the clattering, self-satisfied rackets
Bill Callahan: Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest review – brilliantly sly celebration of family and the infinite
Humour and subtly shattering insights into a new life as a parent add profundity to Callahan’s expansive album
Two Door Cinema Club: False Alarm review – charisma-free truth bombs
The Northern Irish trio have embraced electronic pop, but they fail to give their strong hooks any personality
Field Day review – Skepta and Jorja Smith impress in London’s edgelands
The sound isn’t always up to standard in Field Day’s new Tottenham home, but Diplo, Deerhunter and Death Grips are among those who transcend it
Mattiel: Satis Factory review – witty and assured garage rock
Not many up-and-coming artists would admit to a day job at mass-marketing email company Mailchimp. But Mattiel Brown need fear no accusations of cookie-cutter insincerity. The genre she and the band that bears her name have chosen – punky garage … Continue reading
BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend review – electric Stormzy opens two days of non-stop pop
Billie Eilish draws the crowds, Miley Cyrus rejects her previous personas and Slowthai steals the day
Faye Webster: Atlanta Millionaires Club review – a Georgia peach of an album
(Secretly Canadian)
Cate Le Bon: Reward review – a mind unravelling in Cumbria
Lovely, airy, occasionally rocking songs are underpinned by off-kilter lyrics and seeping isolation on Le Bon’s remarkable album
The National: I Am Easy to Find review – strangely lacklustre
Twenty years into their career, the National have had a radical rethink for their eighth album. Film-maker Mike Mills has come on board to challenge the way they record, as well as cooking up a complementary but standalone short film … Continue reading
The National: I Am Easy to Find review – melodious mood music to enthral
The band’s eighth album hymns other artists including REM on understated songs full of trademark emotional intensity
Peter Doherty and the Puta Madres review – as shambolic and fitfully brilliant as ever
The gig dissolves into chaos as his husky dogs arrive on stage, but Doherty’s charisma and talent have not been extinguished
Big Thief: UFOF review – full of subtle charm
Listening to Big Thief’s third album, UFOF (the second “F” standing for “friend”), it’s evident that it was informed more by where it was recorded – rural Washington state – than by the band’s Brooklyn home. These exquisitely rendered folk-based … Continue reading
Drahla: Useless Coordinates review – swaggering, controlled-chaos debut
(Captured Tracks)Leeds trio’s potent first album takes rugged-but-cerebral post-punk on a propulsive, saxophone-tinted journey