Outbreak festival review – hardcore and pop hooks collide in impeccable genre-fluid lineup

Turnstile headlined with soaring high-tempo energy while Speed went route-one punk, Jane Remover caused pandemonium and Have a Nice Life electrified their fanbase in this most free-thinking of festivals

Lifeguard: Ripped and Torn review – this brilliant post-punk racket sounds like a trip to a rivet factory

The Chicago threepiece’s bold debut is a blast of circular-saw guitars, baffling lyrics and effervescent melody

Pulp: More review – anthems and rage for the next life stage

Jarvis Cocker and the band’s first album in 24 years delivers a refreshing take on middle age, with all the the skewed observation and joyful melodic flourishes of old

Cloud Control review – Australian 2010s indie darlings reunite for a joyfully nostalgic tour

Northcote theatre, Melbourne; then touringThe band is back together on a 15-year anniversary tour for their debut album Bliss Release – and their sound is immediately transportative

Jacob Alon: In Limerence review – dreamy story songs of myth and melancholy

The Scottish songwriter delivers a confident, well-expressed debut even if their songs sometimes stray into overfamiliar indie-folk territory

Stereolab: Instant Holograms on Metal Film review – after 15 years, the retro-futurists make a radiant return

Motorik grooves, Marxist critique and vintage synths – in their first album since 2010, Laetitia Sadier et al pick up where they left off yet sound more timely than ever

Maria Somerville: Luster review – a vivid and vital entry in the shoegaze revival

The Irish artist’s folk-inflected sound is both unnerving and alluring on her luxuriant second album

Julien Baker and Torres: Send a Prayer My Way review – an intimate, queer reclamation of country music

The two deep south songwriters ditch country’s rhinestones for a personal, defiant reframing of the genre’s tropes

Pulp: Spike Island review – Jarvis Cocker and co’s joyous second coming

The anthemic lead single from the band’s first album in 24 years casts a wary eye over their peak 90s fame – but also suggests that performing is irresistible

Black Country, New Road: Forever Howlong review – revamped alt-rockers take a newer, weirder road

After losing their frontman, the band’s third studio album shows how resilient and adaptable they are, with luscious melodies, fantastical lyrics and lots of recorders

Destroyer: Dan’s Boogie review – darkness haunts a gorgeous ruined palace of a record

Frightening fates await the protagonists of Dan Bejar’s 14th album, but the mercurial Canadian’s perspective and lavish instrumentation are a reminder of beauty’s potential

Lucy Dacus: Forever Is a Feeling review – Boygenius singer turns timidly tasteful

The Virginia songwriter gets lost in understatement on a loved-up album about her relationship with bandmate Julien Baker, shrouding sharp lyrics in shy melodies

Throwing Muses: Moonlight Concessions review – as ever, Kristin Hersh is astonishing

For their 11th album in a nearly 40-year career, the alt-rockers switch focus to acoustic guitars and cello – but their tumultuous tales are still charged with elemental power

Ichiko Aoba: Luminescent Creatures review – nurturing music for bleak times

The cult Japanese singer-songwriter’s new album, inspired by the Ryukyu islands, is like a powerfully soothing sound bath

Bartees Strange: Horror review – frustratingly timid genre-mashing experiment

With producer-to-the-stars Jack Antonoff on board, the anarchic American rocker offers glimpses of inspiration but fails to follow through