Allison Crutchfield: Tourist in This Town review – uplifting pop with tension beneath

The first minute of Alabama singer-songwriter Allison Crutchfield’s debut album is sung a cappella. It’s an intimate experience, hearing her multitracked voice without accompaniment, and when the band kicks in it’s quite a surprise – not least because the dominant … Continue reading →

Fufanu: Sports review – middling second outing by Icelandic post-punk revivalists

There’s something slightly irrational about a lot of post-punk revivalism. Apparently unable to capture the sense of instability, the intensity of emotion, and the sheer levels of dissonance that poured forth from the likes of Public Image Limited and Joy … Continue reading →

Surfer Blood: Snowdonia review – Floridian surf-rockers return with sunny, scrappy pop

Floridian rockers Surfer Blood’s name has come to be associated with trouble and tragedy. John Paul Pitts’ arrest for domestic violence in 2012, after which he accepted a “plea and pass” deal, triggered a backlash. Then last year their guitarist … Continue reading →

Goat Girl review – a firestorm of sharp riffs and lyrical anger

The feisty arrivals on the south London DIY indie rock scene put on a show of raw thrills and incendiary power

Aquilo: Silhouettes review – melancholy but slick

If the xx have got too happy for you, fear not: synth duo Aquilo arrive with heavy hearts and a seemingly bottomless well of lush, plaintive melodies. Named after the Greek god of cold northern winds, the former teenage rock … Continue reading →

Cloud Nothings: Life Without Sound review – stop meditating and crank up the noise

If the title of Cloud Nothings’ fourth studio album suggested the Cleveland indie rockers were dialling down the volume, then band linchpin Dylan Baldi was keen to go along with that: “This record is like my version of new age … Continue reading →

Horse Thief: Trials and Truths review – earnest, check-shirted Americana

(Bella Union)

Foxygen: Hang review – an invigorating blast of perpetual motion

A remarkable array of musical styles converge with exhilarating effect on the Californian duo’s third album

Apocalipstick: Cherry Glazerr review – a lot to love

The LA three-piece pitch their succinct second album somewhere between 80s post-punk and guitar pop with a liberal sprinkling of synth

Cherry Glazerr: Apocalypstick review – female empowerment and aural fizz bombs

Fronted by 19-year-old high school graduate Clementine Creevy, Cherry Glazerr have come on hugely since their debut, Haxel Princess, written when the singer was 14. A rejigged lineup and White Stripes producer Joe Chiccarelli have made for a far more … Continue reading →

Menace Beach: Lemon Memory review – motorik and mind-expanding psych

Related: Menace Beach: ‘You need this many people to make this much noise’ Even in an era in which 90s revivalism is the default mode, Ratworld, the debut album from Leeds sort-of-supergroup Menace Beach, felt particularly beholden to its influences: … Continue reading →

The Molochs: America’s Velvet Glory review – like it’s 1965 all over again

It’s not a surprise to see the Molochs are on the same label that brought the world the Allah-Las. Like their fellow Los Angelenos, the Molochs are in thrall to that point in the mid-60s where beat groups, garage bands … Continue reading →

The Blue Aeroplanes review – evergreen cult rockers step lively

With their constantly changing lineup, poetic lyrics and unstoppable dancer Wojtek, the Bristol band show no signs of landing

Sundara Karma: Youth Is Only Ever Fun in Retrospect review – identikit indie

Looking like rock gods-in-waiting is unlikely to do Berkshire four-piece Sundara Karma much harm, and neither is frontman Oscar Pollock’s androgynous image. It’s a shame, then, that their songs are so much less noteworthy. Their debut album starts brightly enough, … Continue reading →

The Blue Aeroplanes: Welcome, Stranger! review – jangling like it’s 1991

(Art Star)