Jeffrey Lewis & Los Bolts: Manhattan review – anti-folk star still capable of surprises
Fans will know broadly what to expect from lo-fi star Jeffrey Lewis’s latest, but as ever there are some surprises, too
Cass McCombs: A Folk Set Apart review – goodie bag of B-sides and rarities
The veteran’s collection of offcuts and collaborations contains gems spanning the genres
Jaala: Hard Hold review – proggy punk-rock experiments yield mixed results
The Melbourne four-piece, led by Queensland exile Cosima Jaala, occasionally make sense but are too certain of their own brilliance to connect every time
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions: Collected Recordings 1983-1989 box set review – dizzying, jangling pop journey
This Commotions set takes in everything from their early incarnation as a white funk band to their mainstream hitmaking days
Lush: Chorus box set review – shoegaze with proper attitude
Wicked hair and songs about rubbish boys serve as a reminder that the band deserve a place at the head of the 90s indie table
Father John Misty review – droll set falls flat in concert hall confines
Josh Tillman attempts to eke energy out of the seated crowd by filling the space with angelic vocals, suit-degrading stage antics and rakish limb thrusting
Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams review – a failure to commit to pop
Despite roping in the production team behind hits by Rihanna and Katy Perry, Chris Martin and co can’t seem to help lapsing into the same old windy cliches and nondescript balladry
Kurt Vile and Steve Gunn: Parallelogram review – heady guitar trips from split-LP series
Steve Gunn and Kurt Vile team up for a split LP that forms part of a series celebrating 15 years of US label Three Lobed
Jennylee: Right On! review – Warpaint bassist’s vague, hazy solo debut
Dismantled blues and subtle dissonance characterise Jenny Lee Lindberg’s indistinct solo debut
Mashrou’ Leila review – sequins, sensuality and a dazzling aura of resistance
A flamboyant violinist and magnetic vocalist could help take this impressive Beirut quintet from concert halls to stadiums
Bill Wells and Friends: Nursery Rhymes review – a guest-packed project that’s not for kids
Bill Wells and friends find the dark heart of many familiar nursery rhymes on this hit-and-miss set
The Maccabees review – three-guitar rush with an apres-midnight melancholy
The London band deliver a winning indie intensity, with a welcome Macc’n’cheese moment
Mercury Rev review – a mesmeric, majestic rock return
Magically pretty songs played pulverisingly loud testify to the transition of a 90s rock band who retain their childlike glee
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: Paper Mâché Dream Balloon review – mellow, defuzzed psychedelia
King Gizzard abandon warp-speed fuzz-rock in favour of pastoral-psych pastiche on their latest album
Smoke Fairies: Wild Winter review – sprawling desert-rock soundscapes
There’s sweetness, strangeness and even hints of Wham! in these unorthodox festive songs