Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore review – flashes of humanity and bafflingly vindictive love songs

This four-track addition to a critically maligned album works hard to remind fans what they love about Swift, with some sweet highs and galling lows

Jae Stephens: Audacity review – a thrilling lesson in why more debut albums should go for broke

After five EPs in in seven years, the Dallas native with the big voice pours everything into this bonkers cauldron of maximalist R&B and hyperactive pop

Gilla Band: Pugnello review – furious originality fuelled by cathartic aggression and absurdist confessions

Your favourite band’s favourite band unleash a thrilling and relentless 42 minutes of monstrous noise whose precise instrumental source always remains discomfitingly unclear

Roomful of Teeth/Kahane review – twisty and tuneful songs with a darkly comic edge

Gabriel Kahane’s whimsical song cycle about grief, divorce and death brings irresistible melodies and moments of comic brilliance to the virtuoso US vocal ensemble

Empress Of: Dream House review – a tender and openhearted rebirth after wildfires razed her house

Lorely Rodriguez contemplates the meaning of home – both physical and emotional – on a gorgeously humid, hopeful album that makes a virtue of her searching nature

Charli xcx Music, Fashion, Film tour review – an electrifying and deafening pop evolution

The tireless star brings her latest, somewhat over-explained album to the stage for a dazzling and euphoric show

David Bowie: The Shel Talmy Recordings review – these unheard 60s tunes are actually pretty flimsy

On this new compilation of his mid-60s Davie Jones years, Bowie can’t distinguish himself from the era’s other bands – and ends up hedging his bets

Beck: Ride Lonesome review – stunning end to the heartache trilogy of Sea Change and Morning Phase

On his first album in seven years, Beck keeps the quality control extremely high as he surveys mid-50s malaise in the wake of divorce

Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts: Second Song review – shaky album occasionally strikes gold

The 80-year-old continues his tireless output, delving into the past for inspiration to variable results – though two lengthy brand-new songs are real showstoppers

Haruomi Hosono: Yours Sincerely review – slight songs with huge hearts from the Japanese pop pioneer

Unpredictable and utterly beguiling, the septuagenarian beloved by Harry Styles brings a hint of mischief to his innocently charming songs

Angine de Poitrine review – mind-boggling math rock mastery from freaky Québécois duo

The brilliantly strange band’s live show is a must-see spectacle powered by glorious noise and wild flair

The Tubs: Hard Life review – indie’s Larry David spins self-loathing into glorious jangle-rock

Britain’s best indie-rockers hold fast to their defiantly old-school sound, slipping wry sideways looks at despair in among hooky melodies that always sound like a good time

Todd Rundgren review – try-anything veteran doesn’t let his freak flag fully fly

The 78-year-old has astonishing range but gets bogged down in middling rock, though later delivers some gorgeous acoustic songs – and a slinky Marvin Gaye cover

Evanescence review – devastating power and range from one of rock’s great vocal talents

The titanic choruses and stormy metal riffs of latest album Sanctuary are the perfect foundation for Amy Lee’s astonishing, skyscraping vocal range

End of the Road festival review – Pulp and CMAT lead indie landmark’s joyous birthday party

Hitting 20, this festival has grown into a warm, genre-hopping powerhouse where fringe experimental acts are greeted as warmly as the star headliners