Dua Saleh: Of Earth and Wires review – ambitious confrontation of global catastrophe is surprisingly cautious

While the first track is a scorching mix of poetry, rap, falsetto vocals and acoustic guitar, elsewhere the Sudanese-American’s second album feels a little underbaked

Genesis Owusu: Redstar Wu & the Worldwide Scourge review – political fury and propulsive fun

Seething with righteous anger and moshpit-ready tracks, the Australian artist’s genre-hopping but cohesive LP makes a case for the durability of the form

Angine de Poitrine review – alien rock duo’s UK debut is hypnotic, harebrained and 100% worth the hype

The polka-dotted phenomenon land their spaceship in Leeds for an ecstatic show that balances supremely complex musicianship with ridiculous good fun

Super Furry Animals review – stirring reunion showcases immaculate songcraft

The Welsh band with a weird edge mostly let their formidable music speak for itself, lent a transcendent power by frontman Gruff Rhys’s rich voice

PinkPantheress review – singer proves she’s ready for pop’s A-list at sensational New York show

The viral star electrified Brooklyn with winking visuals, self-aware humor and a slew of special guests

Charli xcx: Rock Music review – is she really pivoting from pop? Don’t be so sure …

The lyrics may argue the dancefloor is dead, but this funny, wilfully plasticky new single isn’t the total about-turn from Brat that fans expected

Paul Simon review – at 84, back on stage after hearing loss, his resolute artistry is inspiring

What Simon has lost in vocal power he has added in intimacy and authority – and this hushed performance makes for an arena concert like no other

Ana Roxanne: Poem 1 review – ​a stunning pop balladeer emerges from the haze

​Essaying a broken heart, the New Yorker puts her voice front and centre for her most accessible work yet, though still with unexpected details – and a Schumann cover

Aldous Harding: Train on the Island review – even whimsy-resistant listeners will love these lucid, luminous songs

Lyrics about naked owls and eating rocks might be irksome to some – but there’s no denying that the alt-rocker’s fifth album is beguiling, tightly written and richly melodic

Rosalía review – ribcage-rattling riot is one of the boldest, most highbrow arena shows in pop history

The ambition of 2025 album Lux is scaled up even bigger by the Catalan megastar, delivered with operatic vocals and en pointe ballet moves as well as funny asides and glasses of wine

Kneecap: Fenian review – their new album is terrific, triumphant yet tortured

With strong words for Keir Starmer, the Irish rave-rap trio remain unbowed by the controversy around them – and yet this is a more ruminative record than you might expect

Kacey Musgraves: Middle of Nowhere review – weary, rootsy and wry, it’s her richest album since Golden Hour

After two underwhelming pop-leaning records, the country star gets back to basics on this sparsely produced gem filled with wit and hard-won lessons

Ne-Yo and Akon review – joyous joint tour is like time-travelling to a messy night out in 2010

From So Sick to Smack That, this double-headliner provides major millennial nostalgia – but goes to show how varied their respective careers were at their peak

Anohni review – masterful songbook reinventions are an out-of-body experience

Accompanied by a virtuosic band and powered by her operatic voice, Anohni is as good as Nina Simone at interpreting songs – and her own catalogue proves equally malleable yet strong

Carla dal Forno: Confession review – spartan, sunlit post-punk strikingly contrasts the desperation of desire

The Australian songwriter’s fourth album exists in the captivating chasm between the coolness of her music and the unrepentant obsession of the crush it explores