Amoeba Music

Wet Leg has done it again. The critically-acclaimed Isle of Wight five-piece is back with a splendid sophomore album, moisturizer . On this smart and fearless album, the band tackles themes of obsession and all-consuming love. "CPR" is a droll punk track with new wave elements. "catch these fists" moves from understated, simmering verses to full-on dance punk choruses. "davina mccall" is a deceptively easygoing, lovely indie rock love song. This is probably one of the best albums you'll hear this year, effortlessly capturing that sense of being in love (and sometimes being totally underwater because of it). More

Ekkstacy's exceptional Forever is a dreamy, wistful genre-bending album. The majority of songs clock in at under 3 minutes, endowing the album with a sort of experimental punk spirit. Rather than being rough and rowdy, however, the music is downbeat and hazy, blending elements of post-punk, indie rock, '80s college rock, and even emo rap. There's the occasional fierce guitar riff, with the sound leaning into a beautifully melancholic, languorous direction. Forever captures the odd pleasure of feeling downhearted. More

Barry Can't Swim's Loner feels poised to become one of the biggest electronic releases of the year. Out on Ninja Tune, it's an eclectic, euphoric journey through dance genres. Acid, 2-step, gospel, jazz, and Balearic beats add dimension to these intelligent and addictive dance songs. Highlights include the yearning throwback soul vocals on "Cars Pass By Like Childhood Sweethearts," the glitchy hyperpop of "Still Riding," the unmitigated joy of "Kimpton," and the mournful gospel sounds of "All My Friends." Loner is a beautiful, blissed-out album that is absolutely essential listening for our troubled times. More

Kesha's thrill-a-minute maximalist music style sounds hotter and more addictive than ever on her latest. .period is almost impossible to describe. it's hyper-pop yet somehow...even more hyper than hyper-pop. It's glossy, dynamic, whip-smart, and sugar-sweet. You want country-rap Kesha? She's here. You want disco-tinged electro-pop with an accordion motif Kesha? Also here. This album is loud, splashy, deeply fun, and a breath of fresh air. Basically, it's fantastic. More

Rival Consoles returns with one of his most moving and atmospheric releases to date. Many of the songs on Landscape From Memory began life as a series of forgotten, discarded audio fragments that the British producer fleshed out and brought to wonderful, glistening life — a workaround to the debilitating creative block Ryan Lee West dealt with for one agonizing year. The glitchy electronics and warm washes of sound in these electronic compositions instantly evoke sensations of hope, despair, pain, and ecstasy over the course of the album's runtime. These songs feel like a celebration of the human experience, of challenges met, of imaginative solutions to seemingly impossible problems. It's a work of sheer beauty. More

Yes, that's right. ODESZA and the Apple TV series Severance teamed up to create one of the year's most enjoyable electronic releases about one of history's most unenjoyable workplaces. Music To Refine To: A Remix Companion To Severance works ridiculously well. You'll notice the familiar elements of Theodore Shapiro's score for the show...then ODESZA spins them out into gripping, danceable, beautifully multilayered new directions. Perhaps if management had piped in this remix album rather than resorting to waffle parties, the crew at Lumon might've felt a bit more delight in the day-to-day. More

Hotline TNT's Raspberry Moon is a hook-filled, gritty, easy-to-love rock 'n' roll album. The band writes songs that feel like the perfect fusion of indie rock, power pop, and shoegaze. Raspberry Moon is rock music at its finest: emotive, searing, and shimmering, the type of songs that'll make you happy to be alive. Powerful and dynamic, these fuzzed out tracks will sweep you off your feet. Get lost in Hotline TNT's dreamy, hazy, distorted guitar paradise...you'll be glad you did. More

Legendary Zambian rock band Witch return with a fiery, fantastic new album, SOGOLO . It's the group's second 2020s era release after a series of reissues of their original '70s and '80s records ten years ago. Rousing opener "Kamusale," with its heavy metal guitars and urgent vocals, is earthshaking and body-moving. "Nadi" is woozy and bewitching, an intriguing blend of psych rock and distorted electro vocals. "Queenless King" is upbeat and electrifying, with '60s style organ and swirling guitars. SOGOLO is imaginative and exciting, an album that'll remind you of the incredible power of music. More

Van Morrison returns to original songs after a run of cover songs and reinterpretations of his own work. Remembering Now feels like classic Van Morrison: his voice is powerful and velveteen, the melodies ably blending folk with rhythm and blues into a feel-good, soulful sound. Highlights include "Down to Joy," a jubilant, moving track originally heard in Kenneth Branagh's 2021 film Belfast ...and it's just one of many delights on this fantastic outing. More

Ruby Friedman makes music for a more romantic, sepia-toned time. Her latest, Chimes After Midnight , is transportive, melancholic, and lovely. She's a rare talent, working in a genre space that sets her apart. Friedman's voice is smoky and melancholic, the voice of a 1920s chanteuse who's seen it all. Her songs tell tales of forgotten women...those who've been pushed aside, silenced, or simply lost to history. The hauntingly beautiful Chimes After Midnight will stay with you. More

Little Simz is one of the freshest voices coming out of UK rap. Lotus is jam-packed with earworms, from the propulsive and brooding "Flood" to the grime-influenced, rather goofy "Young." It's a smart, entertaining, occasionally intense, and thoroughly enjoyable album with guest appearances from Sampha, Moonchild Sanelly, Lydia Kitto, Moses Sumney, Miraa May, Yukimi Nagano, Wretch 32, Cashh, Michael Kiwanuka, Yussef Dayes, and Obongjayar. An album informed by experimentation, evolution, and transformation, Lotus is a must hear. More

Tyreek McDole puts a contemporary spin on classic jazz with his soulful, vibrant debut, Open Up Your Senses . McDole's baritone won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition two years ago; in the contest's twelve year history, he's one of only two male vocalists to do so. Listen and you'll understand why. The album swings, bringing a modern sensibility to jazz tradition with interpretations of legendary tracks by Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong, plus a hypnotic take on the traditional Haitian chant “Wongolo Wale." A mood-setting, invigorating album by a name to watch. More

Cypress Hill and The London Symphony Orchestra team up for the incredible Black Sunday Live at the Royal Albert Hall . In summer 2024, the rap legends and the world-renowned orchestra performed a reinterpretation of Cypress Hill's Black Sunday album along with fan favorites from the group's catalog. The orchestral arrangements took inspiration from DJ Muggs' original recordings...and the results were cinematic, affecting, and captivating. You've never heard Cypress Hill like this. Get ready for epic beauty and stunning musical finesse. More

yeule's Evangelic Girl Is a Gun sounds like pop music from a future world. Catchy, glitchy, and totally addictive, yeule blends trip-hop, '90s alternative rock, and electronica into tracks effortlessly cool, danceable, dreamy tracks. Out on Ninja Tune, the album accentuates the interplay of shadows and light, with vibrant, joyous melodies and industrial-tinged rhythms. Another hit for the cult favorite yeule, this glitch-pop masterpiece will keep listeners coming back for more. More

Nobody makes you dance quite like Machine Girl. It's hard to believe it has been ten years since the release of their neon-streaked, euphoria-inducing album WLFGRL . Fusing digital hardcore and footwork into an underground rave culture essential, the album will remind you of everything you love about warehouse parties and 5 am Ubers. The WLFGRL 10 YEAR+ ANNIVERSARY EDITION features four bonus tracks for even more dancefloor bliss. More

On Hers , Matt Maltese writes wonderfully baroque indie chamber pop. Languid and romantic, the songs call to mind '60s lounge crooners with a fresh, contemporary twist. Swelling strings, gentle piano, and lilting woodwinds add to the dreamy atmospherics while Maltese's velveteen voice draws listeners into his singular world. A gorgeous record that feels like a cult favorite, Hers fits nicely among the works of The Walker Brothers and Burt Bacharach. More

Sleep Theory debut with one of the most assured debuts of the year. Afterglow is a fierce rallying cry, a heavy album with a bruised, battered, yet still proudly beating heart. The band pushes the metalcore genre forward, writing anthemic, addictive choruses, while striking out into moodier territory via synths and electronic elements. An exciting and electrifying collection of tracks that marks Sleep Theory as one of the most inventive bands in metalcore today. More

The British singer/songwriter's first new album since 2019 is both dreamy and dynamic, moving from synth-pop to rock-pop with ease and style. The vocals are hushed and sweetly sincere. "Recognise" is soothing and inspirational with its rushes of percussion, while "World's Worst Girlfriend" is sublimely catchy, a perfect springtime earworm. The album features guest appearances by Helado Negro, Becca Mancari, and Cassandra Jenkins. More

Röyksopp's True Electric is the type of record that just makes you happy to be alive. Crafted to emulate the experience of the duo's live shows, the album consists of 19 studio tracks they performed on their 2023 True Electric tour, the previously unreleased track "The 'R'", and recently-reworked originals and remixes. Guest vocalists include Fever Ray, Robyn, Susanne Sundfør, Alison Goldfrapp — and that's just a sampling of the incredible talent included in the mix. True Electric is pure dancefloor euphoria. More

On their third studio album, Australian indie rockers Spacey Jane write affecting, addictive songs that always seem to get straight to the heart of the matter. They're also, at times, so catchy and so delightful, you'll get an adrenaline rush just from listening. Wryly named If That Makes Sense , the album's title evokes a need for reassurance even as Spacey Jane gets so vulnerable, insightful, and poignant, you'd swear you were listening to songs describing your own life. If you're not already acquainted with Spacey Jane, this urgent and exceptional record will make you wonder where the band has been all your life. More