IDLES – Crawler

New IDLES? Damn right there’s new IDLES. One of the finest working rock bands out there with their fourth full length album and where this group has carved out a space as an optimistic, progressive punk group... Crawler does see them switching things up and embracing the darkness. Less about raucous headbanging choruses and more about the introspection – they work with hip hop producer Kenny Beats here too which is a left-field combo although you wouldn’t know it unless you already knew it. Whereas before IDLES sought healing through society, here they seek healing through cathartic inner visions. The first song, MTT 420 RR is a first-person narrative about a car crash. And that’s not the same song as the one which is actually called Car Crash. It’s heavy, in other words. But it’s an evolution that the band was ready to make and it leads to a compelling listen. Closing track The End is one of the best tunes of the entire year, mate.

Courtney Barnett – Things Take Time, Take Time

Remember when Courtney Barnett did that album with Kurt Vile? Really underrated record, that one. Anyway Barnett’s latest is the Vile-est thing she’s done yet. From the first track onwards almost every song sounds like something you could imagine KV singing. Things Take Time, Take Time is a chilled out album, laid back and breezy. Living in that mid-tempo and delivering sharply crafted song after sharply crafted song as if she’s written them in her sleep. That easy breezy nature does sorta bury how good these songs are but listen to it over and over again and fresh little elements keep coming shining through. Rae Street, Before You Gotta Go, If I Don’t Hear From You Tonight, and Oh The Night are all fantastic. Feels like a sleeper album within the Courtney Barnett discography which’ll eventually get its due somewhere down the line.

Risera - 4pk

Auckland hip-hop outfit Risrea dropped a cheeky '4pk' late in October and it's all energy. Gritty Aotearoa energy in glorious form as Shiraz and Lightskinjohn handle production as well as dropping bars alongside Ranuimarz and Soufside P. Opening track 'RCMP' lays out an intro to Auckland street business, before 'Bravado' and 'Treaty' deliver a soulful tone with insightful poetry. 'Soufsyde Streets' wraps up 4pk swings back around to the darkness, which highlights the joy of chucking 4pk on as this Risera taster provides all angles of Risera's mahi to enjoy. Move your body to it, ponder the messages or just kick back, spark one up and enjoy the wave.

The War On Drugs – I Don’t Live Here Anymore

The pattern doesn’t really change for a War on Drugs album. It’s gonna be 80s inspired heartland rock yarns, with soaring guitars and a few synths and very steady rhythms. Adam Granduciel has gone further down that path as the band has gotten bigger but without compromising on their jam-status (reminder that 2011’s Slave Ambient, with its more indie production, is a ripper of an album too). Yes, there are cheesy moments. Yes, there are lyrics that are heavier on symbolism than they are on literary sense. That’s part of the package. And in reward you get absolute stunner tunes like the title track, Harmonia’s Dream, I Don’t Wanna Wait, Wasted, etc. This one goes hundies on the Springsteenian themes of redemption, with Granduciel’s wheezy voice in focus. Mixes things up within the formula for a few slower songs. Lovely record.

Marissa Nadler – The Path of the Clouds

Gothic songwriter Marissa Nadler began crafting her new album by watching Unsolved Mysteries on the telly. That’s the official yarn, anyway. As such the songs here trend towards stories of crime and murder, imbued with Nadler’s usual ethereal folk-rock stylings. At its best that elevates these tales into film noir territory where the interplay between light and shadow, between romance and nihilism, between fate and free will all operate. True crime podcasts and crime channel television are an obvious comparison but a better one would be the lineage of the murder ballad. It’s an exciting album, albeit one that comes on pretty heavy. Never quite recaptures the greatness of Bessie Did You Make It? across the rest of its runtime but there are a few tunes that come close. Superbly well written. Also peep the cameos by the likes of Mary Lattimore and Emma Ruth Rundle.

JPEGMAFIA – LP!

Hey look everybody, Peggy’s back. Delivering another dose of his DIY/Punk infused hip hop filtered through an online lens. As abrasive as ever, as humorous as ever. There are songs whose titles are emojis. It’s a JPEGMAFIA album, you know what you’re in for. This record will also be the last that Peggy makes for Republic Records and EQT Recordings, the major label experience clearly not impressing him – including the fact that the online version (for streaming) had to be trimmed of a few extra tracks. The offline version (which is on Bandcamp) still has the full listing though and it’s tempting to wonder if that’s for the better. It’s an album with a lot of short songs, cycling through ideas, and a bit of a trimming might have gone down well. Then again, chaos is the brand here. It’s supposed to be less digestible. As many uncut gems as possible... especially as the highlight of LP! is the amazing depth to JPEG’s production skills.

Charles Wesley Godwin – How The Mighty Fall

On that folk-country songwriter buzz here with West Virginia’s CWG. These are outlaw tunes, tastefully produced and arranged, featuring sharp song-writing abilities and Godwin’s resonant yet wobbly voice. Godwin is yet to bust through into the wider consciousness the way that Tyler Childers or Chris Stapleton or Sturgill Simpson have managed to but if you dig those dudes then you’ll dig what this dude has to offer. ‘Cinematic’ is a word that keeps being used (including by his own press) to describe Godwin’s music - he has a way of including these vivid details in his lyrics that say a lot with a little. Check out the song Jesse – a broken-heart ballad inspired by a piece of graffiti - and you’ll know what’s up.

Medhane - Do The Math

Popping in for his second appearance this year is New York's Medhane with 'Do The Math'. New listeners need to be put on to the avant-gardey NYC sound that Medhane shares with MIKE, Wiki and Navy Blue. Listeners who are in tune with this vibe will be graced with sharpness from Medhane in an 18-track project that features crisp insights, lovely use of words, and a splash of inspirational energy to help you catch up with yourself. There are plenty of guest features including Wiki, Navy Blue and Elucid that all fit the vibe while also raising the bar. Production comes from a wide range of artists, just don't expect thumping drums or regular flows as DTM is easy listening for the thoughtful hip-hopper.

Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine of Hell

ERR has stepped away from her usual cathartic, droning gothic post-rock on this latest release. Probably got the heavy sounds out of her system for now with that stuff she did with Thou. Engine of Hell may have a metal-sounding title but this is a sparse record, largely just acoustic guitar and piano. All her tunes are intense, that’s an ERR staple, but with such space around her voice this album really hones in on the deep vulnerability that she’s able to summon in song. To be honest, you can imagine most of these tracks with full band arrangements. It’s not like she’s reinvented her songwriting style – Rundle’s always had a folksy tinge. But Engine of Hell puts her consistent excellence (2018’s Some Dark Oceans is one of the great albums of the last five years) in a different light. Rundle is on record as being a huge Chris Whitley fan, well this is her Dirt Floor.

Snail Mail - Valentine

It’s not that the songs are all that similar but there’s something about the way that Lindsey Jordan sings the word ‘Valentine’ on the opening and title tune here which is reminiscent of The Replacements’ track of the same name. Loud singalong chorus too. Maybe it’s the slight rasp in her voice which is used even more excitingly on the next song Ben Franklin. The rest of the album doesn’t rock as hard as those two, settling into more indie songwriter territory, but what’s great about Jordan’s music is that each song feels like a fully crafted self and not just one piece of something else or a reflection of a singular artistic style - formulaic songs are a regular indie music struggle but not with Snail Mail. Light Blue is a standout with its gentle acoustic sway. Madonna is poppier with a wicked backbeat. Mia has a hint of piano and strings with some breathy vocals almost reminiscent of Cat Power. Plenty of wonderful variety here. Beautifully written tunes. Gotta let you know that this is a straight up fantastic album.

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