Casual Healing - Ahi

Casual Healing's first elemental release Ahi maintains a thread of glorious Aotearoa reggae in its four songs (two interludey things) while also expanding into a soul/R&B style. Casual Healing is at their uplifting best on Morning Ritual and Water The Good Seed is the epitome of glorious Aotearoa music with The Hongi Slicker featuring in this jam. The smooth sound of Casual Healing is balanced by the precise voices of Kenzie From Wellie and MĀ on Aroha and Hypersensitive, offering a project full of vibrant kiwi tunes.

Marlon Williams – Te Whare Tiwekaweka

Perhaps it was inevitable that Marlon Williams, an artist who has always kept great focus on culture and tradition, would eventually make an album entirely in Te Reo. That doesn’t make it any less of an undertaking though. Williams isn’t a fully fluent speaker so he got his pal Kommi (a fellow Lyttleton artist who not only raps in Te Reo but lectures on it too) to help out with the specifics. Another friend, Lorde, pops up on Kāhore He Manu E. But park any preconceptions you may have because this is not a traditional sounding album. The track Korero Māori does have a distinct (and very catchy) Kapa Haka vibe but mostly Te Whare Tiwekaweka (aka The Messy House) plays like a natural extension of all of Williams’ previous work... you could even argue it’s his most consistent sounding record, with his voice as magical as ever and numerous moments of sheer glimmering beauty. Needless to say, it’s a timely artistic statement as well.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – IC-02 Bogota

Slap this one on the headphones for the grooviest grooves that ever grooved. The IC stands for Improvisation and Collaboration – the idea being that Ruban Neilson and his band (with guests) hang out in a new city, lay down some spontaneous jams, and then release them to the public. Back in 2018, Nielson offered up the IC-01 Hanoi which showcased his guitar shredding via the surroundings of Vietnam. In 2025, we’ve finally gotten IC-02 from a sesh in Colombia… and this time it’s all about those blissful grooves. The IC records are instrumental affairs so the catchy psych rock tunes of UMO’s regular affairs is checked at the door. Instead this is all about immersion. Possibly best enjoyed with the aid of restricted substances but that’s up to you, man.

Tha God Fahim & Nicholas Craven

The collaboration between Tha God Fahim and Nicholas Craven continues with the Hyberbolic Time Chamber Rap series. The recent wave includes 10 drops all coming in at 20 minutes or less and they continue the theme of Fahim dropping inspirational poetry on top of Craven's soulful production. Tha God Fahim's Youtube and Bandcamp pages also have two Lethal Weapon drops with Drega33 in charge of that production, which were sprinkled amongst the HTCR series.

The Weather Station – Humanhood

The very second those flutes hit on the instrumental into track (Descent), it’s like the elves reaching out and guiding you into the mystical forest. It’s not all timeless pastoral dimensions. The very next song is called Neon Lights, after all. But one thing that’s always true about Tamara Lindeman’s work is that it belongs in beautiful places. As with many things of beauty, there’s also quite a lot of sadness that’s evoked within Humanhood – sadness and also healing. The previous couple Weather Station records were magnificent and the creative hot streak continues unabated with this one. Definitely a little extra jazzy Joni Mitchell influence in here compared the last two. Perhaps a little more accessible to the uninitiated as well – in part because the band recorded live in the studio (admittedly with overdubs added afterwards), incorporating an element of looseness and improvisation. Gorgeous stuff.

Ripship – Crawling Chrorus

Crawling Chorus is the second album from Wellington’s self-described “Sci-Fi Psych-Rock Duo” Ripship. It begins with a sparse ditty called Chrome (“in the future, everything is chrome” sounds like some Philip K Dick or Mad Max philosophy but a quick google suggests it’s probably a Spongebob reference), and then the remaining eight tracks are stomp-and-churners with hard drums and chunky electric guitar. Things take a turn for the weird in the middle with a pair of question songs (Who Likes Magic? and Ever Dream This Band?), always gotta keep ‘em guessing... though it’s the more straight ahead propelling tunes like New Mexico, Bon Voyage, and Utopia that make this such a fun listen.

Marshall Allen – New Dawn

This guy is 100 years old and this is his first album. In fact, he turns 101 later this month. That’s incredible. Clearly jazz music is as good for the body as it is for the soul. The ‘first album’ thing is a bit of marketing spin, to be fair, because Allen has been the bandleader for the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1995 - ever since Sun Ra himself travelled onwards into the next dimension - and has been a key member of that legendary space-jazz group since the ‘50s. He’s no stranger to the studio. Nor is New Dawn some kind of bucket list quest. It’s an inspired project that sees the avant-garde master working though more traditional structures whilst still keeping the indomitable spirit of Sun Ra alive with every puff on that golden saxophone. He began recording two days after his centenary birthday. The band behind him is immaculate. Neneh Cherry provides some wonderful guest vocals. Obviously a bloke this old isn’t cutting loose a whole lot but the elegant, understated, refined grooves that he settles into on New Dawn are perfect for the occasion.

There's a Tuesday - Blush

While these kinda jams can be nicely suited to a long summer's day in Aotearoa, the new project Blush from There's a Tuesday also feels perfect for a mellow autumn. This was the first time listening to TAT and the 11 tracks of chill indie rock flow easily, creeping over loving and moody poetry. There enough upbeat jams to keep the toes tapping, with tracks like Water Baby and Brighton offering phases of catchy simplicity that appear throughout Blush to keep things fresh.

Ex-Vöid – In Love Again

This group doesn’t get enough hype. They’re a British indie jangle-rock group that put out a banger of a debut album in 2022 (Bigger Than Before) and how here’s the follow-up. The male/female dual lead vocals are uniquely wonderful – there’s almost a Richard & Linda Thompson thing going on except swap the Celtic folk influences out for The Lemonheads. Also, amidst nine jumpy original tracks is an unexpected (and awesome) cover of Lonely Girls by Lucinda Williams. Anyone flying the Lucinda flag is on the right course. It’s just mint melody after mint melody on this one. Toe-tapping goodness from start to finish.

You can support our work over on Patreon, Substack, or Buy Me A Coffee if you appreciate the yarns... we’re just out here trying to serve kiwi sports so it’s all hugely appreciated

Also helps to whack an ad, do those shares/retweet things, and tell your mates about us