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23 October 2017

Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 sources worldwide. It's updated daily. Albums qualify with 5 reviews, and drop out after 6 weeks into the longer timespan charts.

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New

Margo PriceAll American Made

"Provocative, charismatic and endearing" - Exclaim's verdict on the second album from the Nashville based singer-songwriter while NME say she "creates something truly great"

New

Destroyerken

Loud & Quiet say album number eleven from the Canadian indie rock band fronted by New Pornographers member Dan Bejar is "rather irresistible" while CoS reckon it's one of their "most accessible albums"

New

PinkBeautiful Trauma

The Irish Times reckon the singer's seventh record is full of "relatable pop with a positive message", although The Observer find it only "does the job, but no more than that"

Highest Recent Ratings

Albums to watch

The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To DieAlways Foreign

The septet's 3rd album is "an impeccable call to arms" say The 405, with Punk News saying it's "always necessary". Pitchfork suggest "the band is at their most concise and vitriolic"

Wolf AliceVisions Of A Life

The Music describe the 2nd LP from the alt.rock quartet as "a polished alternative-rock album with the perfect amount of grit". The Skinny say the songs "each carry Wolf Alice's signature sound"

Liam GallagherAs You Were

The Oasis singer's fist solo album has "a thrilling sense of purpose" according to Q, but Pitchfork say it "fails to match the charm of his cantankerous public persona"

Moses SumneyAromanticism

CoS think the debut of soulful r&b from the Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter is "one of the most emotionally therapeutic albums of the year" while The 405 say it's "heartfelt and heartbreaking"

Benjamin ClementineI Tell A Fly

GigSoup recokon the second album from London-born poet and singer-songwriter is "soulful, haunting, oozing with intelligent songwriting" while TLoBF say "he is a rare talent that we must cherish"

Phoebe BridgersStranger In The Alps

Exclaim describe the debut LP from the LA singer-songwriter as a "gorgeously written record" while NME warn us to "get ready to embrace the tears". DIY say it's "a quietly devastating listen"

The ClienteleMusic for the Age of Miracles

"There is beauty here, and sadness, and peril, and deep, deep soul" - The Quietus' take on the first album in seven years from the indie pop group led by Alasdair MacLean. Q say it's "a work of lovely, floaty wonder"

THE CHART: THE TOP RATED NEW ALBUMS

The ADM rating is a weighted average from our survey of more than 50 sources , taking into account the number of reviews

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7.4

Destroyer

ken

Album number eleven from the Canadian indie rock band fronted by New Pornographers member Dan Bejar

Added: 20/10/2017
7.4

Torres

Three Futures

Third album of alt.rock from Georgia-born Mackenzie Scott prodcuced by PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis

Added: 27/09/2017
7.4

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

The Kid

Sixth album from the Orcas Island producer

Added: 05/10/2017
7.3

Metz

Strange Peace

Third album from the Toronto post-hardcore trio

Added: 21/09/2017
7.3

Sløtface

Try Not To Freak Out

Debut album from the pop-punk quartet based in Stavanger, Norway

Added: 13/09/2017
7.3

Wolves in the Throne Room

Thrice Woven

Sixth album from the Washington black metal trio

Added: 19/09/2017
7.3

JD McPherson

Undivided Heart & Soul

Third record from the Oklahoma R&B influenced singer-songwriter

Added: 06/10/2017
7.3

Rostam

Half-Light

Debut solo release from the former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij

Added: 13/09/2017
7.2

Kllo

Backwater

Debut album of dark electronica from Australian cousins Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam

Added: 20/10/2017
7.2

Ariel Pink

Dedicated To Bobby Jameson

Eleventh studio album of alt.pop from LA-based Ariel Marcus Rosenberg

Added: 13/09/2017
7.2

The Barr Brothers

Queens of the Breakers

Third LP from Quebec-based brothers Andrew and Brad Barr, and their collaborator Sarah Page

Added: 10/10/2017
7.1

Amadou & Mariam

La confusion

First album in 5 years from the Malian duo, produced by Adrien Durand

Added: 22/09/2017
7.1

Yumi Zouma

Willowbank

Second album of chilled electro pop from the New Zealand-based quartet

Added: 06/10/2017
7.1

Weaves

Wide Open

Canadian quartet's second studio album of indie pop

Added: 10/10/2017
7.1

Lee Ranaldo

Electric Trim

Latest solo release from the noise rock pioneer and Sonic Youth co-founder and third since the band split in 2011

Added: 15/09/2017
7.1

Hundred Waters

Communicating

Third album from the Gainesville, Florida of indie rock quartet

Added: 15/09/2017
7.1

David Crosby

Sky Trails

Sixth solo album of country folk from the former member of The Byrds

Added: 29/09/2017
7.1

Blue Hawaii

Tenderness

Second album of ambient electronic pop from the Montreal duo Raphaelle Standell-Preston and Alex "Agor" Cowan

Added: 06/10/2017
6.9

Anna Of The North

Lovers

Debut album of synthpop from the Norwegian-born singer Anna Lotterud and New Zealand-born Brady Daniell-Smith

Added: 12/09/2017
6.9

William Patrick Corgan

Ogilala

Second solo album from The Smashing Pumpkins frontman William (Billy) Corgan featuring mostly acoustic songs and produced by Rick Rubin

Added: 18/10/2017
6.9

Ducktails

Jersey Devil

Album number six from the lo-fi indie chillwave four-piece led by former Real Estate guitarist Matt Mondanile

Added: 06/10/2017
6.9

Citizen

As You Please

Third album from the Ohio and Michigan emo/post-hardcore group

Added: 10/10/2017
6.9

Deer Tick

Deer Tick, Vol. 1

One of two releases from the Rhode Island alt.country band led by singer-songwriter John McCauley, features 10 acoustic folk tracks

Added: 15/09/2017
6.8

Omni

Multi-task

Second album of indie post-punk from the Atlanta, GA trio

Added: 22/09/2017
6.8

Deer Tick

Deer Tick, Vol. 2

One of two releases from the Rhode Island alt.country band led by singer-songwriter John McCauley, features 10 garage rock songs

Added: 15/09/2017
6.8

Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton

Choir Of The Mind

Second album of piano-driven pop under the Soft Skeleton name from the Metric singer and Broken Social Scene member

Added: 15/09/2017
6.8

Yusuf / Cat Stevens

The Laughing Apple

Album number fifteen from the singer-songwriter reinterprets some of his songs from the start of his career

Added: 17/09/2017
6.7

Cut Copy

Haiku From Zero

The Melbourne-based synth-pop outfit release album number five

Added: 20/09/2017
6.7

Cults

Offering

Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin's third studio album of indie pop/rock

Added: 06/10/2017
6.6

Lindstrøm

It's Alright Between Us As It Is

Forth studio album from Hands-Peter Lindstrøm, the electronic nu-disco producer from Norway

Added: 17/10/2017

Latest Reviews

And So I Watch You From Afar The Endless Shimmering

ASIWYFA haven’t reinvented the wheel with this album, but it’s a worthy addition to an increasingly accomplished body of work The Skinny

And So I Watch You From Afar The Endless Shimmering

The sense of optimism is infectious, and even with plenty of stiff competition for the title, ‘The Endless Shimmering’ might be the year’s most exhilarating post-rock album DIY

And So I Watch You From Afar The Endless Shimmering

The Endless Shimmering displays ASIWYFA's unrelenting optimism, and demonstrates their mastery of their singular brand of math-grunge All Music

More reviews

Fresh stuff

Lotta Sea Lice by Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile

CoS reckon the two singer-songwriters have made "one of the best collaborative rock albums in recent years", with Paste calling it "both comfortable and comforting"

Wu TangThe Saga Continues
"Captures some of the old Wu magic but unfortunately these moments are few and far between" says Clash of this Mathematics-produced Wu record. All Music find it "good but not great"

MelkbellyNothing Valley
"Conquers 100 sound-alikes to lodge itself in the brain" says the AV Club of the noisey Chicago group's debut. DiS think they're "a band that clearly knows what they're doing, and they're doing it brilliantly"

King KruleThe OOZ
Archy Marshall's second record under the King Krule name is an "intoxicating collection", according to Paste, and Drowned in Sound think it's "nothing short of a masterpiece"

BeckColors
NME reckon the latest from the art pop singer-songwriter is his "most upbeat and enjoyable record from front to back since the ’90s" while All Music say it's "a record that's designed to be nothing but a good time"

Alex LaheyI Love You Like A Brother
"A confessional, confident and important arrival" - NME's verdict on the debut album of alt indie rock from the Melbourne artist. Spectrum Culture praise the "bright, booming choruses and infectious melodies"

The Weather StationThe Weather Station
DiS reckon the 4th LP from the Canadian indie folk outfit is "this year’s most remarkable feat of songwriting" while NOW describe it as Tamara Lindeman's "most compelling work yet"

KelelaTake Me Apart
Pitchfork think the American singer's debut album is "technically stunning and emotionally realized" but DIY think "she sounds in danger of being overshadowed by the sounds around her"

Marilyn MansonHeaven Upside Down
Mixed response to the industrial rock stalwart's 10th album, with TLOBF claiming Manson "seems to be entering a second golden era", but Q say it's "neither subtle nor very shocking"

Kele OkerekeFatherland
Third solo album from the Bloc Party singer gets a disappointing response, with DiS claiming "it doesn’t match up to the same level as Okereke’s previous work, both with Bloc Party and solo"

All-time top 10

Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past eight years or so. Rankings are calculated to two decimal places.

See full list