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25 May 2013

Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 publications 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

CocoRosieTales of a Grass Widow

A batch of highly enthusiastic reviews so far for the sisters' latest freak folk and electronic alt.pop songs. "Bewitching and beautiful" say Clash, "triumphant and inquisitive" say Drowned in Sound

New

BathsObsidian

A very promising start for the 3rd release from experimental electronic pop specialist Will Wiesenfeld. The 405 lead the way with an 8,5, describing it as "Original, brave, and exciting over and over again"

New

Club 8Above The City

It's album No.8 from the Swedish indie / electro pop mainstays, and they still have the critics on their side. All Music conclude that they have yet to lose "the innate Club 8-ness that makes their records so enchanting"

Highest Recent Ratings

Albums to watch

Primal ScreamMore Light

The latest from Bobby Gillespie & Co sees the band return to psychedelic mode, with production from David Holmes. More than one reviewer is rating it as among their best work

TribesWish to Scream

A distinctly moderate response so far to the 2nd album from the London indie rockers. "Most of it just sounds phoned in" is how NME see it

Charlie Boyer & The VoyeursClarietta

The Observer's "derivative but rarely dull" verdict sums up the general consensus on the debut from the Velvet Underground-inspired London-based art punk band

Jamie CullumMomentum

The Arts Desk reckon the crossover jazz singer and pianist's 6th album is "about as good a pop record as you'll hear all year" and give the highest rating of an appreciative set of reviews

Mindless Self IndulgenceHow I Learned To Stop Giving A Shit & Love

"Think Ministry on helium and without the 'do good' attitude" is how All Music describe the NY synthpunk quartet's 5th album. And worthy of an 8/10 too

I Am Gemini

Cursive

I Am Gemini

Bloggers average rating: 6.7
Label: Saddle Creek
UK Release date: 20/02/2012

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7.7 | Sound Influx

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6.2 | Sun On The Sand

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6.0 | The Fire Note

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Cursive - The Sun and Moon by Mautz & Tastaton

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Cursive: I Am Gemini

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1. This House Alive N/A
2. Warmer Warmer N/A
3. The Sun and Moon N/A
4. Drunken Birds N/A
5. Lullaby for No Name N/A
6. Double Dead N/A
7. Gemini N/A
8. Twin Dragon / Hello Skeleton N/A
9. Wowowow N/A
10. This House a Lie N/A
11. The Cat and Mouse N/A
12. A Birthday Bash N/A
13. Eulogy for No Name N/A

Latest Reviews

Mount Kimbie Cold Spring Fault Less Youth

The pair focus more on song structure on their second album, so their soft-focus compositions don’t fade into the background so much Evening Standard

Laura Marling Once I Was An Eagle

Her latest record is actually her most lighthearted and joyful Evening Standard

Tribes Wish to Scream

By the end you won't so much wish to scream as laugh out loud. Print edition only Q

fresh stuff

fresh stuff

Random Access Memories, by Daft Punk

The French duo's 4th album has picked up a good number of 10/10 and 9/10 ratings, but also a handful of 6/10s. Responses range from those who see it as an album that will still be being listened to a decade hence and others who are left thinking "is that it?"

Mount KimbieCold Spring Fault Less Youth
A positive response from the critics for the second album of post-dubstep from the London duo with The Skinny saying it is "imaginative to the point that it's quite impossible to classify"

Majical CloudzImpersonator
"Rarely do you see a synth-based 'singer-songwriter' album pulled off so convincingly". That's No Ripcord's verdict on the debut from Montreal duo Matthew Otto and Devon Welsh, while All Music enthuse: "Even the confusing and painful parts sound hauntingly beautiful"

Jenny HvalInnocence Is Kinky
The 4th lp from the Norwegian singer-songwriter and novelist also know as Rockettothesky has a handful of extremely positive reviews. It's "astonishing" (No Ripcord), "outstanding" (Beats Per Minute) and "disturbingly sensual" (Q)

Nancy ElizabethDancing
Three 8/10 ratings among the first handful of reviews for the Lancashire alt.folk singer-songwriter's 3rd album. "This is wonderful stuff, haunting neo-folk ballads of a gold standard" is the response from Clash

The Handsome FamilyWilderness
An appreciative set of reviews for what is album number 10 from alt country / americana duo Brett and Rennie Sparks. "Brett's deep bow-saw voice has never sounded so sonorous," enthuses Mojo

30 Seconds To MarsLove Lust Faith
A big divide is opening up in the critics' view on the LA rock band. Uncut is among those dishing out a 4/10 spanking, calling it "wildly overcooked and deeply derivative", but a couple of reviews are pretty enthusiastic

All-time top 10

Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past four years or so