24 August 2019
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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Fourth album from the Derbyshire instrumental trio Gemma Barkerwood, Sophie Barkerwood and Louise Croft originally commissioned for a live screening of Buster Keaton’s 1926 classic comedy
7.7
For a band consistently creating experimental yet deeply melodic music Haiku Salut’s score for The General is yet another success. Not only do they find new ways to immerse the audience into this cinema classic, but in doing so have shown themselves to be among the most artful composers of the moment Read Review
In taking a risk and throwing their all into this album Haiku Salut have created a score that does a cinematic classic justice and an album that joins, not only, their excellent catalogue as an evolution but also the best of emotive electronica being released right now Read Review
British instrumental trio Haiku Salut create a new soundtrack for Buster Keaton's classic 1926 film The General with brilliant and unconventional results Read Review
A rich blend of ambient glow, polyrhythmic glitch and absorbing textural detail. Print edition only
This isn’t just a great soundtrack, it’s an incredible ambient album to get lost in time and time again Read Review
Being just shy of 1 hour 20 minutes there's a lot to take in but you are richly rewarded with repeated listens Read Review
Haiku Salut have delivered one of their strongest works to date Read Review
The whole soundtrack comes across as a unified suite rather than a series of 23 individual compositions. Print edition only
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Jay Som Anak Ko
Anak Ko is more unified in tone than prior releases and benefits from its marriage of immersive sound design with consistently engaging songs All Music
Taylor Swift Lover
Swift is embracing all aspects of her personality, from the hopeful dreamer to the coolly controlled craftsman, resulting in a record that's simultaneously familiar and surprising All Music
Sheer Mag A Distant Call
The Philadelphia band return with a glorious sheen on their pro-worker, pro-barroom rock’n’roll Pitchfork
A real triumph DIY
Modern Nature How To Live
A compelling piece of work DIY
Most disarming moments occur when things quieten down The Line Of Best Fit
There’s a certain calm to the record that’s a good lesson in ‘how to live’ Loud And Quiet
Set the controls for the heart of somewhere very uneasy, but rather beautiful. Print edition only Q
Modern Nature is an explicitly English affair: unbluesy, unassuming and slightly uptight (in a good way). Print edition only Uncut
How To Live is more of a creative evolution than a total break from Cooper's previous music. Print edition only Mojo
Their music is defiantly experimental - though by no means impenetrable - and best enjoyed in its long-form splendor All Music
Tropical Fuck Storm Braindrops
These are strange, strange times and here you have a band strange enough to capture that DIY
The American singer proves once more that she is one of her generation’s definitive pop stars The FT
This a stronger offering than Reputation, with Swift returning to the place that suits her best: writing personal songs that create an entire world designed for two The Irish Times
The pop mega-force leaves behind the anger that fuelled its predecessor, 'Reputation', instead opting for open-hearted love songs NME
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.
Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly
Kendrick Lamar Damn.
D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree
Frank Ocean Channel Orange
Anaïs Mitchell Hadestown
Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Leonard Cohen You Want It Darker
Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell
Mount Eerie A Crow Looked at Me