22 September 2020
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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The latest album from the English r&b and soul singer and the fourth with his current backing band
7.9
This record is an artefact of the finest quality released to keep our ears cool and hearts throbbing, whether our future brings endless summer or nuclear winter Read Review
Think of the James Hunter Six's Nick of Time as a lost jukebox of singles from that bar and grill on the edge of the nostalgia highway that always has a full parking lot of semi-trucks and convertibles, beaters, and hot rods Read Review
Daptone co-owner, producer and chief engineer Gabriel Roth (aka Bosco Mann) understands that less is more, keeping these crackling gems stripped down in a mono mix that sets the retro mood Read Review
James Hunter may have a new band from New York but they swing like his old one, and it's mostly business as usual here, with Hunter's new batch of songs sounding just like the old songs he's influenced by. Print edition only
While Hunter may be unapologetically retro in his inspirations, he is unrelentingly modern in his use of vintage music; for him it is ever present in the music he makes, and that's the exact opposite of being nostalgic Read Review
Yet another stellar example of how to make a retro soul record without sounding like you’re trying to make a retro soul record Read Review
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Into It. Over It. Figure
Moments like Living Up to Let You Down are unforgettable; it’s just a disappointment the rest of the album isn’t even close No Ripcord
If you can get past the vocal onslaught and the occasional uneventful passage, it could prove more broadly rewarding over time music OMH
Both lyrically and musically it looks backwards to move forwards DIY
With the additions of neat production touches and elegantly self-aware lyricisms to complement Weiss’s already powerful atmospheric sound, there is a definitive feeling of hope that runs through the core of this album Clash
Despite the troublesome personal events during his band’s four year absence, Figure is a strong return. If there’s one thing Evan Weiss can be certain of at this point in his life, it’s that Into It. Over It. and his reputation are here to stay Beats Per Minute
Deradoorian Find The Sun
Writing fun songs is not easy, but fitting them into a mythos is even harder. Deradoorian and company handle the latter perfectly Beats Per Minute
Idles Ultra Mono
Musically, Ultra Mono is as tight, ballistic, and in your face as IDLES have ever been. That owes greatly to the touch of hip hop producer Kenny Beats. Lyrically, Ultra Mono is louder – and prouder – than the band have ever been Northern Transmissions
Three albums in and the hype has died down. The ideas are drying up. The lack of substance is wholly exposed The Quietus
The Bristol punks’ third album is a juggernaut that roars through sarcasm, defiance, compassion and controversy. It's a bumpy ride, but one worth taking NME
Sarah Davachi Cantus, Descant
Not so much an album one listens to as it is an album one explores Spectrum Culture
Their juggernaut third album is the sound of a band becoming ever more defiantly themselves. Print edition only Q
Ultra Mono is the almighty sound of the do getting done. Print edition only Mojo
These are not times for ambiguity. Ultra Mono scours like bleach, its fury a purifier. Print edition only Uncut
Sufjan Stevens The Ascension
The richness and depth of the album calls for repeated and careful listening. Sufjan Stevens is a master of sound who makes its creative manipulation appear so easy. The Ascension is a climb suitable for beginners – highly accessible and at times even danceable The Arts Desk
The album is only partially successful at maintaining the singer’s impeccable songwriting Slant Magazine
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
Fiona Apple Fetch The Bolt Cutters
Kendrick Lamar Damn.
D'Angelo And The Vanguard Black Messiah
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Ghosteen
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree
Frank Ocean Channel Orange
Anaïs Mitchell Hadestown
Run The Jewels RTJ4