3 March 2025
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.
Browse specific styles
Fifth album from the classically trained Glasgow-born indie pop composer and musician
7.5
By rallying around the greatest feeling of all, Duncan has created a collection of music that is thematic, inspiring, and more than anything, uplifting Read Review
C Duncan's fifth album, like Ricard Hawley's catalogue, is imbued with an old-fashioned, Technicolor warmth. Print edition only
A rapturous record keeps you coming back for more. Print edition only
This self-written, almost wholly self-played treasure trove of lavishly arranged widescreen epics owes as much to John Barry as John Grant. Print edition only
If your taste leans towards slightly sugary and celebration of all things romantic, then you’ll find a lot to love in Chris Duncan’s fifth album Read Review
A warm bath of cinematic romanticism Read Review
Roll over video for more options
Bdrmm Microtonic
The quartet’s increasingly electronica-based textures convey a sense of tension and unease on their third album The Guardian
Ichiko Aoba Luminescent Creatures
The cult Japanese singer-songwriter’s new album, inspired by the Ryukyu islands, is like a powerfully soothing sound bath The Guardian
Darkside Nothing
Guided by the idea of wiping the slate clean, Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington’s third album is a raw, surprisingly funky, desperately hopeful response to the chaos of the 2020s Pitchfork
The New York trio have made an album almost bursting with ideas, one that, given the time, you’ll want to live with for months to come musicOMH
The musical quality and innovative ideas at the heart of these works are undeniable, and Darkside have clearly poured a lot of inspiration into the album. Ultimately, though, its lack of cohesion makes for a sluggish listening experience Far Out
Nothing is a refreshing exercise in disorientation, rewarding those willing to let go and get lost in its unpredictable soundscape Northern Transmissions
There's a formlessness to the greater endeavour that ensures it's somehow less than its constituent parts. Still, the likes of subterranean Latin shuffle American Reference possess an invention and mystery that makes this an endlessly fascinating place to get lost. Print edition only Mojo
Darkside opens up on Nothing with a playfully weird set of baroque pop that takes in bluesy '70s skanking and cavernous grooves. Print edition only Uncut
On the third record, DARKSIDE are happy to remain unfixed, bumping between fun and familiar grooves with an element of chaos The Skinny
The songs on Microtonic simply aren't as memorable as the highlights of their debut. It sounds impressive, but it exists in a sort of netherworld between expansive sonic exploration and fully engaging songwriting All Music
A deep love for dance music and invigorating writing infuses the band’s third record with an incredible vitality NME
‘Microtonic’s’ Balearic/rave undercurrents suggest bdrmm would be happy to be faceless, akin to a DJ The Arts Desk
It's a beautiful soundscape to get thoroughly lost in. Print edition only Mojo
There's a powerful, invigorating beauty about their best work yet. Print edition only Record Collector
Boldest of all is the grimy techno pulse and bass thrum of "Lake Disappointment", which pulls off a stylistic switch while maintaining the winningly smoky atmosphere of the album as a whole. Print edition only Uncut
Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past twelve 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
Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree
Frank Ocean Channel Orange
Dave We’re All Alone In This Together