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The Weeknd  Hurry Up Tomorrow

On a somewhat exhausting sixth album, Abel Tesfaye uses Brazilian funk, punishing house and lush 70s soul to press great songs into the service of rotten lyrics The Observer

Manic Street Preachers  Critical Thinking

The Welsh rockers’ 15th album finds them in thought-provoking mood The Observer

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy  The Purple Bird

Recorded in Nashville, the American outlier’s latest is concerned with the state of the nation and more, though there’s mischief in there too The Observer

Sharon Van Etten  Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

Choosing to bring her band into the process is quite possibly one of the best decisions Van Etten could’ve made for this album; it’s a bold step that suggests even bigger, better things to come Dork

Inhaler  Open Wide

While Open Wide doesn’t achieve the definitive breakthrough moment fans might have hoped for, it’s a confident step forward XS Noize

Squid  Cowards

Their most complete manifestation yet DIY

Sharon Van Etten  Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

Songs which are anthemic in feel and universal in their lyricism DIY

Inhaler  Open Wide

By showing such willingness to adapt, Inhaler put down a clear indicator that they mean to stay around for a long, long while yet The Arts Desk

Squid  Cowards

They could have phoned it in. Released an album full of “Houseplants,” “The Dial,” or “The Cleaner” type songs. But where is the fun in that? Instead, they’ve pushed themselves to release something daring instead. No cowards here. Only bangers! Under The Radar

The Weeknd  Hurry Up Tomorrow

Abel Tesfaye's very long sixth album tackles some very real stuff Rolling Stone

The Weeknd  Hurry Up Tomorrow

Abel Tesfaye is tired of the Weeknd, and after a while, you start to feel it too Slant Magazine

Sharon Van Etten  Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

Sharon Van Ettten and The Attachment Theory find strength in collaboration The Line Of Best Fit

Squid  Cowards

Like a horror film, Cowards is a lesson in restraint. It builds dread with slight but sudden stabs, scrapes, and bubbling bass, and rarely gives you the pleasure of a cathartic release. It’s a long way from the funky chaos of “Houseplants”, and it’s all the more interesting for it The Line Of Best Fit

The Weather Station  Humanhood

Written in the wake of personal crisis—and in the midst of global upheaval—Tamara Lindeman’s latest album, a lush and stirring tangle of acoustic and electronic textures, searches for meaning in chaos Pitchfork

Inhaler  Open Wide

Their third album only sporadically flickers with promise and occasional glimpses of what might be musicOMH