Camera Obscura
Look to the East, Look to the West
Testament to a determination to make the most out of life, and to pay tribute to their late friend, this album is a tribute to the Glaswegians’ resilience
musicOMH
Dua Lipa
Radical Optimism
Dua Lipa’s star power sounds muffled on her much-anticipated third album, which has many interesting ideas for songs and a surprisingly low hit rate
Pitchfork
Camera Obscura
Look to the East, Look to the West
Earlier, Camera Obscura contrasted their mocking pessimism of adult life with innocence. The group may still be twee, but their sneer has become more of a frown
PopMatters
Vampire Weekend
Only God Was Above Us
Only God Was Above Us demonstrates that melodic, clean guitars are welcome but optional and that Vampire Weekend have plenty of other tricks up their sleeves
PopMatters
Mdou Moctar
Funeral For Justice
Even by Mdou Moctar’s high standards, Funeral for Justice is extraordinary. Its music and lyrics are searing, and the messages are essential in 2024
PopMatters
Dua Lipa
Radical Optimism
Nobody needs to know the details of Lipa’s real life to lend her songs weight, but there should still be something in her performance, delivery, songwriting or production that sets them apart from platitudes, from background noise
The Line Of Best Fit
Mdou Moctar
Funeral For Justice
If you’ve heard a previous Moctar record and pieced together the best bits, you’ll have an imitation of Funeral for Justice’s righteous glory, but if you haven’t, use this record as a roadmap in discovering the previous odd-decade of Moctar’s talent
The Line Of Best Fit
Kamasi Washington
Fearless Movement
Kamasi Washington stretches out to fresh territory on Fearless Movement
The Line Of Best Fit
Pillow Queens
Name Your Sorrow
Calling this album consistently satisfying might come off like a dig. Quite the opposite, actually. It's the mark of a classic
The Line Of Best Fit
Dua Lipa
Radical Optimism
Despite their short runtimes, many of the songs on the album still manage to pack a punch
Slant Magazine
Dua Lipa
Radical Optimism
Ultimately, what you at times get is a watered-down version of Future Nostalgia, a record that feels adrift — even from Lipa herself. We didn’t expect her to cover Blur’s “Tender,” or drop her own line of lava lamps, but we were hoping for something a little more distinct
Rolling Stone
Iron & Wine
Light Verse
The longing of Light Verse seeks consolation from the world, finding that the best reassurance might be nothing more than the fact we’re still standing
Spin