8 November 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.
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7th album from the country / folk singer-songwriter, following her Grammy-winning gospel LP and singing with partner Robert Plant's Band of Joy
8.5
A triumph of songwriting and expressive singing Read Review
Patty Griffin has clearly been saving the best of her own material for a long time, making this perhaps her finest hour Read Review
Seals Griffin’s reputation as a remarkable artist in the roots tradition Read Review
Taking emotional truths and cutting to the quick, her razor-sharp sense of detail has never been sharper Read Review
One of the best albums of the year so far Read Review
It's her most stripped-down recording since her debut Read Review
American Kid successfully recaptures Griffin’s acoustic roots in haunting and moving fashion Read Review
Griffin reaches deep for the songs Read Review
A compelling experience Read Review
It's her devastating voice and ear for the smallest detail that makes all the difference. Print edition only
Her writing remains as surprising as it is masterful Read Review
Deeply affectionate without being sentimental. Print edition only
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Rosalía Lux
Orchestral pop worthy of an orchestra Consequence Of Sound
Swerves into yet another new lane, bringing together operatics, orchestral movements and buzzing electronics NME
Danny Brown Stardust
The Detroit visionary revels in hyperpop, club, and confession for a messy, euphoric reset that only he could pull off NME
What lingers isn’t the guest list or the language tally. It’s authority. A singer at full stretch without strain. A writer and arranger who knows when to hold and when to let go Dork
Mavis Staples Sad And Beautiful World
A vibrant mix of gospel, blues, country, soul, and rock, this is roots music that speaks to the present with compassionate, life-affirming power. It's yet another artistic triumph for the Black American music and Civil Rights icon All Music
Hatchie Liquorice
Filled with highs, lows, and surprises, Liquorice eloquently expresses young love's volatility - and makes for Hatchie's most consistent music since Keepsake All Music
Sorry COSPLAY
Dressed to impress. Print edition only Record Collector
Asha Lorenz's dreamy, deceptively casual vocals soften the sharp edges throughout and help foster an overall coherence even amid Cosplay's outbreaks of giddy chaos. Print edition only Uncut
After the insular mood of Quaranta, with its themes of addiction and depression, it’s refreshing to hear Brown having unabashed neon-lit fun The Quietus
The Detroit rapper feared his music would get dull after he went sober, but no-one could be bored by this guest-stuffed, chaotically swaggering new album The Guardian
Sobriety may have taken a long time to achieve, but it’s strapped a rocket to this album without sacrificing any of the glorious weirdness that always made him such a compelling figure Dork
His ambition remains undimmed as he opens this new chapter DIY
A rejuvenated, feature-packed return to form for one of the most innovative rappers around The Skinny
The album finds the Detroit rapper discovering a new lust for life Slant Magazine
Danny Brown looks and sounds better today than ever before, and his latest offering is a testament to his restored health and balance. Don’t forget he’s been in the game for over two decades at this point, yet you’d never guess it from listening to his music Clash
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
Spiritbox Tsunami Sea
Self Esteem Prioritise Pleasure
Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds Skeleton Tree