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22 January 2022

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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New

Yard ActThe Overload

"An album of deeply relatable storytelling for the plight of the ordinary people" (The Line Of Best Fit). "Yard Act live up to the hype on their surprisingly versatile debut album" (The Skinny)

New

FKA TwigsCAPRISONGS

"'A necessarily selfish project, and one which invites listeners to revel in all its joys and sorrows" - Clash "An adventurous but undercharged effort missing hooks and cohesion" The Guardian

Highest Recent Ratings

Albums to watch

Adele30

"30 is truly one of the best albums of the year and one that you’ll probably be hearing at awards ceremonies down the road here" (Vinyl Chapters). "A pop music visionary" (Exclaim)

Taylor SwiftRed (Taylor's Version)

"Taylor Swift’s reworking of Red finds even more magic in her pop blueprint" - The Line of Best Fit's take on the re-recording of the pop artist's fourth album. Sputnik reckon "Red is an absolute triumph"

Snail MailValentine

"A record as hopeful as it is bittersweet" - DIY's take on the 2nd LPSecond album of lo-fi indie rock from the Maryland-based trio led by Lindsey Jordan while Gigwise say it's "a record full of lust and longing"

ABBAVoyage

The verdict on the 9th LP from the legendary pop quartet: "Exquisitely familiar songs from one of the greatest groups of all time" The Irish Times OR "The glamour promised by this album’s two terrific singles goes horribly unfulfilled"

Biffy ClyroThe Myth of The Happily Ever After

NME reckon the ninth full-length release from the Scots alt.rock trio is "perhaps their most cohesive album to date" while Sputnik say that "with this album, they’ve reclaimed control of their story"

THE CHART: THE TOP RATED NEW ALBUMS

The ADM rating is a weighted average from our survey of more than 50 sources , taking into account the number of reviews

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8.4

The Weeknd

Dawn FM

Fifth full-length album from the Canadian alternative R&B singer-songwriter working with Oneohtrix Point Never, Max Martin, Oscar Holter, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia

Added: 07/01/2022
8.3

Yard Act

The Overload

Debut full-length release from the Leeds post-punk trio

Added: 19/01/2022
8.0

Nas

Magic

Fifteenth album from the New York City rapper features guest appearances from ASAP Rocky and DJ Premier

Added: 12/01/2022
8.0

Earl Sweatshirt

SICK!

Fourth full-length album from LA-based rapper features collaborations from Armand Hammer and Zelooperz and produced by the Alchemist, Black Noi$e, Navy Blue, Samiyam, Alexander Spit, Theravada and Rob Chambers

Added: 14/01/2022
7.9

Burial

Antidawn EP

The latest in a long line of EPs from the South London electronic producer William Bevan

Added: 11/01/2022
7.8

Boris

W

Twenty-seventh album from the prolific Japanese experimental noise rock trio

Added: 21/01/2022
7.8

Elvis Costello & The Imposters

The Boy Named If

Latest album from the veteran English singer-songwriter with back-up band The Imposters features a guest appearance from Nicole Atkins

Added: 14/01/2022
7.8

Aurora

The Gods We Can Touch

Third album from the Norwegian electronic pop singer Aurora Aksnes produced by Magnus Skylstad

Added: 20/01/2022
7.7

FKA Twigs

CAPRISONGS

Third album of trip hop / alternative R&B from the London-based singer and dancer Tahliah Barnett is a mixtape featuring guest appearances from the Weeknd, Shygirl, Dystopia, Rema, Daniel Caesar, Jorja Smith and Unknown T

Added: 14/01/2022
7.6

Orlando Weeks

Hop Up

Second solo album from the former Maccabees frontman produced by Nathan Jenkin

Added: 14/01/2022
7.6

Bonobo

Fragments

Seventh album from the Brighton multi-instrumentalist and DJ Simon Green featuring guest appearances from Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Kadhja Bonet, Joji, O’Flynn, Jordan Rakei and Jamila Woods

Added: 11/01/2022
7.3

Cat Power

Covers

Eleventh full-length release from the Atlanta-born indie singer-songwriter Chan Marshall features covers of songs by Jackson Brown, Nick Cave, Lana Del Rey, Iggy Pop, Frank Ocean and more

Added: 07/01/2022
7.2

Grace Cummings

Storm Queen

Second album from the Melbourne singer-songwriter was self-produced

Added: 19/01/2022
7.2

Silverbacks

Archive Material

Debut album from the Dublin-based art-rock five-piece produced by Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox

Added: 20/01/2022
7.0

Blood Red Shoes

Ghosts On Tape

Sixth full-length album from the Brighton based indie rock duo released on their own label

Added: 18/01/2022
6.8

The Wombats

Fix Yourself, Not The World

Fifth full-length album from the indie rock trio formed in Liverpool but recorded remotely during lockdown in LA, Oslo and London

Added: 14/01/2022
6.6

Spector

Now Or Whenever

Fourth album and first in six years from London indie rock quartet

Added: 10/01/2022
6.3

Twin Atlantic

Transparency

Sixth album from the Glasgow indie rock band produced by Jacknife Lee (Taylor Swift, Modest Mouse, Editors)

Added: 07/01/2022
6.3

Rick Ross

Richer Than I Ever Been

Album number eleven from the Miami rapper with guests including Willie Falcon, The-Dream, Benny the Butcher, Future and 21 Savage

Added: 17/12/2021

Latest Reviews

Years & Years Night Call

Epitomising Olly Alexander’s pop tendencies, the record hones in on his multi-faceted persona, allowing this to illuminate the compact palette Clash

Yard Act The Overload

The Leeds band’s mouthy and acerbic take on Brexit-era post-punk has the humor, polish, and storytelling of classic Britpop Pitchfork

Yard Act The Overload

Yard Act funnel anti-capitalist critique of British life through the medium of spoken-word post-punk on The Overload PopMatters

More reviews

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It's the annual ADM Poll of Polls, our roundup of the critics' end-of-year best albums lists

Earl SweatshirtSICK!
"It’s gentle, but keeps you on the edge of your seat as you wait for its brittle frame to cave in" - Beats Per Minute. "An ode to his ever-growing craft" - The Line Of Best Fit

Fresh stuff

Magic by Nas

"Nas has a noticeable spring in his step throughout Magic, but it’s really apparent when he’s on his lyrical shit" - Albumism "An immaculate project that finds Nas regaining top form and will surely find its way close to the top of his illustrious discography" (Exclaim)

Deap VallyMarriage
"Marriage is Deap Vally’s layered rock ‘n’ roll triumph" (The Line Of Best Fit). "The sound of Deap Vally tapping back into what makes them tick" (DIY)

Robert Plant & Alison KraussRaise The Roof
"It’s a partnership that does indeed raise the roof" (The Irish Times). "This second outing from one of rock’s less likely pairings is an undoubted triumph" (musicOMH)

Converge and Chelsea WolfeBloodmoon: I
"The band’s long-awaited collaboration with dark rocker Wolfe is slower and more melodic than their usual albums, yet even heavier" (The Guardian)

IdlesCrawler
Gigwise reckon the fourth album of indie post-punk from the Bristol quintet "could divide their fans" while The Line Of Best Fit say it's "their most exploratory and cathartic ride yet"

The War On DrugsI Don't Live Here Anymore
"Another triumph, and the band's greatest and grandest statement yet" - The Skinny's verdict on the 5th album from Adam Granduciel while Dork describe it as "a powerful and ambitious leap to the future"

All-time top 10

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.

See full list