New releases last four weeks: Pop

Review: Inspired by her personal experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved becoming obsessed by perfumes and fragrances, Jenny Hval's first solo album in three years is noticeably tactile, intimate and sensory. Effectively a hard-to-pigeonhole mood piece full of uniquely realised songs and immersive, deeply layered musical soundscapes, Iris Silver Mist (named in honour of a 'steely' French perfume) sees the Norwegian musician, producer and author variously join the dots between icy electronica, string-laden synth-pop, offbeat trip-hop, kaleidoscopic ambient pop and wonderfully enveloping electronic maximalism.

Review: Rebecca Taylor arrives at third album A Complicated Woman in a very different place to where she was before the release of her previous full-length, the Mercury Prize-nominated Prioritise Pleasure. Now a bona-fide pop star, the South Yorkshire chanteuse now has to deal with heightened expectations and her own experience of fame. By the sound of A Complicated Woman, she's handling both with aplomb. That's not to say that the lyrics avoid difficult subjects - her own worries remain front and centre - but the delightfully grandiose production, extensive use of choirs and orchestras, and Taylor's own penchant for penning stadium-sized sing-alongs deliver a maximal pop gem fitting her genuine star status. Rotherham's finest has never sounded so good (or, it should be added, explicit - there are some genuinely adult themes on display).

Review: A nostalgia-packed journey through one of pop music's most exciting years, featuring an impressive lineup of extended and remixed tracks from the decade's biggest stars. This four disc collection brings together a mix of chart-topping anthems, cult classics and dancefloor staples, each in its extended 12" glory. Things start with Wham!'s infectious 'Freedom' (long mix) and keeps the energy high with Culture Club's politically charged 'The War Song' (Ultimate dance mix). New Order's 'Thieves Like Us' and Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder's 'Together In Electric Dreams' add a synth-laden sheen, while Eurythmics' haunting 'Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four)' is a bold statement piece. As the tracklist moves on, iconic tracks like Frankie Goes To Hollywood's 'Relax' (New York mix) and Duran Duran's 'The Reflex' (dance mix) capture the decade's indulgent soundscape. Meanwhile, softer gems like Talk Talk's 'It's My Life' (extended mix) and Echo & The Bunnymen's 'Silver (Tidal Wave)' provide balance. Closing with Paul McCartney's heartfelt 'No More Lonely Nights' (extended) and the ever-catchy 'Somebody's Watching Me' by Rockwell, this compilation offers a comprehensive snapshot of 1984's pop brilliance. Having these extended versions together in one set is more than a greatest hits package - it's like having all the maxi singles together like an experienced DJ ready to rock a party.

Review: While compilations of 1980s pop music are ten-a-penny, most tend to focus on the most celebrated hits and biggest singles. Spectrum's latest, Pop Gems: The 80s, takes a different approach, combining familiar numbers (Dexy's 'Celtic Soul Brothers', Roxy Music's 'Same Old Scene' and the Human League's 'Human') with forgotten treats and less-celebrated cuts from big names of the era (Tears For Fears, Ah-Ha, Shakin' Stevens, Adam Ant, ABC, Duran Duran, Boy George, Five Star, Bros etc). There's also a sprinkling of crossover American dancefloor hits too, from the likes of Chaka Khan, Womack & Womack, Sheila E, Cameo and Jakki Graham). It packs in plenty of three discs, as you'd expect, and even finds space for a dash of Fairground Convention!