New releases last four weeks: Psych/Garage Rock

Review: Hailing from Herne Bay in the south east of England, Kevin Ayers emerged as a pioneering figure in the nearby Canterbury scene. His second solo release with the Whole World is a testament to the experimental spirit of early 70s UK music, mixing progressive rock with psychedelia and avant-garde influences, blending whimsical ballads and intricate soundscapes. Tracks like 'May I?' and 'Rheinhardt & Geraldine' show off his knack for fusing carefree melodies with more experimental structures, while 'Underwater' and 'Clarence in Wonderland' explore the era's boundary-pushing approach to sound. Featuring contributions from Mike Oldfield and Robert Wyatt, the record's genre-defying nature helped cement Ayers as a key figure in progressive rock. Though originally released in 1970, this album remains an influential work, still resonating with contemporary artists drawn to its mix of playfulness and musical innovation.

Review: Originally recorded in Rome with top-tier players like Giorgio Carnini and Giovanni Tommaso, this psychedelic library session bridges modal jazz, Latin percussion, and fuzzed-out funk. This reissue restores the 1970 cut in full, swirling through ghostly organ grooves and spiralling rhythm sections with a clarity that feels startlingly fresh. 'Psichefreelico (Sostenuto)' and 'Bacharachico' glide between dreamy lounge and scorched delay-drenched oddness, while 'Africaneidico' pulses with loose Afro-Latin syncopation. Mined from Italy's golden age of library music and remastered from mono tapes, it's a masterclass in instrumental storytellingivivid, woozy and totally transportive.

Review: Candeleros is a six-member, Colombia- and Venezuela-rooted collective based in Madrid that fuse Cumbia, merengue, dub and an array of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, creating a psychedelic, postmodern celebration of Latin sound. Their music blends Andean echoes, cinematic textures and hypnotic percussion into what feels like a ritualistic dance experience and has seen them collaborating with artists like Dodosound and Carlos Talez. They always reject the usual genre boundaries while focusing on cultural activism and the power of collective expression and have performed across Europe. As this album shows, their sound is passionate, borderless and proof that Cumbia has truly rooted itself in Europe.

Review: Swedish trio Death And Vanilla continue to carve out their atmospheric niche, blending elements of post-ambient electronica and spectral folk to craft something distinctly unsettling. Their latest foray into live scoring breathes new life into the eerie, folkloric narrative of a 1968 ghost story. As they shift seamlessly between stuttering tape loops, minimalist drum machines, and haunting choral effects, they create a tension that pulls the listener deeper into the supernatural. Tracks like 'Supernatural Breakfast' are pulsing with an old-school, Carpenter-esque vibe, while others, like 'Nightmares', evoke a sense of unease with their swirling winds and spectral sounds. The band's ability to inhabit these otherworldly spaces is a nod to their growing mastery of atmosphere, a skill that's increasingly becoming their signature. Even as they explore the boundary between the familiar and the uncanny, Death And Vanilla remind us that their sound can be as inviting as it is unnervingly strange.

Review: Originally scored in 1968 by a loose circle of New York garage-psych acts, this reissued soundtrack finally lifts the veil on one of the strangest period films of the late 60s. The E-Types lead the charge with no fewer than four versions of 'Put The Clock Back On The Wall', ranging from a bright, full-band cut to a warped instrumental and stereo acapella. The Bit' A Sweet contribute the hazy, lurching 'Is It On, Is It Off?'ia woozy gem full of phased guitar and tape wobbleiwhile 'LSD Got A Hold On Me' by Thee Neons dials up the paranoia with raw, fuzzed-out intensity. The Vagrants offer a tight, harmony-laced soul ballad in 'I Love, Love You (Yes I Do)', adding contrast to the acid-drenched proceedings. While the film itself, shot entirely in greyscale, veered closer to surreal documentary than narrative cinema, the music functions as a mood-setting anchor throughoutiequal parts camp, dread, and weird sunshine optimism. This marks the first official pressing of these tracks and serves as both a time capsule of New York's outsider rock fringe and a highly playable psyche compilation in its own right.

Review: Drissi El-Abbass's Rai Sidi Bel Abbes - Volume 2 is a superb eight-track compilation that tells the evolutionary story of Rai music from the late 1970s to the 1990s. Released by Nashazphone on four sides of wax, it highlights El-Abbassi's soft vocals and innovative fusion of traditional Algerian music with electronic elements which came after he started his career with Les Aigles Noirs and later collaborated with guitarist Ahmed Zergui. El-Abbassi embraced synthesisers and drum machines to shape a modern Rai sound that has stood the test of time and tracks like 'Maak Probleme' and 'Datli Laakal' blend nostalgic melodies with bold production to offer a vivid portrait of Rai's creative transformation.

Review: Turning the clock back to 1991, legendary Welsh DIY pop band Ffa Coffi Pawb repress their second album for the modern listener. Recorded with experimental electronic studio head Gorwel Owen, in a flat, above a Post Office in Rhosneigr, on the island of Anglesey, it makes no apologies for its uptempo and cacophonous sound, swagging out the starting blocks like a Celtic Happy Mondays. Or, more accurately, Black Grape. Shades of Primal Scream are equally audible in at least some of the guitar riffs, although given the group were fronted by a young Gruff Rhys - who would go on to form Super Furry Animals before embarking on his own critically acclaimed and musically outstanding solo career - you can bet your bottom dollar this is far more original than any lazy comparisons would suggest. Or whatever that translates to in Welsh.

Review: We find ourselves lost in kosmische textures, dark jazz motifs and brushup drums, as Ivan The Tolerable (Oli Heffernan) edges us ever deeper into his singular sonic world with An Orphan Form, where wide scapes and underbrushed moodiness leaves us in an identifiable yet not entirely placeable place. There's a sense of constant movementicircular rather than linearias the music unfurls like a dream slipping just out of reach. Synth lines wobble and stretch, field recordings emerge from the mist, and the sounds of nature act as subtle anchors amid the abstraction. It's a spiritual detour after the cheekier tonalities of his various earlier cassette albums for the likes of Cruel Nature and Ack! Ack! Ack!.

Review: Aussie rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard's 22nd studio release continues their tradition of bold experimentation, featuring two expansive 15-minute tracks, including the highly anticipated fan favourite 'Hypertension.' The band's ability to push the boundaries of the rock genre is ever-present as they blend complex rhythms, hypnotic melodies, and immersive instrumentation in these sprawling compositions. An intricate sonic journey, showcasing King Gizzard's signature chaotic beauty and their continued exploration of sound in new, exciting directions.

Review: Wewantsounds continues its deep dive into Algerian music with the first-ever reissue of Les Abranis' sought-after-by-those-who-know 1983 long player, Album No. 1. Originally recorded in Paris and privately pressed in small quantities, the album, which is also known as Id Ed Was, fuses Kabyle rhythms with funk and touches of reggae. This reissue has been curated by Cheb Gero (of recent Sweet Rebels compiling fame) and features remastered audio, though it retains the original artwork. It's a great line document of Algeria's diasporic groove with a two-page insert featuring fresh liner notes by journalist Rabah Mezouane.

Review: Dominique Baumard's 2025 detective comedy drama, Les Regles de l'art, is a chuckle-inducing exploration of art theft and scandal, reenacting a legendary pilfering of paintings from the Musee d'Art Moderne in Paris in 2010. The plot centres on the trio of thieves who stole €100 million worth of works of art by Picasso, Matisse and Modigliani; they were sentenced to prison, but the paintings were never found. Now the OST by soundtrack artists Lionel LimiNana (more known for his chanson-adjacent project The LimiNanas) and David Menke (more associated with experimental electronica) surfaces. An intermixing of suspenseful legato syntheses and humoured pizzicati help them nail an eternal artistic conundrum - the tradeoff between authenticity of artifice.

Review: Carpet of Fallen Leaves serves as the luminous introduction to Eddie Marcon, a folk-pop project from Eddie Corman and Jules Marcon. The collection takes in more than two decades of intimate, self-released recordings that all bring fragile beauty and melodic grace from Japan's underground psych-folk scene. Gentle guitar, soft organ and deft bass interlace with pristine vibraphone, flute and pedal steel sounds to form sparse and spare yet intricate arrangements. Collaborators like Ikuro Takahashi and Shintaro Sakamoto add their own contributions, and so songs shimmer with a real emotional depth and Eastern charm. Highlights like 'Tora To Lion' and 'Shoujo' inspire quiet wonder while capturing fleeting moments of everyday life with a real tenderness and elegance.

Review: Four years, a lot of gigs, and a change of lineup are all that have stood between Vyvyd and The Uncanny Extravaganza. New Candys triumphant return after the best part of a half decade is exactly that, unleashing some of the most powerful tracks in their oeuvre after no less than two years spent writing, recording and producing them. Which is ironic, given the raw, unfettered distortion that makes much of what's here so compelling and utterly devastating. It would sound off-the-cuff, it it weren't so complex. The Uncanny Extravaganza is one of those records that makes you genuinely excited about the prospect of seeing a band live again. It's loud - even if you've got the volume down - and its disharmonious, it's soaring and distant yet immediate and up front. It's psyche-infused garage rock with a dusting of raucous shoegaze (if that's possibly a thing), at times nodding to the likes of Ringo Deathstar or Death In Vegas, in other moments Spiritualised. Or maybe that's just us.

Review: Charly's reissue of this lost gem marks the start of Immediate Records' 60th anniversary celebrations, spotlighting a psych-pop marvel once nearly buried by industry chaos. Crafted by Billy Nichollsijust 16 at the timeiit's a sun-streaked, orchestrally rich set that genuinely holds its own next to Pet Sounds, a comparison that's often lazily thrown around but here actually fits. Tracks like 'Would You Believe?' and 'Girl From New York' shimmer with melodic ambition, the arrangements buoyed by John Paul Jones, Ronnie Lane, Arthur Greenslade and guest appearances from the Small Faces. Despite being shelved shortly after completion, it's aged into something quietly mythic: Swinging London filtered through orchestral grandeur, full of naive wonder but sophisticated beyond its years. A reissue that rewrites the teenage dream with baroque precision.

Review: A stunning fusion of rock, Latin rhythms and jazz, this 1977 album blended live performances with studio recordings to create a dynamic, immersive experience. Now reissued on vinyl, the double album - which features live and studio recordings - captures the raw energy of Santana's stage presence while showcasing Carlos and co's refined musicianship. The album's biggest hit, 'She's Not There', reinterprets The Zombies' classic with soaring guitar work and Latin percussion, turning it into a mesmerising jam. 'Flor d'Luna (Moonflower)' is a beautiful instrumental piece, filled with Carlos Santana's signature, expressive guitar melodies. 'Dawn / Go Within' opens the album with a mystical, jazz-tinged atmosphere that blends the spiritual with a musical exploration throughout the album. Live recordings such as 'Soul Sacrifice / Head, Hands & Feet (Drum Solo)' bring the band's electrifying energy to the forefront, while 'Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen' revisits their earlier hit with even more intensity. 'Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile)' is another gem, a slow-burning instrumental that highlights Santana's unmatched ability to blend emotion and technical prowess. Moonflower was a commercial and critical success, reinforcing Santana's status as innovators in rock and Latin music, and even now, it's pretty obvious why.

Review: If you roll the clock back ten years and more you'd be made to think you're crazy for saying Ty Segall will release country-inflected soft rock one day. He was making the very best feral sweaty garage rock quite consistently. But you know what? The new look suits him well and his Warren Zevon-era is cool. 'Fantastic Tomb' is a string and horn-laden romp that will liven up any home that's lucky enough to have it played within its four walls. The fallout from this will most likely be that the curtain is closing on all the neo-psych and garage rock and more bands are likely to follow in line with this type of sound. This is at the forefront of a new wave of country/Americana-tinged alt-rock that started when Black Lips did it ironically but is now gaining momentum in more sincere, yet still flamboyant ways.

Review: Countdown Records was founded by Eddie Piller, Maxine Conroy and Terry Rawlings and captured the essence of the mid-80s Mod revival and New Wave scene while pushing acts like Makin' Time, The Prisoners and The Kick towards mainstream recognition. Despite its innovative approach, the label struggled due to the collapse of Stiff Records and the corporate dominance of the era. However, the label's influence lived on through Piller's Acid Jazz label and this compilation showcases the best of Countdown's legacy with plenty of classic tracks and rarities. It's presented with a stylish Modernist design that coincides with a book that delves deeper into its history.

Review: With their sixth album in seven years, German jazz quartet Web Web return with a fresh touch: Plexus Plexus is more psychedelic and at times far "Krautier" than before, representing a speedy departure from their previous Web Max release. Special guest JJ Whitefield (The Poets Of Rhythm, Karl Hector & The Malcouns, Syrup) weaves a remarkable guitar thread throughout, gluing its sound together through solo intermissions, riffs and vamps. In his style, we hear everything from The Poets of Rhythm and Syrup to the more psychedelic vibes of Karl Hector & The Malcouns, injecting the record with the zoomed-out energy of 70s jazz-Kraut bands. Departing from their last record, Web Web have truly a back-to-basics approach through spontaneity, riffing on the back of an intense three-day recording sesh in Munich.

Review: Yesterday's Children, a short-lived yet impactful psychedelic rock band from Cheshire-Prospect, Connecticut, carved a niche in the late 60s with their unique blend of garage rock and proto-heavy metal. Formed in 1966, the band's aggressive sound, underpinned by Denis Croce's high-pitched wails and fuzz-toned guitars, made them early contenders in the heavier end of the psych spectrum. Their self-titled 1970 LP i featuring tracks like the bludgeoning opener 'Paranoia', the slow-burning 'What of I' and the swinging, Cream-adjacent 'Sailing' i is now considered a cult classic. Despite poor commercial traction at the time, it captures a pivotal moment between the collapse of flower power and the rise of hard rock. First reissued in 2004 by Akarma, it's since been reclaimed as a forgotten milestone in US acid rock, its eight-track run unusually focused but also quite, quite feral.