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Review: Skep Wax's first Under The Bridge compilation, released in 2022, reunited the bands, songwriters and producers who populated cult early '90s indie label Sarah Records. This hotly anticipated follow-up repeats the trick, presenting 20 recently recorded cuts from the Bristol-based imprint's original roster of artists. It too, is a hugely successful - and understandably nostalgic - exercise, with hi9ghlights including the bright-and-breezy indie jangliness of Action Painting's 'Just Who Are The Cockleshell Heroes', the shoegaze-influenced dream pop haziness of Soundwire's 'Everything Is Real', the near Balearic soft focus shuffle of 'Double Nine' by GNAC, and the saucer-eyed excellence of The Orchids' 'A Final Love Song'.

Review: What does it mean To Belong? Cynthia Bernard aka. Marine Eyes only begins to scratch the surface of this question on her latest ambient record (yet leaps a great deal forward in wrestling with it nonetheless), following up her prior effort 'Chamomile' with a distinctly beauteous fortnight of forenoon drones, all of which spur the realization that "belonging is everywhere and nowhere". Belonging is indeed a kind of ephemeral longing of being than can only ever be partly grasped, attained. Through its looping washes of warmed, brackish, padded backwash - not to mention its many bass-undergirded angel choirs - the likes of 'Timeshifting', 'Bridges' and 'Mended Own' stand out as such revelatory highlights, all contributing to an incredible album of sonic diaristic reflection, in which every sound sticks out clearly yet plays its proper part in a humble, rose-smelling gestalt.

Review: Few bands have sidestepped expectations as cannily as Mount Kimbie. Initially a duo but now expanded into a quartet, the British band has previously excelled in mixing, matching and fusing a wide range of experimental and left of centre electronic music influences. On The Sunset Violet, their first full-length as a quartet, they've shifted sonically once more, leaning into their indie-rock influences on a set recorded in California. The latter aspect - and the impact of being surrounded by sunshine and desert - is reflected in the warmth and haziness of the sound, which draws on the layered vocals and guitars of vintage shoegaze while also reaching for more familiar aspects of the band's previous experimental electronic sounds (for proof, check the ghostly musical vision that is King Krule collaboration 'Boxing').

Review: On his return to China in 2019 after a period away, Brock van Wey noticed a "strange, sound emitting item" on the table. It was a handmade 'steel tongue drum', a unique percussion instrument associated with spirituality and meditation in Asian culture. A few days later, van Wey recorded an extended jam of himself playing it, and later overdubbed electronic sounds, melodies, chords and textures. The result is The Depth of Rain, the long-serving ambient and drone artist's second Bvdub album of 2024. Where some of van Wey's ambient sets can tend towards the intense and claustrophobic, The Depth of Rain is a genuinely melodious, evocative and spring-like affair that ebbs and flows wonderfully throughout, providing entertainment and sonic bliss in equal measure.

Review: Reissued in the aftermath of her passing away in 2023, Souvenirs is probably the best-known album by Ethiopian legend Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru, whose morphing from nun to composer, pianist and vocalist tracks an exquisitely bleak but powerful history. The first album to feature her own voice, the album was written and recorded at her family home in Addis Ababa, and deals in personal themes of loss, homesickness and transience, reflecting on Emahoy's experiences of the turmoil of the 1976 Red Terror in Ethiopia, in which the provisional Derg military dictatorship violently suppressed the rise of other competing revolutionary militia groups, and in so doing caused mass upheavals and migrations. With lyrics sung in Amharic and overlaid against uniquely mournful DIY instrumentations, Mississippi's CD reissue reminds us of its heart-warmer status, betraying Emahoy's deep familial fidelity and integrity.

Review: Originally released in 2005, Silenced captures the essence of The Black Dog's enigmatic allure, transporting listeners to otherworldly realms with its lush, tuneful compositions and angular genius. Each track on the album is a testament to the group's unparalleled ability to surprise and entrance, evoking a sense of both unease and beauty. For fans of The Black Dog, Silenced serves as a welcome treat, while also serving as an entry point for those new to the group's mesmerising soundscapes. Definitelt one of their best full length albums yet to date.

Review: Like many ambient and drone artists, New Zealander Rudy Adrian specialises in ringing maximum emotion from abstract electronics, experimental tones and immersive, widescreen soundscapes. As the title suggests, Reflections on a Moonlit Lake is another emotive exploration designed, in his words, for "rest, reading, meditation and sleep". For proof, check the slow-burn swell of opener 'Mirror Island', where echoing wood block hits and lapping waves rise above immersive chords and yearning melodies, the Pete Namlook-goes-to-the-South-Island flex of 'Lunar Shadow', and the faintly foreboding half asleep/half-awake haziness of 'Within The Darkness'. Impeccable ambience.

Review: Einsturzende Neubauten's description by label Potomoak - as a band that constantly evolves - is accurate enough. Over forty years on from their debut album Kollaps in 1981, Rampen appears as the latest and most unruly incarnation of their sound yet. Here, Blixa Bargeld, N. U. Unruh, Alexander Hacke, Jochen Arbeit, Rudolph Moser and Felix Gebhard present their least predictable and conventional sides: APM is described as alien pop music; the songs therein have been specially crafted not only for our universe but for every adjacent parallel universe to ours, with every slight multiversal variation in humanity's collective tastes held firmly in mind. The album fully lives up to its billing as anti-pop as alien pop, its challenging twists and turns fully sating the difficult whims of society's outcasts and cosmic punks.

Review: It's been seven years since the tragic passing of Chester Bennington and the abrupt end of nu-metal legends Linkin Park, while their legacy remains praised and intact by avid fans. Papercuts offers up a career-spanning greatest hits collection, yet rather than sequencing each bundle of tracks chronologically in terms of specific album release, the cuts are mixed with the design of flowing as naturally as possible, with the anthemic 'Faint' from 2003's Meteora rubbing shoulders with their iconic Jay-Z Collision Course collab 'Numb/Encore'. Elsewhere, 'One Step Closer'; the breakout single from 2000's genre-defining debut LP Hybrid Theory is followed directly by 'New Divide', which served as the lead single from the Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen soundtrack. From their rap-metal beginnings to their signature style of nu/alt-metal to the their calmer accessible later era, this compilation delivers a succinct yet sprawling distillation of Linkin Park's most vital contributions to the several dynamic scenes they helped to elevate.

Review: After an extended hiatus of nigh-on five years, Vampire Weekend has finally got around to recording a new album. Only their third studio set in total, Only God Was Above Us sees the trio muse on the weight of history - their own as much as anything else - while fretting about what lies ahead for the human race. Musically, much of what's on offer is densely layered and impressively loud, with loads of intricate musical detail (check the jazz horns and mad stereo panning of 'Classical' and the string-laden, White Album-era Beatles nostalgia of 'Capricorn') working in unison with their attractive, harmonic, saucer-eyed vocals. It's a bit of a triumph all told and one that proves that there's plenty of life yet in Vampire Weekend.

Review: Mark Knopfler's One Deep River delivers a steady stream of timeless classics, featuring his signature blend of poetic lyricism and exquisite guitar work. As the tenth solo album released on his own label, British Grove via EMI, Knopfler continues to captivate with his warm vocals and masterful compositions. The album's lead single, 'Ahead Of The Game,' sets the tone with a melancholic narrative, possibly autobiographical, over a classic Knopfler riff. Title track 'One Deep River' taps into Knopfler's emotional ties to his hometown of Newcastle, particularly the Tyne River. This connection to childhood memories imbues the album with a sense of nostalgia and introspection, echoed in each meticulously crafted song. Produced alongside longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher, the album exudes sophistication and depth, with Knopfler's guitar textures and evocative storytelling taking center stage.

Review: During The Black Keys surprise revival of recent years, much of their music has been produced by Dangermouse. While he played no role on the duo's new album, Ohio Players - their 12th in total - his influence remains in the inventiveness of the production. The pair's new-found love of collaboration remains too, with Beck credited as co-writer on roughly half of the album's tracks. His influence is obvious in the funkiness and fuzz-fuelled psychedelia of 'This Is Nowhere' and 'Don't Let Me Go', as well as the quirky, horn-sporting cheeriness of 'Beautiful People (Stay High)' and the low-slung, effortlessly funky indie-rap hedonism of 'Paper Crown' (where he appears on vocals alongside Juicy J. The band's wholehearted love of hip-hop is also explored on the excellent Lil Noid collaboration 'Candy & Her Friends'.

Review: Now That's What I Call Music extends its exploration of 1980s extended mixes with a comprehensive 4CD set, delving into the vibrant musical landscape of 1982 with Part 2. This expansive package boasts a staggering 49 mixes from iconic artists of the era, offering a diverse and captivating journey through the sounds of the 80s. Listeners can expect to rediscover extended versions of hits from Wham!, Duran Duran, Talk Talk, Soft Cell, Japan, Simple Minds, Heaven 17, The Associates, Thomas Dolby, Visage, ABC, Blondie, China Crisis, and many more. Each track showcases the innovative production and infectious energy that defined the decade, providing a nostalgic trip down memory lane for fans of 80s music.

Review: Brian Williams' Lustmord project has existed in different forms for over 40 years, though it's only in the last couple of decades - when it has become a vehicle for his solo work - that new musical missives have become a regular occurrence. On Much Unseen Is Also Here, the former industrial musician turned soundtrack composer once again showcases his mastery of pitch-black sonics, creepy soundscapes and horror-inspired dark ambient workouts. As you'd expect, the sound design is incredible - listen on good quality headphones for the ultimate listening experience - while Williams' penchant for throwing in suspenseful chords, billowing aural textures and unsettling vocalisations adds further layers of paganistic mystery.

Review: Jane Weaver describes her 11th solo album, Love In Constant Spectacle, as her most 'open hearted, direct and intimate' exploration of 'the British musical landscape'. It's certainly an impressive album, with the former Laura Kills vocalist fusing a wide range of nostalgic, pastoral, and analogue rich sounds, from Stereolab-esque krautrock revivalism, ;ate '60s dream pop, turn-of-the-90s indie-pop and crackly, organ-sporting folk-rock. Highlights include the deep and drowsy 'The Axis and the Seed', the fuzzy 'Is Metal', the head-in-the-clouds dreaminess of 'Romantic Worlds' and the hazy but picturesque headiness of 'Family Of The Sun'.

Review: The creative partnership between Tiga & Hudson Mohawke expresses a mutual love of "hardcore romance," a liminal state where the bounds between euphoria, melancholy and the raw power of friendship disintegrate completely. Recorded in Los Angeles from 2019-2023, these commonalities ebbed and flowed through various recording sessions, culminating in their debut album - L'Ecstacy - the sounds in which "all come from the same place, the same musical universe," in Hudson Mohawke's own words. Referencing the album's locus of bouncy elasticity and cinematic gloss - "we're building a particular kind of zone where it all fits together. A place lost in time." With guest appearances by luminaries like Abra, Channel Tres, and Jesse Boykins III, as well as album artwork by Wolfgang Tillmans, the result is delivered with "no apology, no cynicism, no irony, no winking."

Review: There's been rather a lot of noise about Jaguar II, Victoria Monet's much-delayed full-length follow up to 2021's Jaguar mini-album. The hype is, in many ways, understandable - it did recently scoop the 'Best R&B Album' award at the GRAMMYs. More importantly, it's also very good, with the decorated songwriter-turned-pop star confidently serving up retro-futurist gems who's punchy 21st century r&b beats come cloaked in musical motifs that frequently offer nods to black American music of the 1970s, 80s and early 90s. The plentiful highlights include Lucky Daye hook-up 'Smoke', the dancehall-fired excellence of 'Party Girls' (featuring Buju Banton), the Fugees-esque beauty of 'How Does It Make You Feel', and the glossy disco-soul dreaminess of 'Hollywood', where her young daughter Hazel and Earth, Wind and Fire both play starring roles.

Review: Having previously successfully turned her hand to house and disco - many of our top pop performers have always been shapeshifting musical magpies (hello Madonna) - Beyonce Knowles Carter has now delved into the world of country music. No doubt you'll be bored of the endless discourse around Cowboy Carter, but that doesn't stop it from being a genuinely good album - a brilliant fusion of neo-soul, r&b and, yes, country music instrumentation that wisely leaves Beyonce's incredible voice front and centre. There are some genuinely notable covers - see her takes on the Beatles 'Blackbird' and Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' (featuring an introduction from her Dollyness) stand out - but the most striking songs are by and large her own work. For proof, see 'American Requiem', 'Most Wanted' (with Miley Cyrus), 'Sweet Honey Buckin' (with Shaboozy) and 'Tyrant'.

Review: Renowned saxophonist and flautist Chip Wickham has his 2022 album on Gondwana reissued by P-Vine here and it is fair to say that Cloud 10 is his most soulful album yet. Hailing from Brighton and honing his craft in Manchester, Wickham blends the spiritual jazz influences of Roland Kirk and Yusef Lateef with British jazz legends like Tubby Hayes. Having collaborated with diverse acts from The Pharcyde to Nightmares On Wax, his debut for Gondwana Records offers a timeless fusion of soulful, spiritual jazz and hard-hitting modal hard-bop. Wickham's dynamic flute and tenor work drive the album, reflecting his passion for connecting deeply with audiences and leaving a lasting musical legacy.

Review: Build Something Better by Grace Petrie, produced by Frank Turner, is a powerful statement on contemporary societal inequalities and injustices. With a blend of punk-folk elements, Grace's acoustic guitar and vocals shine, supported by Ben Moss' captivating fiddle playing and Stuart Proven's excellent drumming. The album tackles themes of alienation, political disillusionment, and the struggle for truth in a post-truth world. Tracks like 'The House Always Wins' and 'Meanwhile In Texas' confront hard-hitting issues with poignant lyrics and infectious musical patterns. Grace's songwriting ability shines through in tracks like 'King And Country' and 'Earthwire,' where personal relationships intertwine with broader social commentary. The album culminates in the title track, 'Fixer Upper,' offering hope amidst the existential threat of global crises. Overall, Build Something Better is a musically rich and lyrically profound album.

Review: BBE has delivered something of a future classic here, as decorated Eastern European harpist Alinha Bzhezhinska and British tenor saxophonist Tony Kofi join forces on a picturesque full-length excursion dedicated to the memory of spiritual jazz maestro Pharoah Saunders. It's a genuinely unique and hugely evocative affair, with Kofi's meandering, mesmeric melodies and inspired improvisations snaking in and out of Bzhezhinska's dreamy harp motifs and melodic percussion instruments (think bells, marimbas, vibraphone, xylophone and so on). It's not a familiar musical palette, but it's one that consistently delivers - and then some. Our picks of a very strong bunch include lucid opener 'Tabula Rasu - Blank Slate', the exotic and psychedelic 'Audite Me - Hear Me', and the picturesque, meditative closing cut, 'Altera Vita - Another Life'.

Review: Texas-based trio Khruangbin returns with their highly anticipated album, A La Sala, blending Thai funk, psychedelic rock and world music influences. Laura Lee's funky basslines, Mark Speer's intricate guitar work, and Donald "DJ" Johnson's precise drumming define each hypnotic groove. Tracks like 'Farolim De Felgueiras' and 'A Love International' emit a laid-back aura, ideal for lazy summer days, while 'Juegos Y Nubes' adds Latin rhythms with a psychedelic twist. 'A La Sala' offers a rich journey through diverse musical landscapes, solidifying Khruangbin's mastery of genre fusion and their ability to create sonic euphoria.