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Deerhoof  Noble And Godlike In Ruin

Overall, Noble and Godlike in Ruin is a wonder Beats Per Minute

Self Esteem  A Complicated Woman

Like the puritanical/Handmaid’s Tale artwork depicts, Taylor is screaming into the void, a pitch black nothingness that may or may not respond. But we do hear her; the void sings back and we gather around her, because this is what community does Beats Per Minute

Julien Baker & Torres  Send A Prayer My Way

The singer-songwriters’ first collaborative album together is a sugary take on a long-worn country template. The stories they sing are necessary, even when the music plays it safe Paste Magazine

Sunflower Bean  Mortal Primetime

Mortal Primetime is the sound of a band still standing, but unsure of which way to go next Spectrum Culture

Femi Kuti  Journey Through Life

A socially conscious, politically engaged and highly critical album from the son of the legendary bandleader carries on the legacy of his family while working toward a better future Spectrum Culture

Emma-Jean Thackray  Weirdo

It’s an unflinching self-portrait, soul music from the edge, a fever dream spun out in a single room. Spectrum Culture

Destroyer  Dan's Boogie

Checking in at just under 37 minutes, Dan’s Boogie is Destroyer’s shortest album since 1996’s We’ll Build Them a Golden Bridge. While 15 more minutes would delight, the runtime feels purposeful Under The Radar

Beirut  A Study Of Losses

He has brought his usual gravitas and gifted us with a musical balm for present maladies. And treated us to the best kind of vacances when one can’t afford to buy a plane ticket Under The Radar

Self Esteem  A Complicated Woman

Self Esteem steps into a more grounded and rangy perspective. She’s overcome numerous challenges. She’s learned to live in the world and her own skin. She’s free PopMatters

Emma-Jean Thackray  Weirdo

Faced with unimaginable grief, the UK musician responded the only way she knew how: with an album of buoyant jazz-funk steeped in melody, vibrant color, and a sneaky sense of humor. Pitchfork

Mamalarky  Hex Key

On their third album, the Atlanta indie rockers channel a tactful self-assurance while following their trippy, idiosyncratic impulses Pitchfork

Self Esteem  A Complicated Woman

The UK star repeats some of her breakout album’s formula but little of its lacerating insight on a record where the Big Feminist Statements feel frustratingly basic Pitchfork

Self Esteem  A Complicated Woman

Self Esteem has returned with one of the most important albums of 2025 Clash

Femi Kuti  Journey Through Life

The album is a triumph for Femi Kuti, reflecting his tireless dedication to his father’s legacy, in addition to his own artistic vision Far Out

Femi Kuti  Journey Through Life

The apple doesn't fall far, as they say, and a 62-year-old Femi is still raging against the system on Journey Through Life. Print edition only Record Collector