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The Orielles  Only You Left

The band deserve all kinds of praise for pulling off the somewhat rare feat of being both musically adventurous and emotionally gripping on Only You Left; it feels like the destination to which all their previous excursions were leading and is a fine example of indie rock at its all-around best All Music

The Orielles  Only You Left

A circle completed? Not quite - The Orielles have never dealt in such concise shapes DIY

The Orielles  Only You Left

It is worth the four-year wait, showing their evolution as a group in that time, building on existing sounds and incorporating an array of different genres while still feeling familiar. There is plenty to enjoy even for newcomers to the band’s work Clash

The Orielles  Only You Left

It feels almost improvised half the time, but there's a quiet, escalating intrigue to their murmurings. Print edition only Record Collector

The Orielles  Only You Left

On this outing it sounds more like step-by-step calculation than natural evolution. Print edition only Uncut

The Orielles  Only You Left

It's to the band's credit, then, that Only You Left spins in its own unpredictable orbit, pulling out new mysteries from their off-centre helix of goth, shoegazing and post-punk. Print edition only Mojo

Kim Gordon  Play Me

Kim Gordon proves herself again as a worthy spokesperson on the plight of modern-day life through her own unending experimentation. For a 2026 experimental capitalist-critique, dedicate half an hour of your time to this album. You won’t regret it Clash

James Blake  Trying Times

‘Trying Times’ doesn’t offer answers so much as companionship in uncertainty. Blake has long been fascinated by the fragile spaces between people. Here, he suggests that love isn’t what rescues us from those moments; it’s what convinces us to stay a little longer Clash

Kim Gordon  Play Me

Kim Gordon’s third solo album is the most populist and literalist music of her career. Her sharp style and wit remain, but absurdity and ambiguity are missed Pitchfork

James Blake  Trying Times

On his first self-released album, the producer and songwriter draws from pop music and classic R&B for a pleasantly all-over-the-place set about love and existential dread Pitchfork

Shabaka  Of The Earth

The jazz polymath wrote, played, produced, and mixed everything on his new solo album, weaving overlapping loops and knotty counterpoints into a dynamic suite of interconnected pieces Pitchfork

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy  We Are Together Again

Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s new LP is strengthened by communal tendencies, meeting bombs in Iran and executions in Minneapolis not with clenched fists of protest, but with hugs PopMatters

The Black Crowes  A Pound of Feathers

The Black Crowes have leaned into the familiar: hard, bluesy rock with just enough acoustic accoutrements to pacify the fans they found touring 25 years ago PopMatters

Kim Gordon  Play Me

Her list-like lyrics and droning delivery, merging with Raisen’s dystopic production to nail the frictionless abstraction of contemporary culture. But still, whether it’s a particular melodic strain or the way a synth aches out under a beat, the emotions remain The Line Of Best Fit

James Blake  Trying Times

A welcome addition to both Blake's discography and the anxious times we live in Slant Magazine