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6 December 2023

Here's how it works: The Recent Releases chart brings together critical reaction to new albums from more than 50 sources worldwide. It's updated daily. Albums qualify with 5 reviews, and drop out after 6 weeks into the longer timespan charts.

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Unlisted recent releases

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New

Peter Gabrieli/o

"He has few peers in rendering the spiritual power of the mind-body-earth connection" (The Arts Desk). "He has drip-fed its songs to fans, but it is anything but disjointed" (The Guardian)

New

Vince ClarkeSongs Of Silence

"It’s the incorporation of non-ambient influences that really set it apart" (Loud And Quiet). "The Erasure man leaves synthpop to one side with these expressive pieces" (musicOMH)

New

Cat PowerCat Power Sings Dylan

"Showcases Marshall as devotee, student and messenger" (Exclaim). "Cat Power’s version of a classic 1966 Bob Dylan show excels in painstakingly accurate historical re-enactment" (The Line Of Best Fit)

Highest Recent Ratings

Albums to watch

PinkPantheressHeaven knows

"A debut album that was well worth the wait" (Clash). "A gothic pop-n-bass album Kate Bush would be proud of" (The Arts Desk). "An album that expands her sound beautifully" (NME)

Hotline TNTCartwheel

"Towering shoegaze and supersized power-pop anthems that demand to be played loud" (Pitchfork). "Hotline TNT have made a record that defies time and space" (Exclaim)

The KillsGod Games

"‘God Games’, like its predecessors, has proved worth the wait" (DIY). "The duo delivers some of their most exciting music" (All Music). "The Kills are still on top of their game" (Under The Radar)

Bombay Bicycle ClubMy Big Day

"Captivating, nuanced, melodic, and full of surprises" (Spill Magazine). "A triumph" (DIY). "The sensational ‘Heaven’ with Damon Albarn is a delicate surprise, as are Albarn’s sun-drenched vocals" (Dork)

CMATCrazymad, For Me

"A triumphant whirlwind of pain and self-preservation, which reveals more of itself with every listen" (DIY). "Expands upon the Dubliner’s pop vision and confirms her as a star" (The Irish Times)

SamphaLahai

"A generational talent who has once again delivered a rich, emotional work for us to process" (The Line Of Best Fit). "Jittery with anxiety and indecision, yet poised and luscious" (The Guardian)

Sufjan StevensJavelin

"This magical, magnificent album is both blissfully sad and gloriously uplifting" (music OMH). "The album doesn’t just feel like a return to form — it feels resurgent" (Slant Magazine)

THE CHART: THE TOP RATED NEW ALBUMS

The ADM rating is a weighted average from our survey of more than 50 sources , taking into account the number of reviews

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8.1
ADM Rating

Taylor Swift

1989 (Taylor's Version)

Fourth in the series of re-recordings from the American pop star includes five unreleased tracks

Added: 27/10/2023
7.9

Sofia Kourtesis

Madres

Debut full-length realease from the Berlin based Peruvian DJ and producer

Added: 29/10/2023
7.9

King Creosote

I DES

Fiftieth studio album and first in seven years from the eclectic Fife-based alt.folk singer-songwriter & guitarist Kenny Anderson

Added: 14/11/2023
7.8

Marnie Stern

The Comeback Kid

Fifth album of math rock / post-punk and first in ten years from New York songwriter/guitarist

Added: 03/11/2023
7.8

Hotline TNT

Cartwheel

Second full-length album from Will Anderson's shoegaze project

Added: 03/11/2023
7.7

Beirut

Hadsel

Sixth studio album from the indie folk group led by Zach Condon

Added: 10/11/2023
7.6

The Mountain Goats

Jenny From Thebes

Album number twenty-two from the lo-fi indie folk band led by John Darnielle was produced by Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Nanci Griffith)

Added: 27/10/2023
7.6

Peter Gabriel

i/o

Tenth studio album and first in ovver 21 years from the former Genesis forntman working with producers Richard Russell and Brian Eno

Added: 30/11/2023
7.6

Danny Brown

Quaranta

Sixth full-length album from the Detroit experimental hip hop artist featuring guest appearances from Bruiser Wolf, Kassa Overall and MIKE

Added: 17/11/2023
7.6

The Kills

God Games

Sixth album from Alison Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince was produced by Paul Epworth (James Vincent McMorrow, Royal Blood, Glass Animals)

Added: 26/10/2023
7.6

The Gaslight Anthem

History Books

Sixth album and first in nine years from the New Jersey rock band produced by Peter Katis (Death Cab for Cutie, Frightened Rabbit, Kurt Vile)

Added: 27/10/2023
7.4

Drop Nineteens

Hard Light

First album in thirty years from the reformed Boston shoegaze band

Added: 06/11/2023
7.4

PinkPantheress

Heaven knows

Debut studio album from the London singer, songwriter and record producer featuring guest appearances from Central Cee, Ice Spice, Kelela and Rema

Added: 10/11/2023
7.3

Vince Clarke

Songs Of Silence

Debut full-length solo release from the Erasure synth-pop musician and songwriter

Added: 17/11/2023
7.2

Cat Power

Cat Power Sings Dylan

Live recording of the November 2022 concert at London's Royal Albert Hall by the indie singer-songwriter Chan Marshall

Added: 10/11/2023
7.2

Laura Veirs

Phone Orphans

Album number thirteen from the Oregon folk singer-songwriter recorded as demos on her phone

Added: 03/11/2023
7.2

Jockstrap & Taylor Skye

I<3UQTINVU

Remix of Jockstrap's 2022 debut album, I Love You Jennifer B featuring guest appearances form Babymorocco, Kirin J Callinan, Ersatz, Coby Sey and Ian Starr

Added: 08/11/2023
7.2

Chris Stapleton

Higher

Fifth solo album from the Nashville bluegrass singer-songwriter produced by Dave Cobb (Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell)

Added: 10/11/2023
7.1

André 3000

New Blue Sun

Debut solo album from OutKast's André Benjamin and his first release in 17 years is an instrumental album featuring a variety of flutes

Added: 20/11/2023
6.9

Baby Queen

Quarter Life Crisis

Debut full-length album from the South African-born London-based alt-pop artist

Added: 10/11/2023
6.9

Bar Italia

The Twits

Fourth full-length album from the London-based trio Nina Cristante, Jezmi Tarik Fehmi and Sam Fenton

Added: 03/11/2023
6.8

Duran Duran

Danse Macabre

Sisteenth album from the English pop band is a Halloween-themed release and includes appearances from former guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo

Added: 26/10/2023
6.5

Dolly Parton

Rockstar

The forty ninth studio album from the country music legend is a collaborative project with a variety of rock musicians

Added: 16/11/2023

Latest Reviews

Peter Gabriel i/o

What did we get for our 20-year wait? Something substantive, something deeply considered. Print edition only Mojo

Peter Gabriel i/o

In an era where so many of our musical heroes seem to be growing more cantankerous and ill-tempered with age, it comes as a welcome relief to see one heritage act pushing positively into the future – and making some of the warmest and most joyous music of his career. Print edition only Uncut

Peter Gabriel i/o

After two decades of tinkering, the art-rocker’s first album since 2002 arrives in an array of different mixes. Yet the songs are refreshingly uncomplicated, reconnecting with Gabriel’s pop instincts Pitchfork

More reviews

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Fresh stuff

I DES by King Creosote

"A largely jubilant and life-affirming meditation on life and mortality" (The Skinny). "A slowburning set of songs full of delicate beauty and affecting, idiosyncratic warmth" (musicOMH)

Dolly PartonRockstar
"An explosively upbeat, 30-song rhinestone rocker" (NME). "Another solid, consistent piece of work that shows the country legend having fun and enjoying herself " (PopMatter)

BeirutHadsel
"A triumphant celebration of life" (The Guardian). "Introducing church organs alongside the signature brass and delivers exquisitely moving results in the process. (muiscOMH)

Baby QueenQuarter Life Crisis
"Baby Queen proves she's at the peak of her powers on her debut album: (The Skinny). "A twelve-track delight that merely misses the mark on it’s anarchic singles" (Clash)

Bar ItaliaThe Twits
"This is rich, idiosyncratic music that’s too wild and strange to copy" (The Line Of Best Fit). "Like the train leaving the station, bar italia’s momentum feels unstoppable at this point" (Clash)

Marnie SternThe Comeback Kid
"As urgent and electrifying as anything she’s managed in the 16 years since her disarming debut" (Paste). "One of her generation’s foremost shredders returns with a sense of urgent euphoria" (musicOMH)

Taylor Swift1989 (Taylor's Version)
"Nearly a decade on, Swift's full-on pop crossover moment remains a career high-point" (NME). "Taylor Swift reignites the sleek pop passion that made the original so ubiquitous" (The Line Of Best Fit)

Sofia KourtesisMadres
"A shimmery collection of protest chants, club rhythms, and sunlit synths that testifies to dance music’s spiritual nourishment" (Pitchfork). "The Peruvian producer displays her stylistic chops" (musicOMH)

The Rolling StonesHackney Diamonds
"On 'Hackney Diamonds', they’re doing what they do best, but at full throttle" (The Arts Desk). "If this astonishingly fresh album really is the legends’ last, it’s an incredible swansong" (musicOMH)

Troye SivanSomething To Give Each Other
"The sound of a queer artist fully embracing his sexuality" (NME). "As fun and messy as it is timelessly trendy, as silly as it is erotic" (DIY). "An uplifting album" (Clash)

Jamila WoodsWater Made Us
"Shines a light on our solitary thoughts, and invites us to embrace one another" (Clash). "The songs are not just liquid, solid, and gas; they are blood, wine, and soul" (PopMatters)

Hannah DiamondPerfect Picture
"Hannah Diamond’s pop vision comes into full focus on Perfect Picture" (The Line Of Best Fit). "The airbrushed pop singer constructs a world of exaggerated femininity without drowning in irony" (Slant)

All-time top 10

Since we've been around, that is. So, the highest-rated albums from the past twelve years or so. Rankings are calculated to two decimal places.

See full list