Things are supposed to slow down for the summer. That’s why every artist with a record ready to go has been spaffing them out before July came around. So while the next six weeks may spend more of its time concerned with the fields and festival fun than new records, it means we’ve got a whole load of must listen releases to catch up on from June 2018.
Obviously, you don’t want to miss the best ones, so here are our tip top recommendations from last month. You can find more in our album reviews section, here, or listen to the full thing as a Spotify playlist here.
Enjoy!
SOPHIE OIL OF EVERY PEARL’S UN-INSIDES
What we said: “The best pop is all about emotions. Emotions that attack your heart and soul and disturb your very equilibrium. Emotions that bend your mind and move your body. Emotions that you can’t describe but know that they make you feel something quite special. Right now, nobody quite messes with those emotions like SOPHIE.”
Read the full review
Let’s Eat Grandma I’m All Ears
What we said: “In a world packed with old, boring men pushing old, boring ideas, it’s hard not to frame Let’s Eat Grandma as an antidote. In truth, forcing them into a comparison with such mundane drudgery does them a disservice. ‘I’m All Ears’ isn’t an answer to a broken system – it’s a new set of no-rules to replace all establishment norms. Fuck expectation. Be yourself. Do what you want. It’s the future.”
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Petal Magic Gone
What we said: “Following a successful run of tours with the likes of Kevin Devine and Julien Baker, Petal returns with ‘Magic Gone’, ten tracks of assured songwriting and emotional depth. On her second album, having come out the other side of treatment for mental health issues, Petal’s Kiley Lotz is finding catharsis and clarity in her music. From the punky fuzz of ‘Better than You’ that opens the album to the closing strains of the ambitious ‘Stardust’, ‘Magic Gone’ builds strength and resolve from the most vulnerable moments.”
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Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Hope Downs
What we said: “Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are not to be messed with. Never has a band sounded more in control over the sounds they’re creating and the effortless ease in which they do it than these Australians – it was something first glimpsed on second EP ‘The French Press’ last year and ever since, they’ve been an ever-enduring sigh of quality. It continues onto their debut album proper ‘Hope Downs’, a sun-drenched time capsule of tight guitars and reassuring melodies that provide the perfect soundtrack for the summer about to grace our eyes.”
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Snail Mail Lush
What we said: “The ‘coming-of-age’ debut is a trope tried and tested through indie history, but it takes a special sort of soul to get it exactly right. With her head in the stars but her feet very much on the ground, Lindsey Jordan makes an early play for record of the year with her first full-length as Snail Mail.”
Read the full review.
Boy Azooga 1, 2, King Fu
What we said: “Boy Azooga aren’t just the happy go lucky charmers, but a deeply layered and dynamic band revelling in creating their own world and slowly revealing it to everyone peaking in. With the debut album, they’ve created a record that begs to be poured over, played again and again whilst gazing up at the stars. No boundaries and no settling, it could very well be one of the most stylish and heartwarming albums of the year – and above all else, is the sound of a band only just getting started. Classic sums it up pretty bloody well.”
Read the full review
Lily Allen No Shame
What we said: “After trying to be the loud, proud, social commentator people said they wanted on ‘Sheezus’, ‘No Shame’ is Lily being herself, for herself. And there’s nothing more powerful. “Don’t let anyone tell you who you are, or who you can or can’t become,” sings the closing track. “I can’t see any reason why you can’t have your cake and eat it,” Lily grins celebrating small victories, vulnerability, resistance and no shame.”
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Lykke Li so sad so sexy
What we said: “When artists move blatantly into new terrains, it can be a brave move. For Lykke Li, it’s one that comes out smelling of roses – an album that blossoms every listen. ‘so sad so sexy’ is a full-length that, when lived with, could become the record that captures someone’s year – a stunning playing card for a new era Lykke Li has effortlessly breathed into life.”
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Father John Misty God’s Favorite Customer
What we said: “Only a year after taking a long hard look at human nature in his ‘Pure Comedy’, the mirror is turned back inwards, and while Father John Misty watches love fall apart, he still manages to make something utterly beautiful out of it. ‘God’s Favorite Customer’ is the dark side to ‘Honeybear’ and the distance between the mask and the Josh Tillman underneath is closer than ever.”
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Natalie Prass The Future And The Past
What we said: “The songs contained here are immaculately detailed and display the fine musical tapestry that goes into Prass’ work. There’s added teeth though inspired by the shock election of Donald Trump in 2016 that prompted her to change course and deliver something looking deeply into her emotional psyche and how we can respond positively to such shocking upheaval. As she sings the powerful hook of “We can take you on”, on stirring album highlight ‘Hot In The Mountain’, it’s clear Natalie Prass is ready for the fight, but she’s going to do it her own sweet way and shine a little light at the same time.”
Read the full review
Boy Azooga 1, 2, King Fu
What we said: “Boy Azooga aren’t just the happy go lucky charmers, but a deeply layered and dynamic band revelling in creating their own world and slowly revealing it to everyone peaking in. With the debut album, they’ve created a record that begs to be poured over, played again and again whilst gazing up at the stars. No boundaries and no settling, it could very well be one of the most stylish and heartwarming albums of the year – and above all else, is the sound of a band only just getting started. Classic sums it up pretty bloody well.”
Read the full review
