Emma Ruth Rundle – Engine of Hell

★★★★

Released on Sargent House Records

After COVID put her professional life into a scramble, Emma Ruth Rundle did what many of us did: spiralled into the dark parts of herself and drank/drugged entirely too much. Unlike most of us, though, she decamped to Wales to process and came out with a stark, highly confessional record that is equal parts Kate Bush and Nick Cave.

Snail Mail – Valentine

★★★★

Released on Matador Records

Raw and emotional, with all the ‘whatever’ stuff from Lush stripped away to make a breakup album that stands alongside the modern day pantheon of indie rockers as opposed to merely playing catch-up.

Bent Knee – Frosting

★★★☆

Released on Take This To Heart Records

Another album that puts hyperpop into its psych-rock calculations, with intriguing results.

Hana Vu – Public Storage

★★★

Released on Ghostly Records

Some decent indie pop gestures on here but comes off too often as derivative of other, bigger artists like Mitski and Florence + The Machine.

Sloppy Jane – Madison

★★★☆

Released on Saddest Factory Records

Her weirdo theatrical piano pop is odd and at times off-kilter, but it’s never boring.

Gnod – La mort du sens

★★★☆

Released on Rocket Records

Slamming noise rock that manages to take Metz-esque near-metal and smash it out of shape even further.

Penelope Isles – Which Way To Happy

★★★

Released on Bella Union Records

Creamy smooth blend of indie pop aesthetics and Seventies-vintage harmonies.

Nation Of Language – A Way Forward

★★★

Released on [PIAS]

Kraftwerk-inspired retro-synth pop that doesn’t do much to evolve beyond those old sounds.

Glassing – Twin Dream

★★★☆

Released on Brutal Panda Records

Decent enough blackgaze that gets over on passages that manage to be crushingly heavy.

Jaala – Gap Tooth

★★★

Released on Heavy Machinery Records

Ramshackle indie pop with a good sense of melody and atmosphere.

Foxx Bodies – Vixen

★★★☆

Released on Kill Rock Stars

Messy punk rock that gets histrionic at times but always manages to ground itself in brutal honesty.

Webbed Wing – What’s So Fucking Funny?

★★★

Released on Memory Music

What’s fucking funny is taking influence from bands like Lit in this the Year of Our Lord 2021.

bliss3three – I’m Gonna Miss You

★★★☆

Released on No Agreements Records

High-flying dream pop shattered with repeated hammer blows and then smeared with vaseline.

Chime School – Chime School

★★★

Released on Slumberland Records

Drawing from the lighter side of C86 (ie Byrds fans), Chime School provides some high energy alongside that old overused descriptor, “jangly.”

Connan Mockasin – Jassbusters Two

★★★

Released on Mexican Summer Records

Ambient guitar stuff with some vocal snatches here and there. File it under music to make pretentious Italian dishes to.

feeble little horse – Hayday

★★★☆

Released on Julia’s War

Lo fi indie rock, the kind the Crutchfield sisters started off on, or like a home recorded type of Hop Along record.

Curtis Harding – If Words Were Flowers

★★★☆

Released on ANTI- Records

Trad soul, to be sure, but it hits hard and brings the heavy emotions without being over-the-top.

Hard Feelings – Hard Feelings

★★★

Released on Domino Records

Affable enough dance music with those old Nineties house vocals.

portrayal of guilt – CHRISTFUCKER

★★★☆

Released on Run For Cover Records

An unrelenting blend of hardcore noise, power electronics, and doom metal that feels like a bloodied and broken nose.

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – The Future

★★★☆

Released on Stax Records

The band continues their winning merger of Motown soul, country-boy rock ‘n’ roll, and slick Rolling Stones moves. It may not be particularly new, but the presentation is fiery and the hooks are barbed.

MØL – Diorama

★★★☆

Released on Nuclear Blast Records

A lethal combination of full-tilt death metal and guitar-heroic rock melodies. That sounds like a working definition of deathcore, but it isn’t. I’m just not totally sold on the singer’s vocals – they screech where they should roar.

Mortiferum – Preserved In Torment

★★★

Released on Profound Lore Records

Meat-and-potatoes death metal, nothing to write home about but also lots to bang your head to.