The Highlights:

Nilüfer Yanya – Painless

★★★★

Released on ATO Records

Having played with a little bit of everything on her 2019 debut, Yanya takes the opportunity on her sophomore album to filter her sound down to a certain tough electric core that summons the unquiet ghosts of early P4Kcore circa 2003 (that’s Radiohead and Grandaddy, for those keeping score at home).

Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul – Topical Dancer

★★★★

Released on Deewee Records

Funny, righteous, and relentlessly moving electropop from Belgium. It’s not subtle, at all. If you don’t immediately grasp the takedown, maybe do some soul searching. Of course, the meta bit is that you don’t need to be subtle when the beat is pounding you like it does on this record.

Drug Couple – Stoned Weekend

★★★☆

Released on PaperCup Music

The name is stupid and the “weed culture” vibe will irritate the professionally irritatable, but they keep unleashing these elastic low-key Dinosaur Jr. jams and I find myself being a forgiving person.

The Rest:

The Weather Station – How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars ★★★☆ (Fat Possum)

Band Of Horses – Things Are Great ★★★ (BMG)

CMAT – If My Wife Knew I’d Be Dead ★★★ (AWAL)

Peach Pit – From 2 to 3 ★★★ (Columbia)

Lana Li – Duality ★★★ (AWAL)

Cloud Cult – Metamorphosis ★★☆ (Earthology)

Bob Moses – The Silence In Between ★★★☆ (Astralwerks)

Wah Together – Wah Together ★★★☆ (Dedstrange)

Guided By Voices – Crystal Nuns Cathedral ★★★☆ (Guided By Voices)

Eades – Delusion Spree ★★★ (Heist Or Hit)

Ditz – The Great Regression ★★★ (Alcopop!)

El Ten Eleven – New Year’s Eve ★★★ (Joyful Noise)

Maylee Todd – Maloo ★★★ (Stones Throw)

Kaina – It Was A Home ★★★☆ (City Slang)

Cryosauna – Teleport ★★★☆ (No Agreements)

System Exclusive – System Exclusive ★★★☆ (Castle Face)

Ceramic Animal – Sweet Unknown ★★★ (Easy Eye)

Roy Montgomery – Audiotherapy ★★★☆ (Ba Da Bing!)

Diplo – Diplo ★★★☆ (Higher Ground)

Fieh – In The Sun In The Rain ★★★ (Jansen)

Bodega Bamz – Vivir… ★★★☆ (100 Keep It)

RZA & DJ Scratch – Saturday Afternoon Kung Fu Theater ★★★ (36 Chambers/MNRK Records)