The Highlights:

Jenny Hval – Classic Objects

★★★☆

Released on 4AD

Lighter, both in terms of weight and vision, than the previous stormy works Hval has turned out. Fans of last year’s Lost Girls project will have a lot to compare and contrast, as it now seems like a marker of the direction her sound was evolving towards.

Fly Anakin – Frank

★★★★

Released on Lex

Hazy, trippy production is the rule here, and it allows Fly Anakin to play with the barrier between the sound and the word, spilling his lines everywhere and making you hustle to catch up.

Bodega – Broken Equipment

★★★☆

Released on What’s Your Rapture?

A New York punk band that goes off in interesting stylistic directions and generally seems to have a blast exploring themselves and their reactions to the world. There is a deep imbalance with regard to their singers: Nikki Belfiglio needs to happen more, Ben Hoxie less.

Elzhi & Georgia Anne Muldrow – Zhigeist

★★★☆

Released on Nature Records

The former Slum Village member and Detroit elder head still holds his own with solid lines, showing further proof that for a lot of MCs these days, being over 40 is no barrier to being good.

Disassembler – A Wave From A Shore

★★★★

Released on Western Vinyl

Ambient drone work paired with mournful violin loops, put together Postal Service-style and seemingly tailor-made to soundtrack the uncertainty of this moment right now.

Ex-Pilots – Findlay

★★★☆

A collection of demos and lost artifacts from Pittsburgh noise-poppers Barlow that manages to hold its own against the bands later releases, mainly because a lot of it sounds like 4-track Dayton-era GBV.

The Rest:

Alex Cameron – Oxy Music ★★ (Secretly Canadian)

Widowspeak – The Jacket ★★★☆ (Captured Tracks)

Drug Church – Hygeine ★★★ (Pure Noise)

Rex Orange County – Who Cares? ★★★ (Sony)

Messa – Close ★★★ (Svart)

Ho99o9 – Skin ★★☆ (DTA)

Young Guv – Guv III ★★★☆ (Run For Cover)

Basically Nancy – Basically Nancy ★★★☆ (Graveface)

Hot Flash Heat Wave – Sportswear ★★★

Cookin Soul & Lord Apex – Off The Strength ★★★ (Cookin Soul Records)

Maneka – Dark Matters ★★★ (Skeletal Lightning)

Star Party – Meadow Flower ★★★☆ (Feel It)

Glacier Veins – Lunar Reflection ★★☆ (Equal Vision)

Lack The Low – God Carrier ★★★ (Art As Catharsis)

The Mysterines – Reeling ★★☆ (Universal)

The Boo Radleys – Keep On With Falling ★★☆ (Boostr)

May Leitz – May Leitz’s Nightmares ★★★ (Mayby Records)

Kee Avil – Crease ★★★☆ (Constellation Records)

Boyo – Echoes Like Memories ★★★ (Park The Van)

Bolywool – Dead Reckoning ★★★ (VARO)

Apollo Ghosts – Pink Tiger ★★★ (You’ve Changed)

Jameszoo – Blind ★★☆ (Brainfeeder)