Album Reviews

Young Fathers – ‘Heavy Heavy’ review: anthemic, boundary-breaking pop

The versatile Edinburgh trio continue their strong run of form with a passionate, soulful and often mesmerising work

RAYE – ‘My 21st Century Blues’ review: a triumphant, hard-fought debut

Several years in the making, the London singer/songwriter's debut LP is bold, brilliant and unapologetically her own

Epik High – ‘Strawberry’ review: an irreverent, bite-sized beginning to a new chapter

Assisted by Jackson Wang and Hwasa, the hip-hop trio close a door on the first 20 years of their career with a charming, cutting EP

Tomorrow X Together – ‘The Name Chapter: Temptation’ review: supreme storytellers indulge fantasies of Neverland

Taking inspiration from J.M. Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’, the K-pop boyband toy with never growing up – but their music continues to mature

SG Lewis – ‘AudioLust & HigherLove’ review: a stadium-sized dance party

A turbo-charged second album is more ambitious than anything the producer and songwriter has made before

Sam Smith – ‘Gloria’ review: the most vital work of their career

Following a smash-hit Number One single, 'Gloria' comes with considerable expectations – and exceeds them all

Samia – ‘Honey’ review: astute reflections on mid-20s malaise

“Can I tell you something? I’ve never felt so unworthy of loving,” Samia mournfully sings to introduce us to her second album ‘Honey’, a...

Popcaan – ‘Great Is He’ review: dancehall star subtly pushes the envelope

15 years down the line, Popcaan still brings an element of star power amidst small gains on his fifth record

Ava Max – ‘Diamonds & Dancefloors’ review: unashamedly derivative sad-pop bangers

A streamlined, shiny approach to dancefloor heartbreak largely serves the Albanian well in her pursuit of mainstream notoriety

Låpsley – ‘Cautionary Tales of Youth’ review: multi-layered pop storytelling

“I’m in the riptide, swimming against my own life/in the nighttime I’m fighting for the daylight,” sings Låpsley on the elegant yet searingly honest...