We missed our April roundup. Sorry, faithful reader. Life got in the way.
Here’s what the team have listened to over the last month.
Tom Burrows – May might have been the month that the music of underground rapper Billy Woods finally clicked with me, with the release of his impressive new record, Golliwog. I’ve long struggled to connect with his dense, offbeat rhyming and lyricism. But the production of this is sublime. It feels like the sound has taken extra precedence on this one, so much so that the producers often get feature credits, like Preservation on the disturbing highlight ‘Waterproof Mascara’ which loops the sound of a woman crying to add extra resonance to a tale of domestic trauma. It’s uncompromising hip hop and I can understand why it has received accolades since its release.
We missed our April roundup so I’ll give a shout out to Music Can Hear Us, the latest by DJ Koze. Koze is one of my favourite electronic artists, and this, his first solo album in 7 years, carries the emotionally resonant hallmarks of his full-length productions. I don’t speak a word of German, so it’s a testament to the music that ‘Der Fall’ and ‘Wie schön du bist’ are two of my favourite songs released so far this year.
And travelling further back, on my internet travels this month I was reading about 2010 blog era rap, and gave a listen to Sit Down Man, by short lived New York outfit Das Racist. It’s pretty much wall-to-wall bangers, with often witty and hilarious bars crammed into its many tracks. I always enjoy discovering something that has existed for all this time just waiting to be heard.
Fran Slater – Forgive me for repeating a recent review, but the best thing I heard in May was definitely Jasmine.4.t. at the Deaf Institute. It was a special gig that blew me away, taking me from casual fan status to slightly obsessed.
That love had already been growing, though, as I relistened to the album in the build up to the show. I liked You Are The Morning as soon as I heard it, but spending some proper time with it has elevated it to one of my favourite LPs of the year so far.
I’ve been a bit behind on new music in recent months, but over the course of May I have spent a lot of time with the recent Self Esteem and Torres and Julien Baker albums. I recommend you listen to both of them. And Jasmine.4.t, too, of course.
James Spearing – Like Fran, I will also be picking a recent review, Ellen Beth Abdi. The album had me captivated almost instantly, and I was lucky enough to find myself at her show just a few days later. The timing was perfect as I was just about ready to write off 2025 as another weak year for new music. EBA was there to start to change my mind.
I’ll throw in another song that caught my attention: ‘Be A Witness’ from Lady Wray. It’s classic soul and so compelling. Another album to look forward to from someone new to me very soon. The summer of 2025 is looking good.
Rick Larson – May was a fantastic month. Lambrini Girls live in a sweat drenched walk-in closet of a club. Black Country, New Road live two nights later in a mesmerizing show. Ah, but for Pavement freaks, the highlight was the release of the loopy Pavements movie.
A documentary, a fake “biopic,” a behind the scenes of a fake biopic, a real Broadway musical, a real but also fake Pavement museum all factor into a lavish tribute to The World’s Most Important and Influential Band (the movie’s words, but I endorse them wholeheartedly.) Pavement had the greatest 5 album run of any band in American rock history (yeah, I said it) and then were done. Now older and wiser (and reuniting periodically), I feel like the band has embraced a new element, joy, that was a bit elusive before. This movie, which is insane, too long, and not long enough, captures that change.
Sam Atkins – It’s always a joy to hear an album from
an artist you’ve liked for years finally deliver on their promise. Miley Cyrus has been on the edge of creating an incredible album for a while now but she’s finally done it. Something Beautiful is strange, chaotic and so, so Miley – featuring highs like ‘Easy Lover’, ‘Walk of Fame’ and ‘Every Girl You’ve Ever Loved’.
She’s finally made the album she was always going to make: a classic rock blend with pop funk and sweeping ballads. I’m obsessed.
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