Gerstein/Mantashyan/Skanavi/Adès (Platoon, two CDs) Claude Debussy’s piano music written in the last few years of his life interspersed with works by ethnomusicologist and composer Komitas Vardapet Continue reading...
(Anti-) The American multi-instrumentalist combines a wide range of Black musical traditions on her beautifully crafted fifth solo album Continue reading...
(Impulse!) British jazz star Shabaka Hutchings drops the sax for reeds and flutes on an album exploring fear, courage and the power of breathwork Continue reading...
(Analog Africa) This sparkling time capsule of Congolese rumba from 1969 to 1982 features homegrown melody and soul with James Brown’s electrifying funk influence Continue reading...
(Bison) Powered by Jessica Hickie-Kallenbach’s astonishing singing, the British trio explore Dilla-time funkiness and math-rock detail Continue reading...
(ACT) Harmonica star Maret and pianist/composer Collin pay homage to Ennio Morricone with drifting church-echo and trancelike sounds Continue reading...
(Columbia) Fresh from a support slot on Taylor Swift’s Era tour, the Norwegian singer-songwriter pivots from lo-fi indie to full-blown widescreen pop Continue reading...
Faust/Melnikov/Faust/Symphonieorchester des Bayerische Rundfunks/Hrůša (Harmonia Mundi) Violinist Isabelle Faust, violist Boris Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov honour Britten’s exuberant works with vigour and determination Continue...
(HIJINXX/Island) The Bradford producer confidently tethers her breakbeats to a pounding four-to-the-floor kick drum – which would have been unheard of in the 90s – on a pop-facing, innovative record Continue reading...
(PLZ Make It Ruins) An engaging, 90s trip-hop-inspired turn from the English producer combines fractured storytelling and long instrumental passages Continue reading...
(Dead Oceans) The trio return to their relaxed, mid-tempo origins with 12 tracks spanning sunkissed bliss to humid funk and ballads Continue reading...
(Parkwood/Columbia) The Texan superstar’s eighth album is a thrilling 27-track journey through and beyond America’s roots music, and it feels like a genuine feast Continue reading...
(Hidden Notes) This spirited adventure in the avant garde is as experimental as it is accessible, delving into hot-blooded Sirba and Transylvanian epics Continue reading...
(Nonesuch) A diffusion of the band’s hallmark earwormy blues feels somewhat lightweight, albeit with splashes of classy experimentation Continue reading...
BBCSSO/Dausgaard (Onyx) Bartók revised his ‘pantomime ballet’ many times; the BBC Scottish Symphony orchestra’s new disc is the first ever recording of its final version Continue reading...
(XL) The musician’s long-gestating debut album melds killer tunes to grimy distortion and the scuffed gloss of Jam and Lewis-era Janet Jackson, and marks the flowering of an original pop voice Continue reading...