Three years on since Ultimate Success Today and nothing has been lost between records as Formal Growth In The Desert reinstates the dominance of Detroit’s Protomartyr. Kicking open the doors ‘Make Way’ announces itself defiantly in characteristic fashion. The impassioned yelps from Joe Casey on ‘Elimination Dances’ hints at the place of urgency from which Protomartyr is coming from. Descending further down the spiral, ‘Fun In Hi Skool’ recalls those heavy memories that upon reflection are far from fond. The hot mess of chaotic guitars and drums that Protomartyr corral so effectively as they wrestle their own self-created acoustic beasts particularly stands out on ‘Graft Vs. Host’ and ‘3800 Tigers’. Known for their throttling and irrepressible sounds, Protomartyr’s ability to produce tender and heartfelt tracks is the quality that separates them from other noise acts. Their tendency to round off an album in this way features again on Formal Growth In The Desert as ‘Rain Garden’ deescalates the fever pitch whipped up by Casey and the gang. Across the twelve tracks, the astute social observations, political awareness, and morally just viewport from which their subject matter and lyrics are deprived have put them on the pedestal they deservingly sit upon. And as they dispense their firebrand of garage, post-punk, they do so with a voice that is only gaining in strength and pertinence in a world that they have long railed against as deafeningly forewarned to a mute world.

7 / 10

The wonderfully gifted wordsmith and Skaters frontman Michael Ian Cummings delivers a clever, honest, and observational EP. Requiring hemispheric attention to appreciate both the lyrical craftsmanship and simultaneous musicianship, listening to Oldest Troubles is a dual task and a great problem to have. A gentle escort into Cummings world, ‘Ways To Feel’ with its echoes of steel pedal guitar questions reality. The self-reflective and contemplative ‘Contemporary Me’ threatens to break its shackles as it is constantly on the verge of ripping open and unleashing a tirade of explosive guitar, but Cummings contains it just enough to express his thoughts as a modern man. Tackling life now and life then, ‘Oldest Troubles’ faces head-on the fracturing of youthful ideals and disconnection between past and present. Its string accompaniment creates a noble and quiet dignity to Cummings pensive thoughts. In ‘Suburban Crackhouse Beats’ the medley of guitars jockey for dominance as they oscillate between fuzz and fidelity all whilst Cummings laments a faded relationship. The vast sonic soundscape that ‘Hooray For None’ opens up is a beautiful one as it lights up a sunny place for shady people. Taking a bold step into the unknown, it beckons one to follow, to join in, and to understand. The auditory picture Cummings paints of Oldest Troubles is tangible. Made so by vulnerable storytelling and exquisite pairing of sophisticated musicianship.

8 / 10

Distortion to 11, scuzzy guitars, and disintegrating drum breaks, ‘Freaks’ is the bench setter for Girl with Fish. The record is an amalgamation of noise pop, indie, DIY, and alt-rock and features a little bit of everything scattered throughout. Emphasizing the point, the collision of cowbells, backmasking and fuzzy fx on ‘Tin Man’ takes these disparate elements and with brute force melds them together magnificently. Elevating the hazy and heady guitars that Feeble Little Horse harnesses so effectively to the next level, ‘Steamroller’ maxes out the fuzz as singer-bassist Lydia Slocum muses about footpaths and fucking. Brief and elementary ‘Heaven’ slows the pace down before Slocum’s vocals turn electric and fizzle out. Shifting gear, the wobbly and upbeat ‘Paces’ plods progressively as it marches to its own beat. Echoes of My Bloody Valentine’s ‘Loveless’ radiate off ‘Sweet’ with clear parallels to the genre-defining band which guitarists Ryan Walchonski and Sebastian Kinsler take hefty helpings of. The acoustic plucking and arcade parlour undertones of ‘Slide’ gives way to ear-melting heavy reverb in another show of shoegaze strength. The jumbled-up ‘Healing’ is a fairy tale mish-mash of tinkering toy instruments and random thoughts. Spilling over into ‘Pocket’ the flickering vocals of Slocum and the clunky repetition of its namesake bleeds into a distorted and disorientating climax. Reminiscent in more ways than one, ‘Station’ has the atmospheric touch of playing back an old film as the antique reel faulters and crackles. This translates seamlessly with the lyrical reflection Slocum ponders over. Rounding out the album ‘Heavy Water’ is a microcosm of the record itself as it features so many of the elements that comprise the wider piece. For an album that the Pittsburgh natives were never set to make, Girl with Fish is a welcome edition and hopefully not their last.

7 / 10

Right from the eloquent opener, the album is a tender and beautiful body of work. Purely instrumental and specifically piano, Weird Time Signature is simply gorgeous. Each track allows one’s mind to be gently opened and allowed to lightly explore in any given direction. As if caught in an unexpected rain shower, ‘Tachypsychia’ feels like a soft sonic shower coating the senses. A meandering and quiet piece, ‘Emergence’ takes its time in reaching its conclusion. The track breaks into a brief stride before, resting and continuing its own journey. In a similar vein ‘Reminiscence’ continues down the path that Cohen is laying down. Each track brings us closer to Cohen’s inner workings as he extends a welcoming hand. ‘Tongariro’ ushers us further into the ethereal as it wafts effortlessly around the cerebral and dances delicately before it fades into ‘Daybreak’. The faltering start of ‘Microgravity’ creates an anticipation of what will unfold and where Cohen intends on taking the track and for that matter the mood. Unfurling ever so slowly, it faintly releases its inner harmonies with the lightest of touches. Much as the name suggests, ‘Flicker’ begins with steady caresses. Each key is struck with a pulsating rhythm that bleeds into one another. The culmination of the record takes the form of ‘Fifths 2.0’ as it is the summation of each preceding track. Uniting all aspects of the album and Cohen’s approach to carving out his signature sound. The tune holds in balance a sense of light and dark which remains in a state of flux. Rounding out the record is the self-titled ‘Weird Time Signature’. As long and winding as the start of the album, the sonic excursion that Cohen has taken the listener on throughout the record feels that it is completing the loop from whence it began. Technically exquisite and compositionally magnificent, the way in which Cohen can coax emotive sensations with his deft touch is simply magical.

8 / 10

Building on their Expectations and Tanning Beds EP’s, the Oakland post-punk trio finally deliver their debut record. The metronome ‘Forget That It’s Summer’ oscillates back and forth with its precise bass and lyrical rhythm. The opening track and the album’s longest. Once you are in the groove and on board with their sound, the rest of the journey is filled with young blood and firepower as they explore themes of anxiety and helplessness. Lighting quick fretwork makes ‘Gate’ a speedy and wide-eyed track. Held steady by solid basslines, the track moves energetically as if ready to break its confines at any minute. With a Jangling Fender, steady percussion, and a more expansive vocal range, there is a real Guided By Voices feel to the jammed-packed ‘Time Is Calling’. Slower but ‘Angela’ begins with barely a second’s pause between tracks. The speed ball-like sequence of tracks on Dressing doesn’t allow much time for appreciating and savouring each song as they roll along so quickly however it makes repeat listening to the album an enticing prospect. The barrelling thick basslines of ‘Superminds’ sets the tone for parroting vocals and punchy guitar licks. The same steady thump continues for ‘Hollow Ego’ and draws attention to how fundamental bass is to the Low Praise signature sound. Always a refreshing approach to pull forward instruments that are generally recessive and not employed to their full capabilities. This most certainly can not be said for the tracks throughout Dressing and parallels to Protomartyr and The Walkmen are very deserving. The bent sounds of ‘No Way’ flex to the will of Chris and Warren’s vocals as it melds into the final track ‘Entertainment. A slowed-down pace and a gentle lowering of pace that has preceded everything that has come before it.

8 / 10

The most gentile of openers, ‘City Baby’ is Jonathan Bree opening a music box. As the pins on the rotating metal cylinder are plucked by a metal comb, strings waft in to aid Bree’s crooning as he describes a girl in the city. The soft eighties disco vibes of ‘Pre-Code Hollywood’ typify the style of the album, setting the tone for the whole record. Featuring the legendary Nile Rodgers, Bree managers to attract some quality contributors across the album. Firing up the 808, ‘When We Met’ channels the drum machine and high synth sounds to great effect. The pure pop ‘Miss You’ is a sugary sweet delight conjuring all manner of delusional eighties joy that feels best placed in a cheesy film of the time but pays a nostalgic tribute to an era that fascinates so many. On more of a sobering note ‘We’ll All Be Forgotten’ steps down a notch and although still largely a synth track, the addition of acoustic and guitars puts some distance between kitsch and pastiche. Taking a softer approach ‘Epicurean’ revisits Bree’s music box but with harmonic vocals and flickering beats. The electronic ‘Politics’ fuses Bree’s deeper vocals perfectly with a seesawing synth and drum machine. Extending that feeling and entering the darker realms reminiscent of Drab Majesty, ‘You Are The Man’ slides effortlessly into a more cynical territory. Bree’s drawn-out and exaggerated deep vocals only accentuate the pessimistic sentiment further. ‘Destiny’ tracks like that of an arcade game, entering a world of computer-aided fun as it merges seamlessly into the closing track ‘Steel and Glass’. The gravelly vocals of Bree suit the cold city he attempts to describe. Faint echoes of sirens are interspersed with a sonic fluttering of crystalline synths. What the album lacks in diversity, it makes up for in consistency. A conduit between sounds of old and a fresh take on an established scene, Bree successfully joins the two through his signature style.

6 / 10

Rising to prominence as an original member of Melbourne’s indie darlings Underground Lovers, Philippa Nihill stepped out on her own many years ago, carving out a name for herself. Releasing multiple solo records whilst still retaining her Underground Lovers duties, Nihill again delivers another album and in 2023 has given us ‘Find Her Way’. Something of a catalyst for the album was Nihill rediscovering her old family piano and that is immediately evident by the opener ‘Superceder’. An exceptional vocalist Nihill has always been but in ‘Big Song’ and ‘Glisten’, there is more of a stately feel. Confident and sure in her delivery and musical accompaniment, her stature only continues to grow. The pop delight ‘Light Dream’ is a simple track hop, skipping and bounding along, the lightness of the tune echoes it’s namesake. Floating strings and flute are the basis of ‘Love Song for Sierra Nevada’ as it gently takes flight and wafts passively whilst Nihill takes a memorable journey. Why ‘Getaway’ was chosen as the single for the album becomes easy to see when hearing the piano and Nihill’s oscillating vocals. The sonic waves she creates mirror the waves she describes riding in the lyrics as this beautiful tune meanders effortlessly and achingly along. The piano heavy tracks of ‘Endless’ ‘The Stars Can Come Too Again’ and ‘Sunrise’ showcase Nihill as she was as much as she is now. There is a classic feel to each of these tracks but with a true sense of age and wisdom that are imbued in the very depths of the subject matter she explores. A testament to Nihill’s ongoing sonic pursuits, this album dutifully adds to her rich back catalogue and lays another stone on her long and successful solo path.

6.5 / 10

We Know The Sky is like a lullaby. Sweet, gentle, and embracing but do not be fooled into believing that belying all of Susannah Cutler’s tender melodies and sugary sounds that heavy topics are not being explored. In fact, the subtle and easy approach of the album is by far and away its greatest asset. So easy is it to feel a separation between artist and listener at times, that with We Know The Sky there is nothing of the sort. The welcoming nature of the album and affectionate delivery of each track not only makes the subject matter digestible but thoroughly enjoyable. A gem of an album that will bury its way into your heart and provide refuge when it is needed.

6.5 / 10

A refrained opener, ‘It Comes Closer’ offers a tantalizing taste of what the Boston trio has to offer on what is their eighth studio album. Slow, ghostly, and cavernous, the track moves gently as the record unfurls into ‘Loops’. Held steady by the rhythmic drumming of Kris Kuss and stern vocals of Rick Maguire, the track staggers between fever and fatigue. Side-stepping into the disorientating, ‘Gardening Hours’ takes a free-form approach as it wavers between structure and sheer experimentation. Occasionally rained in but generally allowed to roam, the track is very much the essence of the record. A hybrid tune, ‘Link Arms’ fuses a meandering low-slung baseline and bolts a string section to it whilst both disparate elements are held in place by Maguire’s vocals as he wrestles with the ebb and flow of each. The soul-searching ‘Blood’ quietly asks itself questions that can neither be fully understood nor answered. In relative terms, the brevity of ‘Lowered Rainbow’ is made up for by its complex layering and sonic cross thatch that is as intricate as it is delicate. Whilst being the shortest track on the album, it perhaps deserves the leading role as All Ficton’s central figure. The summation of Pile in full flight. The imperceptible intro to ‘Forgetting’ escalates slowly but is a background track more than anything particularly noteworthy yet ‘Poisons’ begins with a crash and boom. Cymbals and stands clang as the peaking drum and guitars swell around Maguire’s vocals. Like an auditory circle pit, it is the focal point of Maguire that everything else jostles around, mashing and bashing together. The marching beat of ‘Nude with a Suitcase’ takes a disintegrated sound and blends it with an organ as it provides a rigidity that Maguire strays from throughout. As it escalates with chunky guitar strokes it simultaneously is rained upon with the most gentle of reverb. Yet again another exquisite balancing act that Pile maintains as they continue to walk a tightrope of free form, avant garde, and rock ballad. As if escorted from the mind and world of Pile, ‘Neon Gray’ takes a positive exist to All Ficton. The soft touch, strings and eventual fade out is a delicate outro and one that already leaves you wanting more.

6.5 / 10

A powerful EP with its substance far deeper than what its four tracks belie. Each tune could be the basis for an entire album. The stylistic and atmospheric culmination of each song could be broken down into its constituent parts and reassembled in full to produce whole works of art. The opener ‘Death day (Sing To Me)’ gently nudges the door open into the world of First Day of Spring. A flickering beat accompanied by slow horns and keys paves the way for an atmospheric build. Stopping abruptly, the immediate commencement resumes with a light overlay of ghostly vocals before the track comes to a resounding end. The call and response, male and female commentary at the start of ‘Moon Boy’ which features snippets of the Charles Baudelaire poem ‘Be Drunk, gives way to soothing strings that are punctuated with sharp highlights. Paired with soft textures, a richness of both electronica and reverb blend effortlessly with the strings. The nursery rhythm xylophone of ‘Normal Person (Love You Forever)’ is met with a fuzz that is more of a fizzle. That fade of a relationship and a parting of ways. Perhaps as brief as the relationship, the track is short but resonates with one simple message, love you forever. On the other hand, ‘Operation’ bolts out of the gates and merges all aspects of electronica, synth and guitar into a strong fusion. Confident and flowing, the track exponentially builds with keys as the vocals keep pace in this fast-moving track.

6 / 10

Traversing the stylistic globe, Breanna Barbara amalgamates genres, scrambles them and fashions something entirely new. The opening two tracks Diamond Light and Landslide take in everything from surfer psych-rock through to fuzzed-out synth disco. Nothin But Time is the title track and one that embodies the essence of the whole album. Written as a love letter to New York City, her ode to the Big Apple is adorned with lyrical iconography and stands tall amongst a collection of tracks that each in their own way are big tunes. The galloping pace of songs such as Rise are tempered with gentile and tender tunes like Old Soul. An exquisite follow-up to her debut Mirage Dreams and as sophomore records go one of the finest to grace our turntable in years.

8 / 10

Melbourne artist Elizabeth Drummond steps out on her own after the success but the ultimate end of her initial outfit Little May. The plucky opener of ‘Crisis’ kicks off with a basic Casio drumbeat and narrative lyrism. Accompanied by steady guitar, the track sets the tone for the rest of the EP and what is within Drummonds bag of music tricks. The imploding fuzzed-out sounds of ‘Congratulations’ with its seething lyrics showcases Elizabeth’s sonic strengths. Bruised and brooding it highlights just what one woman, a guitar, and a bitter memory can conjure with spitting precision. The delicate opening of ‘Underground’ is tender in its delivery. Fused with minimal electronica and open chords, the angelic vocals of Drummond have their chance to shine. Subdued and simple, the folk stylings of ‘Bullet’ is a gentle ode. Aided by heartfelt cello and slide guitar, the countryana track is a beautiful and honest piece. Mixing some minimal beats and blending more of a traditional pop song, ‘I Lied’ stays true to Drummond’s naive approach following a simplistic but authentic style. Rounding off the EP, ‘Love My Way’ the Psychedelic Furs cover retains the essential eighties feel but paired right back, its solitary nature matches perfectly with Drummonds aesthetic.

6 / 10

It may only be a paltry three-track EP but what Ora Cogan lacks in quantity is well and truly made up by the quality of each tune. As we have come to expect with all her work, the compositional finesse and exquisite layering of each instrument with harmonious precision is a beauty to behold. The self-titled ‘Dyed’ is a perfect case in point. A Middle Eastern-flavoured guitar lick permeates throughout with a hypnotic and attention-focusing clarity. Ora’s angelic vocals glide over the rhythmic clicking that holds the track true and steady as descending synth’s float downward. Covering PJ Harvey’s ‘To Bring You My Love’, the vacant space that Ora creates is remarkable when considering the original and how she strips it bare. Like a lost soul wandering an ancient desert, as covers go, Ora has delivered a beautiful and timeless tribute to such an esteemed artist. Amongst the hiss and static ‘Diver’ emerges from a sonic shroud. A backbone of distortion and minimal guitar becomes bathed in aural warmth as it washes over Ora’s vocals before ultimately drowning out everything to the exclusion of the solitary guitar.

6 / 10

Achingly beautiful, deep, soulful, and elemental. The ease at which Samana takes your soul on a spiritual journey is frightening. An immersive album that lifts off immediately and meanders delicately through ten atmospheric tracks. It traverses the ebbs and flows of time and emotion before gently arriving at his destination and letting the listener depart having had a rich and soulful experience imparted upon them. Basic in its construction, therein lies the skill and subtlety of the record. Consisting simply of vocals, electric and acoustic guitar along with occasional strings, the mood the duo of Rebecca Rose and Franklin Mocket create is striking. One does not even need to listen to the lyrics or burden themselves with the sentiments being expressed throughout the album, it is simply a sonic and solitary experience just listening to the harmonious and exquisite synchronicity of Rose and Franklin echoing one another. This album could have been produced one hundred years ago or one hundred years from now, it is ageless and a touching piece of work that elevates the listener to a greater place, a greater sense of it all and asks for nothing but offers so much. A remarkable record.

8 / 10