Beach House – Depression Cherry (Bella Union)
Why you should listen: The dreampop duo sound as wistful as ever, scaling their hazy keys and tick-tock drums back down to pre-Bloom levels.
It might not be for you if … You find that every song melts into the next, in an indistinguishable pool of whispery, 80s-inspired indie.
What we said: “By paring down the drums and allowing themselves to play more quietly, the Baltimore duo somehow increase their impressive ability to sound like they’re whispering each song directly into your eardrum,” wrote Tim Jonze in the Guardian. Kitty Empire gave the album three stars in last week’s Observer.
Score: 4/5
Lindi Ortega – Faded Gloryville (Last Gang Records)
Why you should listen: Ortega continues to make warm, languid Americana, filling this fourth album with the essence of Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton.
It might not be for you if … You’re not often one for Americana, if where you’re from, it’s often too grim and grey for that sun-dappled nonsense.
What we said: “Faded Gloryville is steeped in mid-20th century southern Americana, thanks in part to John Paul White, formerly of the Civil Wars, and the Alabama Shakes’ keyboard player Ben Tanner, who take a share in writing … and production,” wrote Jon Dennis, in the Guardian.
Score: 4/5
Motörhead – Bad Magic (UDR)
Why you should listen: Twenty-two albums in, the legendary rock band are still going – perhaps now that Lemmy has switched his drink of choice from Jack Daniels and coke to the dubiously healthier vodka orange – and sounding as ferocious as ever.
It might not be for you if … You think that Lemmy’s singing voice sounds like someone who’s had a tooth pulled minutes before stumbling into a recording studio.
What we said: “Sounding more like a turbocharged punk band than at any time since their early 80s heyday, Lemmy (who turns 70 on Christmas Eve) and his gnarly comrades tear into short, sharp bursts of incendiary rock’n’roll like Victory or Die, Electricity and Tell Me Who to Kill with the venomous abandon of delinquent teenagers,” wrote Dom Lawson in the Guardian.
Score: 4/5
Yo La Tengo – Stuff Like That There (Matador)
Why you should listen: Bandmates Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew reunite with former member Dave Schramm on an album of the gauzy, lo-fi indie that’s been the band’s calling card for decades.
It might not be for you if … You prefer Yo La Tengo when they’ve got drums clattering, feedback screeching out of amps and guitars squealing.
What we said: “Like 1990’s Fakebook, [Stuff Like That There] mixes stripped-down versions of their own songs with obscure covers”, wrote Michael Hann in the Guardian. Ben Thompson also gave the album a four-star review in the Observer.
Score: 4/5
The Weeknd – Beauty Behind the Madness (Island/Universal)
Why you should listen: The Weeknd’s Abel Tsefaye hasn’t yet tired of songs about drugs and sex, filling this second major label album outing with more of his soft-voiced crooning over lyrics that teeter dangerously close to self-parody.
It might not be for you if … You’ve never found the Weeknd’s brand of cocaine-addled sex boasts particularly interesting.
What we said: “The killer first half of Beauty Behind the Madness takes the Weeknd’s cold, aestheticised amorality to new musical heights, alloyed now to properly dramatic digitals and nagging hooks,” wrote Kitty Empire in the Observer.
Score: 3/5
This week also sees new releases from Oxford indie boys Foals, dance trio Nero and scuzzy guitar four-piece Hooton Tennis Club. What will you be listening to?
