Owen Maxwell

La Femme — Paradigmes (Biarritz/Paris, France) With a constant sense of quirk and dark pop, La Femme always bring a unique voice to their records. With the theatrics mixing into their dark pop in a more subtle way, they evolve themselves first here rather than trying to change all of pop at [...]

Tune-Yards — Sketchy (Oakland, CA) Tune-Yards have consistently made wonderfully abrasive, yet funky tracks, and it feels even more infectious this time around. Through some more restrained performances however, Tune-Yards shows a power to really harness the might of their sound in interesting [...]

Vallens — In Era (Toronto) As they move further away from the guitar and punk-noise of their fellow Toronto artists, Vallens makes a startling leap on their latest album. Recalling late Bowie, a David Lynch mood, Sade, and some Warpaint here, this album is a dark dive that still drives you [...]

Dishpit — Dipshit (Montreal) For a raw and often kinetic punk rock sound, Dishpit delivers some serious goods with the attitude to push it over the top. With something for fans of Gurr and Dream Wife alike "Plaza People" takes at least five of these hard left turns, whether rhythmic [...]

Genesis Owusu — Smiling with No Teeth (Koforidua, Ghana/Canberra, Australia) For a visceral and often very danceable listen, Genesis Owusu offers you abrasive music with an inescapable catchiness. So many layered productions and a strong sense of how to guide a song forward keeps this album [...]

Brijean -— Feelings (Oakland, CA) While connections to Toro Y Moi give you a fraction of the picture, Brijean's hazy dance-pop is so much more than that. Shimmering harmonies, funky bass and a constant gloss that is soothing yet moving, this duo delivers a standout release of the year. The [...]

Lael Neale — Acquainted with Night (Los Angeles) While we've undoubtedly hit a saturation point with lo-fi music, there's a spare few like Lael Neale that can find a magic in its timbres. By bringing out the raw character in each instrument's minimal scope, Neale is able to harness [...]

Anna B Savage — A Common Truth (London, U.K.) Whether from its emotional content or just the mood it carries in its instrumental bones, Anna B Savages latest release has a feeling that is best described as brutal. With overwhelming sweeps of harmony and a momentum of change, this is a record [...]

Arlo Parks — Collapsed in Sunbeams (London, U.K.) There's something truly transfixing to solo artists that can spin instruments and voices around them like they simply command music to a recording. That magic is flowing in every second of Arlo Parks debut, for songs that expand on their [...]

Madlib — Sound Ancestors (Oxnard, California) After a heavy 2020 supply of records, and the recent passing of frequent collaborator MF Doom, Madlib would've been forgiven for taking a year off. The producer wastes no time however in creating a lush sonic tapestry, rich with tracks that [...]