FLOOD

On the follow-up to his 2021 debut, Dijon Duenas lays glitchy, psychedelic textures atop his familiar alt-R&B sound to evoke a fractured internet-like aesthetic that’s often mesmerizing.

After 15 years of writing and developing verses, the Dreamville rapper has become a master of the form on his fourth album as he finds resolution and comes to recognize his purpose.

Released for the first time on vinyl, the Austin drone duo’s dark, raw debut elicits awe, wonder, and terror all at once as it confronts listeners with the darker aspects of existence.

Will Anderson’s debut with a full band exhibits his fondness for crunchy shoegaze while incorporating a stripped-down, folk-referencing sound tinged with melancholic guitar.

The product of a fractured personal and professional relationship, the UK rapper’s sixth album feels like an unexpected new growth blooming on the same familiar plant.

The London-via-Singapore alt-pop songwriter continues to experiment on their fifth album, with the heaviest and weirdest moments also feeling the most authentic and energizing.

The tension between the bright, post-punk guitars and the darker aspects of the psyche expressed in the lyrics create something new and interesting for the LA trio’s third LP.

On their second album, the Toronto band taps into the fury of their post-punk forebears with a polished set of psychological insights that feel angry in all the right ways.

Compelling yet uneven, the strongest compositions on the Phoenix shoegazers’ sophomore EP are often also the most experimental.

The Southeast LA band takes bold risks on their sophomore LP, blending Latin soul, Motown blues, psychedelic rock, bolero, and just a bit of their punk roots with a vintage production sheen.

The NYC-based rapper’s ninth solo album toes the line between lo-fi, soul, jazz, and ambient electronics, adding a newfound sense of resolve to the grief explored on recent release.

Reissued in honor of its complementary anime film’s 20th anniversary, the French house duo’s breakout LP feels like a time capsule for a brief period of pre-9/11 optimism.

The Lowertown member’s second melancholic solo record feels more polished and cohesive than her previous output, yet emanates the energy of a beautifully sculpted demo tape.

Refitting the yacht rock and Laurel Canyon sounds of the ’70s and ’90s country for the modern bedroom-pop era, the songwriter’s willingness to experiment keeps her fourth LP interesting.

The outfit’s third LP feels like a spiritual twin to Wall of Eyes, improving upon that record’s cohesion as well as its prog-influenced songwriting, cinematic strings, and pleasing rhythms.

Ahead of the release of their third LP Boys These Days in February, the London-based band talks UK tabloids, inauthenticity, and the torment of the seven-out-of-10 album review.

Hannah van Loon’s latest EP is heavier and more melodic than last year’s GIZMO album as it builds and releases tension in exciting ways.

This newly remastered 1986 collaboration remains an enigmatic work more ethereal than any other project released by the Scottish trio, transformed as it is by the ambient composer’s lush use of reverb.

The textures, tones, and pacing feel more polished on Brijean Murphy and Doug Stuart’s second LP as the duo captures the beautiful yet terrifying ambivalence of life.

Between its engrossing syncopated beats, exciting features, and unconventional loops, the hip-house artist’s long-anticipated debut is the perfect summer album.