Category: 1/2/3/4

Katie Malco writes music that sits quietly somewhere between an aching, serene sadness and a hopeful determination. She mourns her past and lays it out on the table for all to see, exposed with twitching nerves. Armed with only an old telecaster that’s seen better days and her magnificent voice, Katie returns with her compelling new album, Failures

Konradsen are the duo of vocalist and pianist Jenny Marie Sabel and multi-instrumentalist Eirik Vildgren. They trace their roots to the far north of Norway, where the black night of winter is backlit by the neon glow of the Northern Lights. It’s a fitting metaphor for the music the pair crafts – tradition meets innovation, while the natural world glimmers overhead.

Affectionately is the project of Californian artist and Jay Som collaborator Zachary Elsasser. The debut album reveals a young songwriter battling with insecurity and self-doubt, and these feelings are poured into ‘i spend most of my time in my room’. This is dreamy, slightly wonky pop music that was amazingly created through GarageBand on a phone with one single microphone. Plus much much more!

Want the best in new music? Join me for 10 cracking new releases that showcase the pleasure of music in these tough times.

Featuring an album I’ve been enjoying in self-isolation – or – as a “Desert Islander” – the Debut album by Anthony Heubel & The High Lonesome Band. Heubel, formerly of the punk band Run Forever (Tiny Engines), has gone country with his latest effort, marking a sea change for his songwriting. The blurb says this is “traditional country music imbued with a punk rock spirit that goes great with an IPA, a plaid shirt, and a sleeve of tattoos!” Can’t argue with it! Plus I pay tribute to John Prine, who in the early ’90s changed my mind about Country Music.

Kim Richey celebrates the 20th anniversary of her album Glimmer with, A Long Way Back: The Songs of Glimmer, featuring new recordings of the songs from Kim’s classic album. It’s allowed the two-time Grammy-nominated Nashville-based artist to reinterpret these songs and give them a fresh, yet timeless sound. Plus much more!

We focus on another amazing young songwriter from Western Australia. Tanaya Harper is one of Perth’s leading ladies of original music. Her insightful lyricism resonates with audiences as she delivers her personal experiences with depression, anxiety and living with bipolar disorder. She’s just released her latest work, Slow Motion Breakup. There’s a lot of fantastic new releases ih this latest episode.

Horse Lords make music for the liberation of mind and body.  The Baltimore quartet’s new album The Common Task showcases their full power and why they are dubbed the Pied Piper of experimental music and radical thought. Brittle, raucous shards lock into tight grooves that will hypnotise. Highly recommended! Plenty of psych, pop and astral folk in this edition.