Albums Of The Month: April '20
The month in which bolt cutters were fetched...
If March was, as many put it, the longest month in human history, then April seemed to fly past.
Perhaps the New Normal has really settled into place, or perhaps it was our collective spirit doing its best to block out the negativity - whatever it was, April certainly seemed to rush past at light-speed.
The music world refused to slow down, however, and granted us with a few future classics - here's our run down of April's finest releases...
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*The Strokes - The New Abnormal* // *REVIEW*
"Boisterous, bright and brilliant, the world’s favourite rock ‘n’ roll band shine, sounding better than they have for years. Intimate, outward-looking and probing, it’s an illustrious effort, which should become an instant classic." - *Susan Hansen*
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*(G)I-DLE - I trust //* *REVIEW*
"Coming up on their second anniversary, (G)I-DLE has already established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in K-pop and beyond. Now they’re set to take on the world with their bold sound, 'I trust' only being a sample of the big things to come for the group." - *Malvika Padin*
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*Elison 404 - Pebbledash* *REVIEW*
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"Elison 404 have taken their own advice, creating a fluid, visual album that stands as a clear contender for one of the UK’s most exciting releases in 2020 so far." - Shannon McDonagh
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*Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music* *REVIEW*
"There’s a warmth from the guitar strings that echoes through following tracks ‘Nightmares’ and ‘Tidal’, while ‘Lift Off’ opens with a momentous build, its rise guided by a smooth leading bassline permeating the track. This highly effective combination of lead bass and drums nods to Mansur Brown's ‘Shiroi’." - *Kofi Yeboah-Mensah*
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*Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters* // *REVIEW*
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"‘Fetch The Bolt Cutters’ feels like a seminal moment. Fiona Apple on a career of highs might just have produced her finest work yet. An album that we will surely look to as a cultural text, with its cutting commentary of contemporary culture and its feminist narratives." - *Matthew Pywell*
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*dvsn - A Muse In Her Feelings //* *REVIEW*
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"With their modest personas and its subtle production, it could be easy to disregard dvsn’s third record as more of the same, but repeat listens reveal a warm and unpretentious record, from an act confidently starting to evolve." - *David Weaver *
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*Shabazz Palaces - The Don Of Diamond Dreams* // *REVIEW*
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"How many acts release five albums and how many out of that are still as current and relevant as on their debut? Not many. Shabazz Palaces have now joined a rare breed of artists. ‘The Don Of Diamond Dreams’ is a glorious album that yields more and more with each listen. And listen you need to, because if you don’t you might miss something." - *Nick Roseblade *
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*Manga St Hilaire - Make It Out Alive* // *REVIEW*
"Known for his compelling wordsmithery, storytelling, and supreme attention to detail Manga has already proved he is up there as one of the best MCs in the game. His latest album underlines his reputation as one of the most gifted rappers to emerge from London." - *Amar Mehta *
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*Rina Sawayama - SAWAYAMA* // *REVIEW*
"Raw artistry paired with rich heritage makes for a magnificent, spine-tingling first album for Rina Sawayama." - *Laura Copley *
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*Laura Marling - Song For Our Daughter *// *REVIEW*
"It’s clear that this is a very meaningful album for the songwriter, and it is sure to have a great impact on many of her fans who have felt similar turmoil through their early adulthood, or are recent mothers worried for the future of their children. In those respects, ‘Song For Our Daughter’ is a powerful and resounding success, and re-affirms Marling’s position as one of our most important feminist songwriters." - *Rob Hakimian*
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