Tove Lo – Queen of the Clouds (Universal)
Why you should listen: Tove Lo, mates with fellow Swedes Icona Pop, connects the dots between sex, love and painful heartbreak on this pure pop debut.
It might not be for you if … You tire of someone who’s been a “pop-star-in-the-making” for a couple of years, but doesn’t seem to be offering up anything game-changing.
What we said: “Tracks such as My Gun are undeniable bangers, while the lyrics can be smart, especially on Like Em Young, which takes a repellent pop trope and turns it neatly on its head”, wrote Tim Jonze, in the Guardian. Kitty Empire considered the album “brash, omnivorous pop” in her four-star lead review for the Observer.
Score: 4/5
Joanna Gruesome – Peanut Butter (Fortuna Pop!)
Why you should listen: After beating the likes of Manic Street Preachers and Cate Le Bon to win the 2013 – 2014 Welsh music prize, the noisy five-piece return with a compact, 25-minute offering of lo-fi pop.
It might not be for you if … You find this sort of heavily referential 90s rock stuff tiring – if it’s so reductive, does it need to exist at all?
What we said: “This second album partners scuzzy, screeching guitar lines and joyously thrashing drums with sweet pop melodies, picking up where some of the NME’s C86 bands left off,” ran the Guardian’s review. Phil Mongredien was noticeably less taken with the album, giving it two stars in the Observer.
Score: 4/5
The Pre New – The Male Eunuch (3 Loop Music)
Why you should listen: Pulled from the breakup of band Earl Brutus, following frontman Nick Sanderson’s death in 2008, the Pre New have made a cutting, glam-rock second album that tackles middle-age and facesitting. No, I’m serious.
It might not be for you if … You missed Earl Brutus the first time round, and aren’t in the mood for a cross-section of industrial electronic music and glam-rock.
What we said: “You’d hesitate to use the word ‘subtle’ about an album that contains a tumultuous din like Speed Queen, but it certainly sounds more expansive than their previous outfit, the chaos fractured by quietly brooding electronic interludes”, wrote Alexis Petridis, in his lead review for the Guardian.
Score: 4/5
The Pre New aren’t streaming their album on Spotify, but you can buy it on various formats – including an £8 PowerPoint slideshow – via their website.
Róisín Murphy – Hairless Toys (PIAS)
Why you should listen: Disco sparkles cling to this third album from the former Moloko frontwoman, celebrating New York’s ballroom culture scene and after-dark hedonism.
It might not be for you if … You hated disco the first time round.
What we said: “From the glasslike Gone Fishing to its Italo-disco and house mutations and unusual country diversions, it draws from the past but adds a crisp, modern polish; and unlike other revivalists, there’s a depth to Murphy’s vocals”, wrote Harriet Gibsone, in the Guardian.
Score: 4/5
Snoop Dogg – Bush (Sony)
Why you should listen: Snoop is back, having shaken off his reggae-tinged Snoop Lion persona, and mining Pharrell Williams’ slick funk-inspired production techniques on this latest album.
It might not be for you if … There’s something undeniably gross about Snoop’s constant glorification of the 1970s pimp stereotype in his lyrics and videos – it sours the listening experience for you.
What we said: “His 13th album, Bush, is Snoop back to doing what he does best: sleazin’ and steezin’ over sunny-side-up beats, slipping his name into as many refrains as possible, and celebrating being baked,” wrote Kate Hutchinson, in the Guardian. Killian Fox also reckoned the album was worth four stars, in his Observer review.
Score: 4/5
This week also sees new releases from The Tallest Man On Earth, heavy electronic artist Blanck Mass (streaming here), indie trio Novella and veterans The Fall. What are you looking forward to hearing?
