Jenny Hval 
Iris Silver Mist may well be the only album of this year (or perhaps any year in history) named after a fragrance from French perfume house Serge Lutens. Apparently it smells more like steel than silver. All will be abundantly clearer (perhaps), once we actually hear the thing.
Iris Silver Mist, 4AD, Monday 5 May.

Billy Nomates
Not sure whether the PJ Harvey comparisons held Billy back or powered her on, but Metalhorse has Nomates firmly in the saddle once again after the acclaimed Cacti from 2023. A set of new blues, folk and piano-driven arrangements are almost upon us.
Metalhorse Invada Records, Friday 16 May.

Tune-Yards
Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner celebrate 16 years out in the musical wild together by delivering their sixth album, Better Dreaming. If you liked their infectious single ‘Limelight’ (featuring some vocal talents of the pair’s three-year-old), you’ll go a bundle on the latest collection from this California duo.
Better Dreaming, 4AD, Friday 16 May.

Lana Del Rey 
The queen of southern gothic is back with The Right Person Will Stay. Originally down as being titled Lasso, we suspect it wasn’t meant as a hat-tip to her favourite fictional US soccer boss, but more likely a sonic missive that will either be country-ish or defiantly not.
The Right Person Will Stay, Interscope, Wednesday 21 May.

Rival Consoles 
Landscape From Memory is the ninth album from the producer known to his pals and accountant as Ryan Lee West. Promising to step out of his comfort zone, this one has been dubbed as a ‘travelogue of creativity on the move’.
Landscape From Memory, Erased Tapes, Friday 4 July.

Barry Can’t Swim 
The Edinburgh-born Mercury-nominated electro-artist had a high placing on our Hot 100 last year, and who knows where he’ll end up this time around on the back of a highly anticipated album, Loner, featuring the excellent single, ‘The Person You’d Like To Be’. Some Scottish gigs would be nice.
Loner, Ninja Tune, Friday 11 July.

Nova Twins 
These alt-rock trailblazers thunder back into our lugs with Parasites & Butterflies. Recorded in Vermont with Rich Costey who has worked his producing magic for the likes of Foo Fighters and Sam Fender, it aims to get across both the chaos and beauty of this world.
Parasites & Butterflies, Marshall Records, Friday 29 August. 

Main picture: Jenny Berger Myhre.