Foals: What Went Down (●●●●●, out now)
What we said: 'Each and every addition to the Foals discography since 2008’s Antidotes has tried and tested new waters, yet this exploration has led them directly to this point. What Went Down is Foals’ finest moment, and it’s hard to see how it can get any better.
Listen to 'What Went Down'
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Carbs: Joyous Material Failure (●●●●, out now)
What we said: 'Take the inter-species bromance of Han and Chewie, mix it with the gumption of Gibson and Glover and the balls-out stage presence of Jay-Z and Kanye and you might have something like Joyous Material Failure.'
Listen to 'Stick a Flake in Me I'm Done'
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Darwin Deez: Double Down (●●●, out Fri 18 Sep)
What we said: Still in evidence are the extended metaphors that marked earlier work, with ‘Last Cigarette’ comparing one relationship to smoking cessation, but it’s not until the penultimate tune, ‘Right When it Rains’, that Deez’ joy in stream of consciousness rhymes – shown in his self-confessed ‘love letter to Das Racist’s Wonky Beats mix tape – comes to light.
Listen to 'Time Machine'
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Alif: Aynama-Rtama (●●●●, out now)
What we said: Superb opener ‘Holako’ sets the tone: an instantly hooky, twanging oud riff crackles at the edges due to electronic manipulation, Ghazaleh soars and flits as he recites Iraqi poet Sargon Boulus’s dreamlike account of the 13th century Mongol invasion of the Middle East, and the whole thing blossoms into a lithe, irresistible lurch.
Listen to 'Holako'
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Paul Smith & the Intimations: Contradictions (●●●, out now)
What we said: On ‘Coney Island’ we revisit surf rock by way of The Drums and flirt with Real Estate-esque slacker rock on lead single ‘Break Me Down’, all while referencing the Go Betweens and Felt via jangle-pop guitar moments scattered throughout.
Listen to 'Break me Down'
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Incoming reviews:
Kowloon Walled City – out 9 Oct
Mercury Rev – out 2 Oct
Keep Shelly in Athens – out 16 Oct
Prehistoric Friends – out 23 October
Hurts – out 9 Oct