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Jul 4: Week 27 of the year. Surprise drops, poetic releases, a popstar reborn. And a lot of mouth-themed artworks this week.

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“Find God? Mate, I can’t find my keys.” – HUG A BASTARD.

It’s impressive that they found any time to sort out a new record in a years’ span, considering the sprawls of tours and festival headline spots they’ve landed on.

One of our most outlandish post-punk duo are back with a surprise album drop today, coined NATIONAL AVERAGE. It’s impressive that they found any time to sort out a new record in a years’ span, considering the sprawls of tours and festival headline spots they’ve landed on.

A follow-up to their immense debut a year ago, the egg-and-chip sophomore is a darkening reflection of the boys’ journey since they began travelling the nation and shouting their poetry at people just a little over a year ago. Amongst their existential bellowings and obtuse colourings of lyrical insanity, it’s an album thats shifted in weight and folly in keeping with Big Special’s flair of the blackest humour. An expansion in sound which sees the pair take up their funky trousers, and an introspective eagled-eye view into the heavies of modern life on everyone’s shoulders. SHOP MUSIC. and THE BEAST. garnish themselves as fast and funky stand-outs amongst a record that’s a welcoming surprise this week.

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In a time where we need such dedicated craftsman, the spoken word prophet of Kae Tempest goes against the grain once again with his newest, Self Titled. An explosive artist unafraid to express his voice and thoughts amongst tense instrumentals, Kae Tempest has been an integral voice in the world of Neo-psychedelia and alternative crux. The fifth record from Mercury and Brit Award nominated lyricist delivers power on a journey of self-discovery. At his most open and heartfelt with Statue in the Square swagger, inspiring electronics on Sunshine On Catford, gorgeous Prayers to Whisper and Bless the Bold Future, a damning view in bringing children into this devastating landscape.

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Under the moniker of Rhiannon Atkinson-Howatt, Naarm/Melbourne-based Merpire has cast tremors of catchy dark-pop to audiences for years. Remarkable grit to a voice submerged under a heft of chord choices, Merpire remerges with a stoic reminder that Simulation Ride was merely a precursor – there were always Bigger things to come. Shown through Valentines’ release of Premonition and Leaving With You, the record is a moody contemplation worth listening for the full half hour – it’s the least it deserves.

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Shouse. are the two Aussie electronic tinkerers of drum machines and weirdo synths. From local choirs to their own shed in the back, Shouse’s main goal is to be an all-singing, all-dancing singular unit. A communal cloud-nine of feel-good dance, the duo of Ed Service and Jack Madin announce their debut of Collective Ecstasy today.

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The mercurial breath of fresh air that is Nilüfer Yanya keeps up momentum from her sonic expansion of Method Actor in 2024 with a new plot in Dancing Shoes, a short look-see into the goings on of Yanya’s next crash-course of experimental amuse bouche of exploring territories from avant-garde jazz, straight-edged indie rock and whimsy psychedelia. The next story sees Nilüfer tread into more of the same schematics with souls’ full Cold Heart.

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Jo Dudderidge makes a bold statement with his debut under new alter-ego Later Youth – a coming-of-age thrill ride of taking a step back and simply enjoying expression. Since fronting Manchester indie-folk favourites The Travelling Band, Jo Dudderidge has built quite a reputation on all counts in the world of music. A struggle to adapt alongside a string of health problems amongst family brought about a need for new from a wholly different perspective.

A wombo-combo in-between indie, pop, Krautrock and alt-country, Later Youth channels electric piano and macabre thoughts into an album with everything to prove. Once rudderless, now thriving – it is an unmistakable directory into an artist who has so much more to give.

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