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One of the biggest names in the alternative rock space, Bedford-born Don Broco come roaring into a new era with fifth record ‘Nightmare Tripping’ – a euphoric catalyst of nu-metal rock, its dark entourage of scathed riffs and special guests swathe in a blinding era from a band that’s covered so much ground. Welcome to the nightmare.

This isn’t Kansas anymore, Dorothy. The alt-pop colourings on 2012’s Priorities are a far cry to Broco’s latest here. Fourteen years on from their debut, Nightmare Tripping is an abrasive coating of a dark doomsday, as it tackles the unnerving balance between dreams and reality. In a world of far-right smothering, the paralysis demon of Nigel Farage is coming for you unless this album isn’t played on blast.

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New music in a decade, An Undying Love for a Burning World is an album of epic proportions and colossal damage. Navigating the insanity of our society amongst a burning world, metal behemoths Neurosis return to the fold when we needed them most. The Oakland post-metal collective have carved a path of remarkable beyond all expectations. A beautifully pained record of angst and suffering, the eight-parter mammoth of a project is a potent reminder of a band evolved – and reborn once again.

Deep swellings of vocals embalms the record, while the fervent walls of guitar smack wash away any feeling of uncertainty. Aaron Turner (Sumac, Isis) joins the band on vocals and guitar, alongside vocalist/guitarist Steve Von Till, drummer Jason Roeder, bassist Dave Edwardson, and keyboard player Noah Landis. A wholly thought-out project, it sees the band unbridled; seemingly bursting to release all this tension, all this pain.

A direct exposition on the world as we see it, Neurosis’ An Undying Love… is a necessary accessory to every sense of survival.

The calming space of Japanese ambience has always been a much-needed escape for many. There’s no better man than the likes of Takahashi. A stunning piece of abstract electronics and intriguing phonics, his sixth In Another is a sixth reason to get into jazz.

Over the past twenty years, no band has ever done it as eloquently as The New Pornographers have. Ever since their extremely sophisticated classic Mass Romantic in 2000, the Canadian supergroup have surpassed any expectations. Gleaming with suave synthesizers, lush harmonic vocals and candid splendour, they now reprise their signature style with their tenth – “The Former Site Of” – a brandishing of nuanced pop-rock that rarely stales.

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When the bands’ debut album, ‘Where the Heart is’ landed in 2022, no one expected for it to hit the heights as it did, least of all those in the band themselves. With blazing math-rock and introspective emo ballads, the unbound debut rife took off at an unrivalled speed almost too much for them to keep up with. While Williams’/McCall’s trudging riffs and Kearney’s tetchy percussion brought sensibility to the song’s foundations, it was Zayna Youssef’s voice that was arguably the bands’ trump card and you can bet they were going to use it. Blistering ‘Blood’ and knotty blow-out of the self-titled eclipsed all expectations from a band seemingly learning on the job. While earning cosigns from stars like Hayley Williams and Doja Cat, 2024’s summer brought Sweet Pill to the UK for Outbreak Festival, and spring 2025 saw them appear in Australia before going to Europe in support of Movements.

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A spellbinding orchestral pop rollick, THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE is a shining artist making music on their own terms. Although chaotic in parts, the 17-track conceptual record traverses every ratio, aspect and genre we’ve had the privilege of attaining. Rarely sitting still for a fleeting moment, RAYE darts from her retro soul signature, to swing-era jazz, classical pastiches, house music and finally settling on the Golden Age of Hollywood’s films scores – it transcends all expectations of what a pop record should be, and what it can be.

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