Album Reviews

Album Review: Ball Park Music – Like Love (2025 LP)

Ball Park Music has been one of the most consistently prolific Australian bands of the past 15 years. Like clockwork, they’d release a hit single, follow it up with another hit single and then drop an album, tour the album for twelve months, disappear for six months before releasing an entirely new single, thus starting…

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Album Review: Thornhill – BODIES (2025 LP)

Melbourne’s very own Thornhill are back with their third studio album, BODIES– out today. This record brings an unexpected blend of eerie synth tones, atmospheric textures and metal elements that feel experimental and daring. It’s an album that gives off a hauntingly intimate vibe whilst maintaining a big energy, presenting a side of Thornhill that…

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Ruby Gill

Album Review: Ruby Gill – Some Kind Of Control (2025 LP)

Ruby Gill sounds like one of the greats of a far gone era. An artist whose voice and style transcends generations and populations. Similar to contemporaries like Laura Marling, Julia Jacklin or Angie McMahon, Gill has a calming and yet forceful delivery across all of her music. This is evident here on her second album…

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Old Mervs set the bar high with their highly-anticipated self-titled debut album

Forming in 2017, Old Mervs started garnering attention after the release of their debut EP in 2022, and the duo, consisting of lead vocalist/guitarist David House and Henry Carrington-Jones, have been kicking goals rapidly in the three years since. Hitting #38 on the most recent Triple J’s Hottest 100 with their single “What you’ve Lost”,…

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Bloodywood release their second album Nu Delhi, and it’s a wild ride from start to finish

Who would have thought that traditional Indian music and metal would make a great pair? Bloodywood, that’s who. Forming in 2016, the New Delhi group initially took to YouTube to upload metal covers of pop songs, before writing their own music. They gradually garnered attention by catching the eye of a few major online publications,…

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Album Review: Coheed and Cambria – The Father of Make Believe (2025 LP)

If there’s one thing that sets New York prog-rock group Coheed and Cambria apart, it’s their unmatched ability to tell a gripping story through their records. Their latest release, The Father of Make Believe, marks their eleventh concept album and the third instalment in their Vaxis series. With lead vocalist Claudio Sanchez also being a…

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Mia Wray

Album Review: Mia Wray – hi, it’s nice to meet me (2025 LP)

I’ve said it before, but seeing artists grow and evolve from their earliest singles through to their debut album is one of my favourite things as a music fan. In the case of Mia Wray, this evolution has occurred on multiple fronts, from her songwriting and vocals, through to the content of her music and…

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Cat Empire band members

The Cat Empire sizzle with 10th studio album Bird in Paradise

Australian indie mainstay The Cat Empire are back with their highly anticipated 10th studio album! Known for their infectious blend of jazz, ska, funk, and rock, new release Bird in Paradise delivers the same vibrant energy and genre-defying sound that has made them a fan favourite for over two decades. Bird in Paradise follows on…

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Album Review: Annie-Rose Maloney – Circle Walking (2025 LP)

Last Friday, Melbourne/Naarm-based singer-songwriter Annie-Rose Maloney released her highly anticipated debut album, Circle Walking. Aptly described as “alt-folk/country-ish,” Maloney has captured the alt-folk world’s attention with previous singles “Lost In Coburg,” “Hold Me” and “I Run From Pain”. With a promising but ultimately short catalogue, the former cricketer, current high school teacher, and now singer/songwriter…

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JPEGMAFIA

Deluxe album or director’s cut? – JPEGMAFIA’s I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR YOU (DIRECTOR’S CUT)

Often forgotten as one of Sergio Leone’s masterpieces, Once Upon a Time in America (1984) was released in theatres as a 149-minute gangster epic. Upon release it was swiftly cast aside as a miss in Leone’s otherwise stellar career. If you have seen it, you would know of the decades that pass in mere minutes…

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The stage is set with RinRin’s sophmore EP Angels

Perth-based alternative rocker RinRin has just dropped new EP Angels, a six track strong celebration of her signature fusion style of hyper-pop punk and metal. The musical project of singer-songwriter and guitarist Qarin Hipe, RinRin pulls influences from the likes of BABYMETAL, Poppy, and Bring Me The Horizon. Angels is a prequel of sorts, gathering recent releases…

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LS DUNES

Album Review: L.S. Dunes – Violet (2025 LP)

Formed during the pandemic, L.S. Dunes made their debut at 2022’s Riot Fest shortly before releasing their album Past Lives, which was well-received by fans and critics. The band is made up of lead vocalist Anthony Green (Circa Survive , Saosin and The Sound of Animals Fighting), guitarist Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), guitarist Travis…

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Slowly Slowly’s Forgiving Spree is a masterful blend of freshness and nostalgia

Slowly Slowly have cemented themselves as one of the most dynamic forces in the Australian rock scene, and their fifth studio album, Forgiving Spree only further proves this. Forgiving Spree is Slowly Slowly in all their glory, showcasing their signature emotion al depth, intricate musicianship, and a maturity that reflects their evolution as a band. With a sprinkle of…

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Dear Seattle

Album Review: Dear Seattle – TOY (2025 LP)

Dear Seattle release their third studio album, TOY, today- and it’s without a doubt their best yet. Forming in 2013, the group has made a name for themselves among the Aussie indie rock scene, and if you’re an avid gig-goer, then chances are you’ve caught them live a few times, whether it be a headline…

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Album Review: Ocean Grove – ODDWORLD (2024 LP)

Beloved nu-metal Melbournians, Ocean Grove, dropped their fourth studio album, ODDWORLD, this past Friday, and it’s been well-received by fans and critics alike. After the departure of vocalist Luke Holmes in 2019 and his subsequent return for this record, the band has embraced a decidedly eclectic sound. This album, true to its name, feels like…

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Album Review: Bec Sykes’ Pepperpot Magic is thoughtful and assured, vulnerable and intimate

Hailing from the outer suburbs of Naarm/Melbourne, self-described emo-folk artist Bec Sykes has been steadily crafting a discography of lo-fi indie gems, from 2020’s breakout Edithvale to 2021’s Getaway and 2022’s At Least. Each release has sharpened her ability to deliver immediately endearing tunes, building quiet anticipation for a full-length project that could expand on…

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State Champs’ self-titled album is everything you could want in a pop-punk record

New York pop-punkers State Champs have been making waves since 2010 and on Friday, they finally released their much-anticipated fifth studio album. For a group that’s been churning out anthemic, sing-along tracks since their debut The Finer Things, this self-titled record feels like a natural progression. It’s a blend of looking back to their roots…

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Annie Hamilton

Review: Annie Hamilton’s Stop and Smell the Lightning sits as one of the finest albums of the year

You just love seeing artists make massive leaps forward from one album to the next. Here on her second album Stop and Smell the Lightning, Annie Hamilton has done just that. An album filled with vast arrays of whirling sounds and samples, both human and not, Stop and Smell the Lightning is hard to describe,…

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Album Review: Keelan Mak – Boy’s In Love (2024 EP)

With the release of the much-anticipated EP Boy’s In Love, Melbourne/Naarm’s Keelan Mak returns to the forefront of Australian pop armed with a fresh brand of club-ready pop tunes primed for summer listening. Proving a worthy successor to 2022s Brave Face EP, the strong introductions from singles “Drift” and “Straight with Me” were excellent showcases…

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Album Review: Soccer Mommy – Evergreen (2024 LP)

Every so often, an artist emerges that makes you wonder if your Spotify Discover knows you at all. For me this week, that’s Soccer Mommy; the Swiss-born, Nashville-raised moniker of artist Sophie Allison. Releasing her fourth album Evergreen this week, I find myself baffled that her sweetly melancholic indie sound has somehow evaded my radar…

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Album Review: A. Swayze & the Ghosts – Let’s Live a Life Better Than This (2024 LP)

Four years after their stellar debut album Paid Salvation in 2020, Hobart-based A. Swayze & the Ghosts return this Friday with their sophomore album Let’s Live A Life Better Than This. The ten track album is a wonderful evolution, combining the elements of the band’s self described kraut-rock, garage rock, modern psych, and folk influenced…

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Album Review: Hayley Mary – Roman XS (2024 LP)

When you find out one of Australia’s best vocalists is about to drop a new album, you drop everything and do whatever you can to listen to their songs. When this artist has been responsible for some of your favourite songs over the past 15 years, it makes it that much more exciting. Here, on…

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The Last Martyr share a vision of the apocalypse with new EP Requiem

Naarm/Melbourne’s The Last Martyr have just dropped EP Requiem, packed with soaring, soul-stirring metal. Mixed by Chris Lalic (Windwaker, Days Like These), it’s an explosive collection, an apocalyptic exploration of what happens when we disrespect and disregard Mother Nature. Frontwoman Monica Strut explains: “The Requiem EP is about the human species’ journey towards, throughout and…

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Alt-emo duo Those Who Dream release new EP Therapy Machine

Alternative-emo outfit Those Who Dream (siblings Josh and Hazel Meyer) have just dropped their latest EP, Therapy Machine. Mixed in house by vocalist Josh, whose past credits include The Amity Affliction, AViVA, and Chez), and mastered by Ted Jensen (Green Day, Deftness, and Post Malone), Therapy Machine is exactly what we’ve come to expect from…

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Phantogram’s Memory Of A Day is a dreamy blend of electronic-pop and cinematic soundscapes

Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter met way back in preschool with their paths crossing again in 2007, when the two joined forces and started making music under the name Charlie Everywhere. In 2009, they found their own unique sound- a mix of electronic rock and dream pop, blending gritty beats with atmospheric melodies, and changed…

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Album Review: Porridge Radio – Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me (2024 LP)

Two years after their last release, the UK’s own Porridge Radio return with Clouds in the Sky They Will Always Be There for Me; an introspective and emotionally charged offering that demonstrates the band’s growth both lyrically and sonically. The album, out this Friday, is as much a testament to Dana Margolin’s evolution as a songwriter…

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Album Review: Touché Amoré – Spiral In A Straight Line (2024 LP)

With Lament crowned Pitchfork’s Best New Album in 2020, Touché Amoré set the bar high for their upcoming release, Spiral in a Straight Line. Forming in 2007, the post-hardcore group has consistently made waves in the scene, earning critical acclaim for each of their four previous studio albums. While they re-recorded and re-released their debut…

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Kasey Chambers

Track by Track Review: Kasey Chambers – Backbone (2024 LP)

Like most, I was introduced to Kasey Chambers through her breakthrough second album Barricades and Brickwalls and the inescapable single of 2001, “Not Pretty Enough.” Fast forward nearly two decades, and Chambers stands atop a mountain of achievements: five number-one albums on the ARIA Albums Chart, 14 ARIA Music Awards (including nine for Best Country…

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Album Review: Belle Haven Return Transfigured with New EP something new

Change is both uncomfortable and necessary, which is why it’s such a touchy but relatable subject in contemporary music. There comes a point in every band’s career where they must decide whether to continue doing what they know and their fans enjoy, or instead follow their instincts and pursue their own style. Naarm/Melbourne-based alt-rock act…

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CERES

Ceres are back after five years, with Magic Mountain (1996-2022) and it’s a work of art

After five years, Ceres have made a triumphant return with the release of their sixth studio album, Magic Mountain (1996-2022). Although it appeared the band had taken a hiatus, they were, in fact, working on this double album in various forms over the past five years. Spanning a massive twenty-five tracks, this record is a…

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