Florence + The Machine
Hunger (Virgin EMI)
Fans of big-hearted pop songs rejoice, for Florence Welch is back. Brimming with atmosphere and drama, Hunger is a tantalising appetiser ahead of fourth album High As Hope.
Contact Ruth Drake
ruth@toastpress.com
Hardy Caprio
Naij (Virgin EMI)
Top marks for Hardy Caprio for including the word “porkies” in the latest part of his Hardy Season series, a run of tracks and videos documenting his life in music.
Contact Julie Smith
julie@stokedpr.com
Parquet Courts
Mardi Gras Beads (Rough Trade)
One of the mellower moments on the Brooklyn foursome’s upcoming Wide Awake album, this finds guitarist Austin Brown “living like a vagabond”. Dreamy.
Contact Jamie Woolgar
jamiewoolgar@roughtraderecords.com
Catherine McGrath
Wild (Warner Bros)
In what’s almost certainly the only country song about a date night at a Coldplay gig, Catherine McGrath’s pristine stylings shine through.
Contact Katherine Bawden
katherine.bawden@warnermusic.com
Nines (feat. Ray Blk & Skrpaz)
Rubber Bands (XL Recordings)
Nines’ murky new LP Crop Circles hit No.5 and is one of 2018’s best rap records. Its impact is only getting bigger, with live dates coming this month.
Contact Leah Wilson
leah@xlrecordings.com
Alice Merton
Lash Out (Paper Planes/Columbia)
The Canadian-English singer follows viral hit No Roots with a song that has more punch and spikiness than a brawl at a needle factory. Watch her rise.
Contact Frazer Lawton
frazer.lawton@sonymusic.com
Big Narstie
Woah (Dice Recordings)
Here’s Big Narstie with a banging, clanging memo that his debut album, BDL Bipolar, is out on July 6. But will his celebrity propel him up the charts?
Contact Katherine Bawden
katherine.bawden@warnermusic.com