Lucy Dacus is done thinking small. Two years after her 2016 debut, No Burden, won her unanimous acclaim as one of rock’s most promising new voices, Dacus returns on March 2 with Historian, a remarkably assured 10-track statement of intent. It finds her unafraid to take on the big questions — the life-or-death reckonings, and the ones that just feel that way. It’s a record full of bracing realizations, tearful declarations and moments of hard-won peace, expressed in lyrics that feel destined for countless yearbook quotes and first tattoos. Dacus and her band recorded the album in Nashville last March, re-teaming with No Burden producer Collin Pastore, and mixed it a few months later with A-list studio wizard John Congleton. The sound they created, with substantial input from multi-instrumentalist and live guitarist Jacob Blizard, is far richer and fuller than the debut — an outward flowering of dynamic, living, breathing rock and roll. Dacus’ remarkable sense of melody and composition are the driving force throughout, giving Historian the immersive feel of an album made by an artist in full command of her powers. The past year, with its electoral disasters and other assorted heartbreaks, has been a rough one for many of us, Dacus included. She found solace in crafting a thoughtful narrative arc for Historian, writing a concept album about cautious optimism in the face of adversity, with thematic links between songs that reveal themselves on repeat listens. “It starts out dark and ends hopeful, but it gets darker in between; it goes to the deepest, darkest, place and then breaks,” she explains. “What I’m trying to say throughout the album is that hope survives, even in the face of the worst stuff.”

Swimming is the fifth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released on August 3, 2018, by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. Production on the album was handled by Miller himself under the pseudonym Larry Fisherman, as well as Dev Hynes, J. Cole, Dâm-Funk, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, Flying Lotus and Cardo, among others. The album has no credited features, but contains vocal contributions from Dâm-Funk, Dev Hynes, Snoop Dogg, Syd, Thundercat and J.I.D. The album was supported by three singles; "Small Worlds", "Self Care" and "What's the Use?". It received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200.

With every record,Damon McMahonakaAmen Duneshas transformed, andFreedomis the project’s boldest leap yet. The first LP,D.I.A.,was a gnarled underground classic, recorded and played completely by McMahon in a trailer in upstate New York over the course of a month and left as is. The fourth and most recent LPLove, a record that enlistedGodspeed! You Black Emperoras both producers and backing band (along with an additional motley crew includingElias BenderRønnenfeltofIceageandColin Stetson), featured songs confidently far removed from the damaged drug pop of Amen Dunes’trailer-park origins. Lovetook two years to make.Freedomtook three. The first iteration of the album was recorded in 2016 following a year of writing in Lisbon and NYC, but it was scrapped completely. Uncertain how to move forward, McMahon brought in a powerful set of collaborators and old friends, and began anew. Along with his core band members, includingParker Kindred(Antony & The Johnsons,Jeff Buckley)on drums, cameChris Coady(Beach House) as producer andDelicate Steveon guitars. This is the first Amen Dunes record that looks back to the electronic influences of McMahon’s youth with the aid of revered underground musician Panoramfrom Rome. McMahon discovered Panoram’s music in a shop in London and became enamored. Following this the two became friends and here Panoram finds his place as a significant, if subtle, contributor to the record. The bulk of the songs were recorded at the famedElectric Lady Studiosin NYC (home of Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, D’Angelo), and finished at the similarly legendarySunset Soundin L.A., where McMahon,Nick Zinner, and session bass player extraordinaireGus Seyffert(Beck,Bedouine) fleshed out the recordings. On the surface,Freedomis a reflection on growing up, childhood friends who ended up in prison or worse, male identity, McMahon’s father, and his mother, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the beginning of recording. The characters that populate the musical world ofFreedomare a colourful mix of reality and fantasy: father and mother, Amen Dunes, teenage glue addicts and Parisian drug dealers, ghosts above the plains, fallen surf heroes, vampires, thugs from Naples and thugs from Houston, the emperor of Rome, Jews, Jesus, Tashtego, Perseus, even McMahon himself. Each character portrait is a representation of McMahon, of masculinity, and of his past. Yet, if anything, these 11 songs are a relinquishing of all of them through exposition; a gradual reorientation of being away from the acquired definitions of self we all cling to and towards something closer to what's stated in theAgnes Martinquote that opens the record, “I don’t have any ideas myself; I have a vacant mind” and in the swirling, pitched down utterances of “That's all not me” that close it. The themes are darker than on previous Amen Dunes albums, but it’s a darkness sublimated through grooves. The music, as a response or even a solution to the darkness, is tough and joyous, rhythmic and danceable. The combination of a powerhouse rhythm section, Delicate Steve’s guitar prowess filtered through Amen Dunes heft, and Panoram’s electronic production background, makes for a special and unique NYC street record. It’s a sound never heard before on an Amen Dunes record, but one that was always asking to emerge. Eleven songs span a range of emotions, from contraction to release and back again. ‘Blue Rose’ and ‘Calling Paul the Suffering’ are pure, ecstatic dance songs. ‘Skipping School’ and ‘Miki Dora’ are incantations of a mythical heroic maleness and its illusions. ‘Freedom’ and ‘Believe’ offer a street tough’s future-gospel exhalation, and the funk-grime grit of ‘L.A.’ closes the album, projecting a musical hint of things to come.

The fourth full-length release for the R&B band that includes Syd, Matt Martians, Steve Lacy, Patrick Paige II, and Christopher Smith was self-produced.

Like all DJ Koze records, Knock Knock exists outside of trend and influence. In fact, it's a step further beyond: absolutely every single thing here, from grooves to voices to handclaps, is otherworldly and unique. Which is not to say it is utterly alien abstraction, mind. There is still disco, there is still soul, there is still techno, there is still hip hop, there is still psychedelia – there are even wafts of easy listening, lost crackly thriftstore record memories and... sort of... indie rock – but though it may sound familiar, it never does what your brain thinks it's going to do. Likewise with the voices. More than ever before on Koze's records, there are fascinating, individualist – and well-known – voices through out Knock Knock but again, each of them is rendered strange, drawn into a different reality Bon Iver's ghostly hymnals on Bonfire are very recognisably Bon Iver, but the way they twist and merge with synthetic sounds until choir and computer are writhing around one another in bliss are something else. The ever-unique Róisín Murphy, on two stunning tracks, becomes a cyborg funk diva. Speech from Arrested Development delivers luscious and lazy R&B-funk on Colors of Autumn, but Koze's warping bass, dubwise echo and alien nature sounds take it to an alternate dimension tropical landscape. Kurt Wagner of Lambchop is a vocoder bohemian, Sophia Kennedy is a sci-fi Weimar cabaret star, José Gonzalez a holographic projection from an old film of South Sea Islands... on it goes, nothing is real, everyone is an inhabitant of Koze-world. And that's what is crucial here. Koze is a world-maker. You don't get to chose how you hear his music – you enter his world or you don't, that's it. And that's why individual influences, whether it's the trippy German techno that's always rippled through is albums or the beat-scene abstract hip hop that he incorporated into his DJ-Kicks mix in 2015, are all but irrelevant. Though he'd never compare himself to anyone else, Koze only makes sense in the way that other world-builders do, from Bowie to Sun Ra, Outkast to Kate Bush. And Knock Knock is far and away his greatest statement of that. It's an album that came together slowly and steadily, his working processes arcane and mysterious in their steady accumulation of sound and inspiration. It's so complete and bursting with detail and consistency from every micro-second that you'd swear it was meticulously planned – but there was no masterplan, do desire to create a definitive artefact: the record itself decided when it was ready. And now it is ready, the most perfectly constructed portal into that other world, you had better be ready too!

Let's Eat Grandma release their second and stunning album, I’m All Ears, via Transgressive Records. I’m All Ears is an even greater revelation than Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth’s globally acclaimed debut, I, Gemini. The second act from the British teenage vocalists, multi-instrumentalists and songwriters, is the most startling, infectious, innovative and thrilling record you’ll hear this year. It is alive with furious pop, unapologetic grandeur, intimate ballads; with loops, Logic, outrageous 80s drum solos, as well as production from David Wrench (The xx / Frank Ocean / Caribou), SOPHIE (famed for her own material and work with Madonna, Charli XCX and Vince Staples) and Faris Badwan (The Horrors). It’s an album that cements Let’s Eat Grandma as one of the most creative and exciting bands in the world right now.

Singularity marks the fifth album from the UK electronic producer and composer and the follow up to 2013’s Mercury Prize nominated Immunity. Where Immunity charted the dark alternative reality of an epic night out, Singularity explores the dissonance between dystopian urbanity and the green forest. It is a journey that returns to where it began – from the opening note of foreboding to the final sound of acceptance. Shaped by his experiences with meditation and trance states, the album flows seamlessly from rugged techno to transcendent choral music, from solo acoustic piano to psychedelic ambient.

In November 2017, Young Fathers announced that they’d completed work on a new album. The trio – Alloysious Massaquoi, Graham ‘ G’ Hastings and Kayus Bankole – marked the news by previewing a brand new song, ‘Lord’ and a subsequent accompanying video. Just like their previous standalone 2017 single ‘Only God Knows’ (written for the Trainspotting T2 film and described by director Danny Boyle as “the heartbeat of the film”), ‘Lord’ provided an enticing glimpse of what to expect from Young Fathers’ third full album; something typically unique and exhilarating, but leaner, more muscular and self-assured than ever before. Titled Cocoa Sugar, the twelve track album will be released on 9th March 2018 via Ninja Tune and follows the group’s previous two albums; 2014’s Mercury Prize-winning DEAD and 2015’s White Men Are Black Men Too. Written and recorded throughout 2017 in the band’s basement studio and HQ, Cocoa Sugar sees Young Fathers operating with a newfound clarity and direction, and is without doubt their most confident and complete statement to date.

God's Favorite Customer (alternatively Mr. Tillman's Wild Ride) is the upcoming fourth studio by American musician Josh Tillman, under the stage name Father John Misty. It is scheduled to be released by Sub Pop and Bella Union on June 1, 2018.

Sons of Kemet are a British jazz group formed in 2011 that consists of Shabaka Hutchings, Tom Skinner, Theon Cross, and Eddie Hick. Seb Rochford quit Sons of Kemet in late 2016.

Shame thrives on confrontation. Whether it be the seething intensity crackling throughout debut LP Songs of Praise or the adrenaline-pumping chaos that unfolds at Shame’s shows, it’s all fueled by feeling. NPR’s Bob Boilen noted, “Of the 70 bands I saw at this year’s SXSW, the band Shame seemed to mean what they played more than any other.” Comprised of vocalist Charlie Steen, guitarists Sean Coyle-Smith and Eddie Green, bassist John Finerty, and drummer Charlie Forbes, the London-based five-piece began as school boys. From the outset, Shame built the band up from a foundation of DIY ethos while citing The Fall and Wire among its biggest musical influences. Utilizing both the grit and sincerity of that musical background, Shame carved out a niche in the South London music scene and then barreled fearlessly into the angular, thrashing post-punk that would go on to make up Songs of Praise, their Dead Oceans debut. From “Gold Hole,” a tongue-in-cheek takedown of rock narcissism, to lead single “Concrete” detailing the overwhelming moment of realizing a relationship is doomed, to the frustrated “Tasteless” taking aim at the monotony of people droning through their day-today, Songs of Praise never pauses to catch its breath

A Brief Inquiry into Online Relationships is the third studio album by English pop rock band The 1975, scheduled to be released on 30 November 2018 by Dirty Hit and Polydor Records.

Initially known for her contemporary interpretations of flamenco music, Rosalía received international attention after several collaborations with such artists as Travis Scott, Lil Baby, J Balvin, Pharrell Williams, and James Blake. She has received various accolades, including five Latin Grammy Awards and a Grammy Award.

Sophie Allison - Guitar, vocals, bass Julian Powell - Lead guitar Nick Brown - Drums Gabe Wax - Piano, synth, mellotron, bass, guitar, drum programming, percussion All songs by Sophie Allison Produced & Engineered by Gabe Wax Mixed by Ali Chant Mastered by Margaret Luthar at Chicago Mastering Photos by Sami Alam

The work of Yves Tumor moves from sultry ambient to future soul, psychedelic pop, and everything in between. His critically acclaimed l ong-player from 2016, “Serpent Music,” announced his commitment to eclecticism and cemented his position as a major force in contemporary experimental and electronic circles. Now signed to Warp he returns this year with 'Safe In The Hands Of Love'. ———————————- Boomkat Product Review: Yves Tumor lands on Warp with his debut album for the label; more popwise and polished than before, still pitched perfectly between the avant garde and the mass market... "Yves Tumor makes good on the audience following astonishing singles 'Noid', 'Licking An Orchid (feat. James K)' and 'Lifetime'. Whereas each of these showed a different side to his sound, one that arguably wasn't afraid to immerse itself in the close running interests of skinny-jeans 'n' all indie, heartfelt romantic ballads and soulful RNB bangers, Yves Tumor's seeming refusal to be creatively pigeonholed is the most vital and compelling cog within his musical identity. Walking a tightrope between being on the one hand, one of the most seductive, soulful musicians of modern times, while also being a serious aficionado of harsh n0!se, as made evident with his recent years' live sets which have become something of a legendary experience/assault for each audience that has entered into the high-intensity sound-field that his on-stage presence creates. Safe In The Hands Of Love captures each and every side of Yves Tumor's musicianship with an elegant mix of pop numbers and more experimental de-constructions. With the spirit of Danish noise/synth/punk/tekno institution Posh Isolation running through the lifeblood of the music, so much so that in a perfect bonding two of the Posh Isolation crew's finest Loke Rahbek and Frederikke Hoffmeier both appear on the album in solidarity with Yves' vision. The recordings are uncharacterizable as anything other than Yves Tumor music. From the gothic cloak 'n' dagger cyberpunk punishment of 'Hope In Suffering (Escaping Oblivion & Overcoming Powerlessness)' featuring Oxhy & Puce Mary, through to the 'Economy of Freedom' produced with Croatian Amor and moving along with all the sludgy heaviness of a thousand broken hearts, the feelings explored upon offer a kaleidoscopic union of classic songwriting and lobotomized sound experiments. Chapters like 'Recognizing The Enemy' and 'Licking An Orchid' capture a sense of near blissful introspective blues, sounding like Yves is rushing into the deepest moments of winter while his words that are seemingly spun out of tears, begin to freeze in the cold night air. Before 'Let The Lioness In You Flow Freely' could be the Whitehouse and Steve Albini post-rock record that never materialized back in the 1990's, while 'Recognizing The Enemy' further explores the gothic soundscape rock 'n' roll (original and authentic shades, slick back and leather jacket) of 'Noid', ensuring that his stadium-sized approach to crafting earworms is well and truly represented."

'Isolation' is Kali Uchis's debut album and features an impressive cast of featured artists and collaborators. Jorja Smith, Damon Albarn, Tame Impala's Kevin Parker, Tyler, The Creator, Bootsy Collins, Steve Lacy, Two Inch Punch, BADBADNOTGOOD, Thundercat all appear on the American Colombian's debut LP. Bookended by the airy, flute-laced 'Body Language', produced by Thundercat, and the immaculately orchestrated soul of 'Killer', recorded with The Dap-Kings in New York, it turns through R&B, on the stuttering beats and skanking guitar of 'Miami', punctuated by a spot from BIA, by way of popping funk on 'Just A Stranger', made with her previous collaborator, Steve Lacy. There's the metronomic electro-pop tick of 'In My Dreams', recorded with Damon Albarn, reciprocating the two appearances Uchis made on their recent record and Tame Impala's Kevin Parker lines 'Tomorrow' with a disco strut and melancholic synths. The mainstay influences of golden-era soul remain strong as well, here recalibrated to bemoan infidelity on 'Fool' and rail against corporate vampires on 'Teeth In My Neck'. The album also includes 'After The Storm' featuring Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins, which ascended to the top of Spotify Viral charts across the globe, "Nuestro Planeta" featuring Reykon and "Tyrant" featuring Jorja Smith.

In a Poem Unlimited is an album by U.S. Girls, the solo project of Toronto-based American musician Meghan Remy. It was released on February 20, 2018 through 4AD.