Chris Abrahams/ Oren Ambarchi/ Robbie Avenaim ★★★★

Placelessness

IDEOLOGIC ORGAN. CD/DL/LP

Australian avant-garde face-off on two longform meditations for piano/guitar/drums. Abrahams is most dominant: his rippling note clusters steer the sound closest to his day band, The Necks.

JM

Alborosie ★★★★

Destiny

VP. CD/DL/LP

Kingston-based Sicilian reggae star expands on the ’80s dancehall of 2021’s For The Culture, with herb song Rastazeneka, ballad I Got You and social survey Nah Good Again all referencing mid-’70s Wailers. Highlight: Give It To Them with Burro Banton.

DK

Amor Muere ★★★★

A Time To Love, A Time To Die

SCRAWL. DL/LP

Art pop meets the avant-garde on Mexico City quartet’s debut. Dreamy swirls of looped notes merge with cellist Mabe Fratti’s low figures and Camille Mandoki’s haunting voice amid LA’s heady atmos and Violeta y Malvas’ pulsing mystery.

AC

Bar Italia ★★★

The Twits

MATADOR. CD/DL/LP

London trio’s uptight, lo-fi sound ventures further on their second LP of 2023. Recorded over eight weeks in Mallorca, a queasy heat seeps into the Sonic Youth hiss and clang of My Little Tony, Jelsy’s Bad Seeds metallic thrum and Shoo’s slow, high plains drift.

JB

Mayssa Jallad ★★★★

Marjaa: The Battle Of The Hotels

SIX OF SWORDS. DL/LP

Historical trauma, strings, drones, metallophones and buzuks wrap around powerful stories and gossamer vocals on Lebanese singer’s tender, intimate debut. With shades of Nico, Jarboe and Elizabeth Fraser, ’80s’ 4AD fans will rejoice.

AC

Lucidvox ★★★

That’s What Remained

GLITTERBEAT. CD/DL/LP/MC

The women who make up this heavy psych quartet fled their native Moscow after their 2020 debut. As such, these dense, metallic timbres seem newly freighted with vibrant emotion; electronics and brass bolstering their guitars on shivery, gothic folk standout, Naidiya.

JB

New Age Doom & Tuvaband ★★★★

There Is No End

WE ARE BUSY BODIES. DL/LP

Bookended by brooding symphonies, the Vancouver heavies’ melodic tryst with Norway’s dream-popper adds gravitas to their mix of dark folk, drone, deep dub and free jazz. Played with Swans-like intensity, a multi-layered triumph.

AC

Shake Stew ★★★

Lila

TRAUMTON/INDIGO. CD/DL/LP

Half studio/half live, the Austrian jazz septet’s sixth LP confirms their mastery of the hypnotic groove. Dallying with spoken word artist Precious Nnebedum (Not Water But Rest), reining it in (Lila) or trancing out (Shake), the double bass/drums core anchors some dream-like free soloing.

AC

Cleo Sol ★★★★

Heaven

FOREVER LIVING ORIGINALS. DL/LP

No Sault album thus far in 2023, but this third solo album by the London collective’s singer is an absolute keeper: a smoked, minimalist nu-soul gem (start with Golden Child (Jealous)) that would sit neatly between Erykah Badu’s Baduizm and Solange’s A Seat At The Table.

JM

Storm Franklin ★★★★

Loneliness In The Modern World

AGRICULTURAL AUDIO. CD/DL/LP

Gale force debut from producer Ben Hillier and Howling Bells’ Juanita Stein, a spindrift presence on hummable yet mysterious single Hush Now. Equally potent: Y.O.U.R.A.S.T.A.R’s percussive hand-jive and the Velvets crush of Lourdes.

JB

John P. Strohm ★★★★

Something To Look Forward To

PROPELLER SOUND RECORDINGS. CD/DL/LP

Former Lemonhead pays elegant tribute to a lost friend, finding fertile emotional ground where wired indie meets sepia ’70s singer-songwriter (think Nada Surf with George Harrison). Guests include Aaron Lee Tasjan and Courtney Marie Andrews.

JB

Moses Yoofee Trio ★★★★

Ocean

LEITER. DL/LP

German jazz pianist showcases a fluid band capable of darting from sophisticated smoothness to agitated itchiness in a blink, as bassist Roman Klobe-Barangă and drummer Noah Fürbringer summon looping progressions for his incantatory keys. Fans of The Necks will approve.

AC Alysse Gafkjen