Alternative Album Chart: the best new indie and alternative albums this week
This week’s Alternative Album Chart is something of a milestone. Our most extensive yet, it covers seemingly every genre and mode under the sun. Complete with a string of sonic happenings, whether it be the latest masterpiece from Nadine Shah, the outsider artist of our times arriving in the form of Pregoblin or even Ghost Funk Orchestra providing ample grooves, it’s almost a guarantee that readers will discover new favourites here.
After four long years, amid a world that has changed markedly since those strange 12 months, Nadine Shah has finally followed up on 2020’s Kitchen Sink with Filthy Underneath, which is undoubtedly her best effort yet. Boasting arresting vocal performances, profound lyricism and dynamic musical flourishes, it is the culmination of the songwriter’s life and career up to now.
Elsewhere, Alex Sebley has released his debut album as Pregoblin. Aptly named Pregoblin II and following one prominent theme of this week’s Album Chart, it sees the Portsmouth native move away from the heady pop music of his early singles and instead opt for 1970s-leaning ballads and pub rock. Character-based but authentic, there’s candour coursing through it despite Sebley’s penchant for surreal tales. An outsider artist in every sense, this could be the start of a fruitful chapter.
From candid personal reflections to bombastic funk, the old guard to the new, this week’s Alternative Album Chart has every possible emotion in store. Find the list below.
The best new indie and alternative albums this week:
Filthy Underneath – Nadine Shah – 5
It has been four long years since the release of the last Nadine Shah album, 2020’s Kitchen Sink. On her latest effort, however, the Whitburn-born singer-songwriter has shown any naysayers that she certainly has not lost her signature charm. Featuring the truly incredible vocal performances that fans have come to expect, the album also contains some of her greatest attempts at songwriting thus far.
For an album awash with complex emotions and self-reflection, Filthy Underneath – Shah’s fifth studio record – has an undeniable groove to it. There are few artists that could so perfectly toe the line between danceability and existentialism, speaking to the diversity of Shah’s talents. Typically, album reviews like this tend to make a conscious effort to remain balanced, providing a voice to both sides of the argument. However, when the worst thing you can think to say about an album is ‘the cover art is not particularly great’, there is little point in trying to remain balanced. Filthy Underneath is nothing short of a masterpiece and will likely go down as one of Shah’s most beloved releases. [Words: Ben Forrest]
Pregoblin II – Pregoblin – 4.5
After what seems like an age, Alex Sebley finally releases the debut Pregoblin album. Aptly titled Pregoblin II, following five years of singles, it’s an oscillating journey that showcases the musician’s incredible grasp of songwriting and expansive reach as an artist. A resonant sonic statement, whereby Sebley casts off the manacles of the past and marks a new chapter, he’s pushed back in style.
While there are flecks of the pulsating pop palettes that made Pregoblin such a celebrated force a few years ago, Sebley is returning to what he knows best. 1970s-leaning, often dark character-based songs prop this body of work up, with his surreal and deeply visual songwriting style keeping us fixated throughout the sonic shifts.
To add to the party, the influential Armand Schaubroeck appears, as does Sebley’s old bandmate Jessica Winter and label boss Peter Doherty, who assist the Portsmouth native in establishing who he really is as an artist, with the lyrics often toeing the line between candour and opaque black comedy. Following the curtain coming down on what is a truly accomplished body of work, despite the broad reach on display, you might say that Sebley is the outsider artist of our era, deserving of so many more plaudits, but, ironically, it’s something you get the sense he would be uncomfortable hearing.
A distillation of Alexander Sebley, the man and artist, Pregoblin II dispels the spectre of the past and all its trauma and revitalises the project, opening it up to a future constructed in a way that is befitting of its leader. I just hope the songwriter makes good on this foundation moving forward.
A Trip to the Moon – Ghost Funk Orchestra – 4
Hinged on the diverse talent that is Seth Applebaum, Ghost Funk Orchestra has steadily climbed in global popularity and sonic grandeur over the past decade. The project’s vision is hard to pin to any one pigeonhole, but they refer to their nuanced style as psychedelic soul. With flecks of jazz, funk, soul, and rock, this intensely gifted troupe presents its fifth full-length studio album, A Trip To The Moon.
In contrast with A New Kind of Love, A Trip To The Moon benefits from less clarity in the production. With the focus shifting from pinpoint elegance, each orchestra member is given a moment to shine in an album that celebrates unfettered expression. At times, it’s suave and sexy; at others, bold and abstract.
Ghost Funk Orchestra create music somewhat distant from my usual domain. However, as a product of psychedelic funk, it keeps the lay listener engaged with foot-tapping rhythms. Additionally, jazz-infused works as such can be prone to repetitiveness. Seemingly aware of this, Applebaum folds in a discerning variety of textures across this collection of 15 transient, punchy tracks. [Words: Jordan Potter]
Ngélar – Lair – 4
The art of the album is ever-waning within modern music. The vast majority of released albums are simply a disparate collection of songs with little imagination put into the album as a whole. Every so often, however, a record will come along that can transport you to distant lands, creating a truly unique and captivating listening experience. Ngélar by Lair is one of those albums.
A frustrating trend within much of modern psychedelic music, particularly from psych bands hailing from East and Southeast Asia, is that the music is often characterised by a sense of nostalgia for the early psychedelic scene of the 1960s. Contrastingly, Lair seem to be ruthlessly inventive, evoking the old-school of psychedelic rock while incorporating innovative and experimental aspects – particularly discernible through their use of synthesisers. Tedi Nurmanto, the lead guitarist for the group, is arguably the hero of the album, with the staggering quality of his psychedelic riffs becoming increasingly impressive as the tracklisting progresses.
Ultimately, referring to Ngélar simply as a psychedelic album is somewhat reductive. Condensed within the ten tracks of the album are an extensive range of genres, including everything from surf rock to retro soul. The sonic diversity of the album prevents it from ever feeling stale or dull. When viewed in isolation, some of the tracks may feel somewhat lacklustre, but within the context of the album as a whole, they each form distinctive and important chapters within the narrative of Ngélar. [Words: Ben Forrest]
Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day – Whitelands – 4
Whitelands have been making music since 2017, although their current lineup was only solidified in 2021. After years of experimentation, they’ve finally created their debut album, Night-bound Eyes Are Blind To The Day, which is more than worth the wait. Using their dreamy, feedback-doused instrumentation as a backdrop for themes of race, neurodivergence and political commentary, Whitelands assert themselves as one of the most vital voices in the genre.
The album is rich with emotion, with lead vocalist and guitarist Etienne Quartey-Papafio often using vivid metaphors and poetic lyricism, explaining, “I do tend to write emotions as anything other than what they actually are”. Sometimes, he allows his voice to melt into the instrumentation and be washed away into the rough waves – the spiralling guitars, punchy drums and steady basslines so evocative, lively, and ripe with feeling that they do the talking for him.
From the gorgeous, dream-pop cut ‘Tell Me About It’ to the visceral nature of ‘How It Feels’, this is an album that will undoubtedly find itself considered part of the staple shoegaze canon in no time at all. Whitelands have made a masterful album that feels wholly intimate and full of love, accessible to both hardcore shoegaze fans and newbies to the genre. [Words: Aimee Ferrier]
Rationale – Glitterer – 4
Nearly three years to the day after he released his second album as Glitterer – or Ned Russin to those who know him – he has returned with Rationale, the third studio-length body of work under the moniker. However, things have changed this time, with the modern hardcore stalwart opening the project up to a more expansive future by enlisting a band. Naturally, this has seen Russin push his post-Title Fight project into new areas following the resounding success of 2021’s Life Is Not A Lesson.
Across Rationale, Russin and the group explore various emotions and themes. To the uninitiated, they might seem separated between defiant punk anthems and more introspective, often acoustic-inflected numbers. However, more forensically, the line between fact and fiction is blurred, something the frontman has always done cunningly. A distillation of Russin’s talent as a songwriter, his lifelong passion for his craft and his unique lyrical prowess carry this sonic journey through its many twists and turns and leave the listener wondering where Glitterer might go next as an outfit.
A refreshing body of work that doesn’t mess around, Glitterer cuts through the fluff of the contemporary era on Rationale and gets down to what really matters: the music. This is music fit for our times, and unsurprisingly, it is fuelled by talent, drive, and a commitment to a little old thing called the punk spirit, which has never been more vital.
1 2 3 4 – Modern English – 3.5
Influential post-punk outfit Modern English have arrived with their ninth studio album, 1 2 3 4. A culmination of their career up to now, it’s a musically broad but refined record, ranging from gothic sounds to dream-like balladry, with the lyrics encompassing everything from direct political messaging to surreal comedy.
There’s a reason why Modern English have managed to dodge so many different zeitgeists and remain one of the finest cult acts that Britain has produced: the fusion of talent and creative vision. Not being afraid to push themselves into new artistic areas while having fun with their craft has allowed the group to keep going. In true punk form, a general disregard for what people think has created an oeuvre that’s as oscillating as they come, with their new record the latest distillation of this sentiment.
Daniel – Real Estate – 3.5
It feels cheap to pin down the upbeat vocal melody and major chords as being ‘summery’, but that seems like an appropriate description for the new Real Estate album, Daniel. It sounds as though you have been planted firmly between frames 34 and 35 of a convertible advert; bright colours and happy faces show you a future far from the grey skies that linger overhead, and it’s a beautiful ride.
It’s hard to critique a record that is as pleasant as this is, but there is a slight fault with it. Call it a fault; it’s not, given the songs are incredibly sweet-sounding, but there isn’t a tremendous amount of versatility throughout the nearly 40-minute run time. The guitar parts begin to merge into one slightly, and while the lyrical melody in each song is lovely, it is also challenging to separate them from each other. There are some slight tonal changes, ‘Freeze Brain’ has a different bounce to it and ‘Interior’ is more stripped back, but it’s not enough to keep a listener as thoroughly engaged as the band might like.
Criticism aside, Daniel is a reflection in a swimming pool on a warm day. As water ripples and we see ourselves staring back, there is a smile on our faces and a song in our hearts. This album will make you happy; there is no getting away from it, and the only objection is that it does begin to repeat itself slightly as the tracklist runs on. This is an LP you can look forward to listening to and growing familiar with, to the point you get to know it on a first-name basis. [Words: Dale Maplethorpe]
Kindergarten Heart – Shaina Hayes – 3.5
It’s difficult to get the knowledge of Canadian Shaina Hayes’ career as an agricultural scientist and farmer and fall into a heap of metaphors for her most recent album, Kindergarten Heart. That job becomes almost impossible when listening to the down-home, organic and wholly nourishing record.
It is within the wonderful moments of fingers dragging across the strings and lyrics that require repeat listens before they land that the beauty of Hayes as a recording artist arrives. While it’s certain that she would enjoy the LP gaining popularity and making her a musician known around the world, one suspects that if that were to happen, she would still retire to her farm and make music in the exact same way. Easy similarities within the folk world can be drawn, but it is Hayes’ idiosyncratic style that she really shines.
There are morning glimpses of sunshine, the cold dew that grazes your ankles as you walk through the fields, the dirt under your nails and the sustainable bounty all the elements can provide neatly encapsulated within one LP. While music is often best shared, this is an LP that benefits from isolation and the proper space needed to digest it. [Words: Jack Whatley]
Loss of Life – MGMT – 3.5
Some albums seem to set sail for the stars, and others feel like they’re merely folk records lost in a space echo chamber; Loss of Life by MGMT is the latter. However, that isn’t quite as condemning as it might initially sound because the trip bails itself out of this predicament by musing, existentially, on the very notion of being lost and adrift in the bewildering modern age.
It’s Andrew VanWyngarden and Benjamin Goldwasser’s fifth album since they arrived in 2007 with Oracular Spectacular and announced themselves as the duo most likely to steal your thunder on an Australian backpacking holiday. On it, they get highly experimental with the production. The soundscape they opt for is space-age in the Joe Meek sense, conjuring thoughts of the stratosphere. But beneath it all is simple baroque pop that often goes awry chasing a flurry of disruption, symptomatic of a band in their teenage years growing tired of simplicity.
This results in many epic moments. However, it also results in moments when the wavering wooziness seems to cut you adrift, losing the listener in the same bewildering blur that it sings of. In effect, it can occasionally be hoisted by its own Proustian petard. Thankfully, more often than not, their skilful songwriting and ability to transfigure a composition in mid-flow serve as a tether that brings you back into focus. Nevertheless, there are a few times when your mood fails to align with the record, and you crave something rather more linear, visceral, and solid. [Words: Tom Taylor]
Untame the Tiger – Mary Timony – 3.5
Mystical, rock-driven masterpieces rarely find themselves located in front of avid music enthusiasts. Yet, when they appear as elusive and beautiful as fairy dust, we cling to them tightly, lest they slip away, drifting toward another lost soul seeking solace in a fleeting moment of musical bliss.
Untame the Tiger emerges 15 years after Mary Timony’s previous release, following the end of a significant relationship and framed by the passing of Timony’s father and mother. “This was the hardest thing I’ve been through,” Timony explained, “Every week I had to manage a new crisis.” While this appears to reflect Timony’s usual struggle with imposter syndrome and wavering self-confidence, Untame the Tiger resonates with both poignancy and vulnerability, each lyric and note peeling back layers of intricate emotions.
Throughout the album, Timony’s profound emotional journey stemming from the end of a significant relationship and the loss of her parents deeply shapes her lyrical content. Whether she personifies loneliness as a haunting presence whose persistent knocks at the door are inescapable or navigates themes of loss, Timony skilfully combines pure, unfiltered rock with profound depth and meaning. [Words: Kelly Scanlon]
Dog Beach – Merryn Jeann – 3
Contrary to what determined crate diggers and devoted Rate Your Music users might lead you to believe, there’s no shame in polished and playful indie pop. There’s no need to push into experimental territory if your songwriting and production style doesn’t call for it. At the same time, the indie sphere has become all the more interesting for those artists within it who push the boundaries, dragging unwieldy saxophones and strange samples into otherwise mundane guitar soundscapes.
Problems may arise, however, if a record sits somewhere in between those two states, unwilling to lean into sweet simplicity but afraid to commit to experimentation. This indecisive area seems to be where Dog Beach sits. The latest full-length offering from Merryn Jeann meanders between playful and playlist-friendly indie pop and glimpses of stranger stylings – shrieking saxophones and spoken word interludes – without really committing to either.
The record is perfectly polished but potentially too polished for its tentative experimental moments. It thrives more in its basic melodic fluidity, which perfectly serves Jeann’s authentic voice and her witty, candid lyrics about astrology, anxiety, and airport spirituality. When it does veer into weirder territory, it isn’t willing enough to dive in headfirst, leaving attempts to do so feeling middling. [Words: Elle Palmer]
