Cardinal Black’s next UK and Ireland headline run will finish with consecutive nights at London’s KOKO and Cardiff’s Great Hall. Those April 2027 shows conclude the band’s biggest tour of the region to date, following a third studio album shaped by the experience of performing together. The record, Second Sign of Life, arrives January 29, 2027 through Thirty Tigers. Lead single “Saving Grace” is out now, pairing Chris Buck’s muscular guitar work with Tom Hollister’s soulful v

Attention is often discussed as something to attract, retain or measure. On his new album, Eric Hirshberg approaches it as a limited part of a person’s life, with consequences attached to where it goes. The question running through More Is Not The Answer concerns what deserves that attention in the first place. Released October 16, the ten-song album considers the relationship between digital habits and human priorities. Hirshberg’s perspective comes partly from years spent w

Photo credit: Bee Gutierriez Three-time Grammy-nominated artist and founding member of legendary hip-hop group The Pharcyde, Bootie Brown, returns with his latest solo single, ‘2 Get 2 U’, as he prepares to join Gorillaz for the US leg of their tour. Blending laid-back production with Brown’s unmistakable delivery, the new release explores attraction, seduction and the often elaborate lengths people will go to capture someone’s attention. Playful and character-driven, ‘2 Get

Robert Hinrichs is all about moving forward on ‘The Road’, a synth-pop release that turns personal change into something bright, infectious and full of possibility. Blending funk grooves, electronic textures and big pop melodies, the track has a theatrical edge that brings to mind the colourful energy of Scissor Sisters and the euphoric hooks of Mika, while still leaving plenty of room for Hinrichs’ own creative quirks. There’s a nice shift in mood as the track unfolds, start

If you're building a list of jazz records that reward close, repeated listening this year, put Grégory Privat's Darling near the top of it. Facebook | Instagram | X | YouTube The Martinique-born pianist's third solo album finds him playing every instrument himself, and the title track is where that commitment is most exposed, no collaborators to lean on, just Privat and the space he creates. You'll want to know the backstory too. Privat has spent over fifteen years developing

The title of Ali Handal’s new album carries the weight of experience. Released October 9, Slow Burn reflects a career that has unfolded across decades rather than according to the music industry’s preferred timetable, and its newest video makes that philosophy unexpectedly entertaining. “High Road” pairs Handal with Marc Maron inside a boxing ring, where the two musicians settle their differences with guitar solos. It is a funny visual conceit, but the song underneath it is c

Looking for something a little different for your next playlist? Desire Machines have just the thing. The international dream-pop and art-rock collective bring together psychedelic sounds, literary references and a healthy dose of imagination on “Searching for the Soul of Marianne Moore”, out now via Now Listen. Here are 5 reasons the single deserves your attention right now. 1. The lyrics take some unexpected turns Stolen gin, Andy Warhol in 1974 and a giant eagle with laser

Kendow has turned his enthusiasm for women’s football into a new release with “Lionesses Of England.” The Slough songwriter created the track after being inspired by the dedication of the England women’s national team and the broader excitement surrounding their performances. Rather than taking a complicated lyrical approach, the song is designed as a straightforward celebration of the players and the passion they bring to football. Its dance-pop arrangement is built from pro

Tobias Bergson brings together melodic depth and dancefloor sophistication on Promise, a new EP released 9 October via PLAYY. Records. Drawing on deep house, progressive and Afro House influences, the Austrian producer delivers a measured, atmospheric sound that balances introspection with club-ready momentum. The title track, ‘Promise’, establishes the EP’s identity through a restrained synth pulse and understated vocal textures before opening into an Afro House-inspired rhy

Sanjay Michael leans into the unapologetic spirit of rock ’n’ roll on ‘Baby Baby’, a blues-infused single driven by gritty guitar work, infectious hooks and a confident sense of swagger. Drawing on the influence of Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses, the Singapore-based singer-songwriter channels classic rock energy into a sound that feels immediate and instinctive. There’s a looseness to the track that works in its favour, with Sanjay’s conversational vocals adding charac

Junior Wright has taken a deliberately minimal approach on his latest single. The LA-based singer-songwriter released “Away”, pairing his lead vocal with piano and cello for a song focused on bereavement and emotional adjustment. The limited instrumentation allows Wright’s performance to carry much of the recording, including subtle changes in tone and falsetto passages as the track becomes progressively darker. Its arrangement developed in an unusual order. Wright first crea

Rather than chasing a signature sound, Fox De La Rose builds Nothing Is Written In Stone around the freedom to follow an idea wherever it leads. Across nine tracks, pop, rock, Britpop and cinematic production sit side by side, giving the album an unpredictable quality that reflects its central theme: life rarely follows a single, predetermined path. The result is a project that values variety as a creative strength, with each song taking a different approach to its storytelli

UK-born American pop artist Nick Hissom, aka Hizzy, turns a highly publicised breakup, controversy surrounding his sexuality and media scrutiny into a provocative new chapter with his five-track EP ‘Hot Boy Things’. Blending early-2000s pop, European dance music and American club production, the release marks Hissom’s reintroduction as an openly gay artist embracing his identity without the personal and societal constraints he previously experienced. Born from the immediate a

Photo Credit: Tomm Morton From busking on the streets of Camden to selling out shows across the world, blues-rock powerhouse Cam Cole continues his remarkable independent journey with new single ‘Chasing Dreams’, taken from his forthcoming album Lost In Creation, arriving October 30, 2026. Known as “probably the heaviest one-man band in the world”, Cole has built an international following through his raw, uncompromising performances, earning millions of streams, appearances

Photo Credit: Ben Welsh An international group of producers sits at the centre of Amana Melome’s latest release. 'RECALIBRATED' takes songs from her recent album Recalibration and places them in a series of new musical settings, ranging from soulful house and disco to dub reggae and jazz-influenced club music. Argentina's Somos Animales bring a reggae-led approach to 'Con C.Alma', while Swedish producer Opolopo gives 'Recalibration' a funkier direction. Elsewhere, Godblesscom

A song first written in the mid-80s has finally received its full release through evolution 9. “Sweet Number One” began as an early demo by project leader Dave Follweiler, written after he became interested in Pennsylvania group St John’s Alliance and their mixture of original songs and 1960s covers. Follweiler originally hoped the band might record the track, but the idea remained dormant for decades. He later revisited the composition and developed it into the finished evol

ADRIANNA’s Talk gets a darker, more futuristic overhaul from Brazilian techno heavyweight Wehbba, transforming the original into a relentless club weapon. Released via TMPL Music, the remix arrives as part of the seven-week run of reworks leading into ADRIANNARCHY, with Wehbba stripping back the melodic elements to put rhythm, sound design and raw dancefloor energy firmly at the centre. The remix wastes no time establishing its intent. Driving percussion pushes through a dens

Minneapolis singer-songwriter Joe Kelly blends acoustic pop, light rock, and bittersweet romanticism on a warm, dreamy new single MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter Joe Kelly will release “The Only Thing” on Friday, September 25, 2026, marking the first single from his forthcoming debut album, due in March 2027. The new song captures Kelly’s signature blend of acoustic pop, light rock, reflective storytelling, and the bittersweet joy of modern romance. “The

If you are looking for something a little different from the usual roots release, JP Oldfield’s Saltwater Gospel is worth checking out. Here are five reasons the new EP deserves your attention. 1. It tells a story from start to finish The six tracks work together as one story, following a Ferryman caught between life and death. His journey takes him through grief, revenge, religion, guilt and, eventually, acceptance. Each song adds another part to the story, making the EP bes

The original “Happy For You” reached No. 31 on the Hot AC radio chart. Ava Della Pietra’s new acoustic version returns to that song after its chart run, placing greater emphasis on the personal writing behind its pop presentation. Released October 2, “Happy For You (Acoustic)” arrives in response to fan requests. Rather than moving immediately to a new composition, Della Pietra has given one of her most popular songs another arrangement and another opportunity to connect. The

The opening song on Kimaya Diggs’ Green establishes that the album’s interest in growth includes confrontation. “I Know That I’m Perfect” turns anger over an ex-boyfriend’s attempt to pressure her into having children into an assertion of bodily autonomy. It is a pointed beginning for a record that also examines compassion and remaining open to life. Released October 2, Green approaches those ideas through a range of situations rather than a single emotional register. Diggs’

“All deception crumbles / Under the weight of truth in time.” Among the words in Firerose’s new single “Phoenix,” that lyric remains especially close to the singer-songwriter. She describes singing it as a visceral experience, a recurring confrontation with the distance between what can appear overwhelmingly powerful in a moment and what ultimately survives it. “Lies can be very loud and overwhelming, especially when they’re being told with a huge machine behind them,” Firero

Swiss alternative artist Fanny Alexandra has returned with “Black Pearl Summer”, a new single released via Now Listen that brings together coastal imagery, personal songwriting and a more open side of her sound. If you have not heard Alexandra before, this is a good place to start. Here are five reasons the track deserves your attention. 1. It takes a different approach to the summer song “Black Pearl Summer” has all the ingredients of a seasonal track, but Alexandra is not i

London-based artist Alysha leans into a darker sonic palette on ‘Take It or Leave It’, a brooding blend of goth, new wave and electronic pop that places themes of faith, temptation and personal boundaries against a distinctly nocturnal backdrop. Co-produced with Matt Rist, the track is driven by shadowy synths, atmospheric electronics and gothic tension, marking a confident step into a more alternative chapter of Alysha’s sound. What sets ‘Take It or Leave It’ apart is its un