LEWIS CAPALDI
BROKEN BY DESIRE TO BE HEAVENLY SENT
Lewis Capaldi's much-anticipated second album is a powerful and a vocally beautiful return to the music scene after four long years.
The album has a mix of earnest ballads showcasing the sheer power of his voice with thoughtfully penned lyrics, particularly in The Pretender and Love The Hell Out Of You.
The album continues in Capaldi's trademark emotional style that has won him so much praise, particularly with Haven't You Ever Been In Love Before and How I'm Feeling Now - which shares the same name as the Netflix film documenting his rise to fame and personal struggles.
A number of tracks share the signature sentimental ballad at its core but with a more upbeat pop track bringing a vibrancy to the album, including on number one single Forget Me and Heavenly Kind Of State Of Mind.
Capaldi's powerhouse voice and songwriting evokes his natural charm even on the album's most emotional ballads, making it a real contender.
8/10
(Review by Ellie Iorizzo)
DEF LEPPARD
DRASTIC SYMPHONIES
For people of a certain age Def Leppard were a large part of the musical identity of the late 80s and early 90s. The Sheffield natives took the world by storm. Now it's 2023 and they don't look like they're going to be slowing down any time soon.
Just when many would be reshaping their extensive back catalogue into another greatest hits affair, Def Leppard have rewritten and orchestrated their most popular tracks and made Drastic Symphonies with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
I never thought I would use the word mellow when it comes to Def Leppard but Animal is so round and rich it just feels right layered with soaring strings.
Hysteria has kept its famous drum line throughout this new version and evokes so many 80s feels, and Pour Some Sugar On Me is now a beautiful ballad (featuring Emm Gryner, who covered the track in 2001).
Joe Elliot et al have created a rich, layered sound that is reminiscent of the classical covers albums of the mid-90s but shown them that something extraordinary was achievable the whole time.
9/10
(Review by Rachel Howdle)
KESHA
GAG ORDER
Delving into the realm of psychedelic pop is Kesha's new album Gag Order.
Labelling the record "post-pop", Kesha merges elements of contemporary hyper-pop with electronic synths.
Ethereal, trance songs sit between emotional ballads and textured pop tunes, culminating in a punchy yet introspective record.
The single Fine Line, released on April 28, monologues the singer's experiences within the music industry, where she says "doctors and lawyers cut the tongue out of my mouth".
The album was written against the backdrop of an ongoing legal battle which is headed to trial in New York this summer.
In 2005, Kesha accused her former producer, Dr Luke, of rape and alleged that he emotionally abused her for years.
As an executive producer of Gag Order, Kesha generates her most colourful and interesting album to date, on a record where she finds empowerment through self-expression and stream-of-consciousness style storytelling.
8/10
(Review by Hannah Roberts)
HANNAH
JADAGU APERTURE
Hannah Jadagu made her name as a bedroom pop musician, recording her first EP entirely on her iPhone 7, but she's making big strides forward with her debut album.
Opening track Explanation starts as a quiet acoustic song, before skittering beats kick in, and the album really hits its stride with the hazy dream pop of Say It Now and What You Did.
On the former, Jadugu sings "you've been waiting to say it, say it now, if your mind has been made, I'll find out how" in a chorus that should be on the radio all summer long.
She wrote all but one of the songs on guitar before introducing layers of synths, working with French co-producer Max Robert Baby to add instruments including a glockenspiel.
Jadugu says she didn't want the songs to sound too alike, and Lose moves from guitar and piano to beats, while Warning Sign starts acoustic and ends somewhere near psychedelia.
Aperture was written after moving from Mesquite, Texas, to attend college in New York City, and lyrical themes include how embedded Christianity is where she grew up, as well as family.
Only just out of her teens, Aperture's 12 tracks are packed with shimmering melodies and unexpected twists, and it will be fascinating to see where Jadagu goes next.
7/10
(Review by Matthew George)
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