The St Vincent album is really something. Engrossing, bold musicality - deft lyricism that seems to skate around various large, existential themes, and are brilliantly written to boot. This and the Vampire Weekend are really setting a high bar. Just everything you need, music for the times.

It seems like Dool is working on their next breakthrough, there's a a lot of love for the new album and live shows from inside and outside Metal. I like it so far.

Also like the new Taylor Swift (somebody had to bring it up). It's not her easiest and the additional tracks on the Anthology version might be even better, but other than that I have little to complain about.

The Tangent – To Follow Polaris

Once upon a time, little Andy Tillison woke up, took a shower on a mission to stop feeling like something that sticks to your shoe and recorded the new The Tangent album all by himself because the rest of the band couldn't be bothered. Or had other appointments. Need I say more? Probably not. It's yet another good one by the Al Stewart of the most entertaining retro-prog around, and the prog year is meteorologically over, the top spot fixed like Polaris and the world of mortals, once again, just "bird shit" (cf. The Tangent: Le Sacre du Travail, "Morning Journey and Arrival") in the lyrical tillisonverse. As a taster: the optimistic lead-off single "The North Sky (Edit)".

May was a month with quite a high quality album count, possibly my highest all year. Most of it is in the mid/lower end of the year end table but I did get a new #1 non metal so far out of it.

Mdou Moctar - Funeral for Justice: They can't keep getting away with this! But they do! African psyche rock shred 'em up which sounds exactly the same as it always does and it's still cool as fuuuuuuucck.

Hammok - Look How Long Lasting Everything Is Moving Forward for Once: The Norweigan rock scene has this knack for making these noisy screechy punk enthused but still catchy as hell hard rock/alt rock records, and this is another worthy entry into that tradition.

EABS - Reflections of Purple Sun: Doesn't have the external impact of the Jaubi collab, but on their own EABS are still a super groovy and driving jazz fusion outfit which is nicely playful and showy.

Couch Slut - You Could Do It Tonight:Couch Slut always come across as a bit performative and try hard, lots of SO I DID DRUGS AND CUT MYSELF sort of hyper drama at play, but they do rock fucking hard with their pissed off noise rock approaching crusty sludge metal in intensity here.

A Country Western - Life on the Lawn: I don't really have any nostalgia for this indie slacker rock thing from the 90's and I still found this really pleasant. Fairly stripped down low effort laze about rock that isn't boring somehow, just has satisfying melodies and just enough dynamics to keep you awake. If you like mid 90's indie rock I'd recommend it quite strongly as this is a rare hit in that style for me.

The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis - The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis: Some very pleasant and easy going jazz rock. You'd think with the Fugazi links they might be a bit more post-hardcorey or otherwise aggressive but it really is just a relaxed time with a nice sax and some pleasant grooves

Amirtha Kidambi's Elder Ones - New Monuments: More jazz? More jazz. This one is distinct from my usual picks in that it's lead by a vocalist rather than a lockstep rhythm section or flamboyant brass player. This means that there are sections of INCREDIBLY CRINGE scatting fuck aboutery, but the bits where she's tying in these actually worded verse or chorus parts into this complex and twisty jazz thing is genuinely super cool.

Farah Kaddour - Bada
Some really cool Lebanese folk

https://farahkaddour.bandcamp.com/album/bada