MANESKIN – RUSH!

Italian glam rockers Maneskin release their third studio album amid their mammoth Loud Kids Tour, following on from their international success after winning Eurovision 2021.

Frontman Damiano David continues his rise as a voice of Gen Z with pointed lyrics about sex and passion.

There is infatuation on single Supermodel, loss on the closing ballad The Loneliest and war on Gasoline, in support Ukraine following Russia's invasion.

The quartet bring new experimentation such as vocal distortion on opening track Own My Mind, which sets the tone for the rest of the album.

Listeners are also treated to three new Italian-language songs, which highlight David's gravelly tones and vocal prowess.

Despite its early release, Rush! must already be considered a contender for best album off the year.

9/10

(Review by Mason Oldridge)

COMPLETE MOUNTAIN ALMANAC – COMPLETE MOUNTAIN ALMANAC

A collaboration between Scandinavian singer Rebekka Karijord and Italian-American poet and dancer Jessica Dessner, Complete Mountain Almanac is a suite of 12 songs themed around the months of the year and tackling issues both intimate and universal.

Karijord, Norwegian-born but Swedish-based, has previously scored the Greta Thunberg documentary I Am Greta and the climate is again a theme here alongside Dessner's lyrics battle with breast cancer which inspired a lot of the lyrics.

If Dessner's surname sounds familiar, there is a reason for that and her brothers Bryce and Aaron, both members of The National, contribute the instrumental work on this album with Bryce also writing string arrangements which were brought to life by the Malmo Symphony Orchestra.

In a themed suite of songs such as this it seems almost facile to pick stand-outs but March and May are particularly beautiful, with haunting lyrics showing Karijord's vocals at their best.

8/10

(Review by Tom White)

YOU ME AT SIX – TRUTH DECAY

A decade ago, a spate of sudden absence struck at a school in Yorkshire. Illness? No. Truancy? Perhaps.

But in our defence, You Me At Six were doing an album signing at the local HMV.

To say the band's eighth album is like stepping back into that HMV feels apt.

Opener Deep Cuts kicks off 13 blistering tracks that feel designed to cement their status at the top of the emo rock game.

For those hoping for more experimentation (as on previous record Suckapunch) there will be disappointment.

Closing track A Love Letter To Those Who Feel Lost offers a change of pace and Ultraviolence has an electro feel.

But they are rarities on an album packed with emo euphoria that will have you digging out your band posters and plastering them to the nearest wall.

8/10

(Review by Sarah Williets)

AVA MAX – DIAMONDS AND DANCEFLOORS

Max's second album opens as it means to go on with the energy-packed 2022 single Million Dollar Baby, and is sure to please fans of earlier hits like Sweet But Psycho or Kings & Queens.

The American singer, who has been compared to Lady Gaga for her sound and style, has packed Diamonds And Dancefloors with no-nonsense messages of empowerment.

There are plenty of floor fillers like the singles Maybe You're The Problem and Weapons plus some simple joy in the title track and tunes like Turn Off The Lights.

Changes in pace avoid the 14 tracks sounding samey with One Of Us and Weapons both opening in a slower, more dramatic fashion.

And the enjoyable album ends on a more atmospheric and seductive tone with Last Night On Earth and perfect final track Dancing's Done.

7/10

(Review by Beverley Rouse)