Atlantic Vinilo y CD

Review: Fred Again seems to be one of the most talked about artists of the year. Part of that centers around the astonishing Boiler Room set he served up, but also plenty of credit is due for the music he makes. A lot of that is summed up here on Actual Life 3, the third installment of his series after the previous two back in 2021 and recent collabs with the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Future. It shows off his mastery of a range of different sounds and scenes across 13 fun and fresh tunes that are backed with emotive beats and catchy hooks as well as some standout vocals.

Review: Fred Again's latest album Actual Life 3: January 1 - September 9 2022 is the third installment in a series of albums by the British artist which has received positive reviews from music critics and been praised for its experimental sound and emotional depth. The LP features songs that document his personal experiences and thoughts over a period of time. His musical style can be described as a blend of electronic, dance and pop with introspective and emotive lyrics, often incorporating samples from various sources, including personal recordings to create a unique and eclectic sound. The album features collaborations with various artists, such as Kieren Hebden, Jamie XX and Skrillex, among others.

Review: Lizzo is a three tie Grammy winner who after much build up finally drops this long awaited new long player. Her last album, the multi-Platinum selling, top-10 debut album, CUZ I LOVE YOU came back in 2019 and since then Lizzo has cemented her place as one of the most in demand live music performers in the game. This recorded has been proceeded by lead single 'About Damn Time', which leant on disco's colourful rhythms and some fresh cosmic melodies, while most recently Lizzo has partnered with Logitech as the face of their 2022 campaign Defy Logic.

Review: Following her successful Trilogy tour, which spanned the US, UK, and Europe, Melanie Martinez has reissued her 2019 K-12 album on some mad pink and milky clear vinyl. It was a gold-selling record that also charted in the Top 10 and includes hits like 'Teacher's Pet' and 'High School Sweethearts'. Both are irresistible pop ditties that sit amongst many other seriously catchy and well polished sounds such as 'Wheels On The Bus and 'Show & Tell'. A wonderfully feel good record.

Review: While working on The Age of Pleasure, her first album for five years, Janelle Monae frequently played rough cuts of the tracks at parties, choosing to dispense with any that didn't rock the dancefloor. As a result, the album is tons of fun from start to finish, with Monae's lyrics exploring "all the things that give me pleasure" atop music that giddily blurs boundaries in pursuit of genuine good times. 'Float', featuring mighty horns from Afrobeat combo Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, sets the tone, blurring the boundaries between hip-hop, reggae and modern soul, while 'Lipstick Lover' delivers another low-lung reggae/r&b fusion from the top drawer. Throw in guest spots from Grace Jones, Sister Nancy, CK, Amarea and Nia Long, and you have a vibrant and entertaining set that won't leave your headphones all summer long.

Review: Australian singer-songwriter Sia - formerly the voice of chill maestros Zero 7 - is a real pop gem who directed and co-wrote the musical film Music. She penned 10 new tunes for the occasion, with the best of them making the cut here next to songs inspired by the film such as the Dua-Lipa co-written 'Saved My Life.' Largely pop in style with undercurrents of electropop, reggae, EDM and R&B, these are accessible songs that bounce with joy and exuberance. The title track in all its sweeping cinematic glory will likely be the standout for many.

Review: Telling the story of a teenage girl battling thyroid cancer which has spread to her lungs, and the amputee osteosarcoma survivor she meets and falls in love with at the support group her mother encourages (forces) her to attend, suffice to say emotions run high in The Fault In Our Stars. A bonafide tearjerker, both in its original novel and subsequent 2014 movie form, anyone who wasn't expecting the score to the latter to be filled with huge rousing and heartrending indie pop was kidding themselves. Here we have it, then, opening on Ed Sheeran, into Jake Bugg, Kodaline, Lykki Li, M83, Ray Lamontagne and Charli XCX, the track list reads like a map of Gen Z coming of age with a few treats for millennials, and plays out like a radio station that lives up to the 'killer no filler' claim. Providing, that is, you're moved by stadium-sized balladry, sing-along chart dance and shoegaze-y electronica.