Reviews

Palmier

Rocé

A long-established presence in French hip-hop, Rocé brings depth and restraint to his latest release, Palmier. The album unfolds as...

Reviewed by Joe Mulhall in issue: May/2026

Landscapes of Eternity

Naïssam Jalal

Every time Naïssam Jalal releases a new album, I get to have the same thought: ‘bloody hell, she’s a fantastic...

Reviewed by Jim Hickson in issue: May/2026

Tåreportens Pärla

Maria Kalaniemi & Pekko Käppi

The Kalevala, a 19th-century Finnish epic, inspired this mostly improvised dialogue between two of the country’s foremost folkies. Maria Kalaniemi...

Reviewed by Wif Stenger in issue: May/2026

Roger Izeidi Presents Vita Matata With African Fiesta

African Fiesta

A powerhouse from the golden age of Congolese rumba. African Fiesta was formed in 1963 by singer Tabu Ley Rochereau...

Reviewed by Nigel Williamson in issue: May/2026

Króta

Mats Edén, Tellef Kvifte & Knut Kvifte Nesheim

A beautiful and courageous acoustic set featuring Norwegians Knut Kvifte Nesheim on percussion and Tellef Kvifte on sea flute (the...

Reviewed by Chris Wheatley in issue: May/2026

Rising

Lyyra

It seems remarkable that across the US there is currently only one professional all-female a cappella choir. More remarkable, then,...

Reviewed by James Rorison in issue: May/2026

Som Sistema

Da Cruz

Bern-based Afro-Brazilian singer Mariana Da Cruz’s seventh album is an urban, global-minded set that moves freely across genres, coloured by...

Reviewed by Andy Cumming in issue: May/2026

Alamar

Ana Carla Maza

This album reached me on the day of a UK government travel warning for Cuba, a mighty yet beleaguered island...

Reviewed by Jane Cornwell in issue: May/2026

Il Mito

Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino

Celebrating their 50th anniversary as one of the most influential folk ensembles in Southern Italy, Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino have selected...

Reviewed by GonÇalo Frota in issue: May/2026

Mīt warde

Sarāb

Sarāb’s Mīt warde confronts the turmoil of recent years head-on, transforming helplessness, anger and moral disorientation into an uncompromising assertion...

Reviewed by Megan Iacobini de fazio in issue: May/2026