2 March 2026 - Memory Lane (The High Kings)

 

Release Date: 12 February 2010*

Song Count: 14

Duration: 55 minutes, 32 seconds

Rating: 7.1/10

Description:

Another Irish folk recommendation, this time for a group that actually is from the country they're musically representing! The High Kings, consisting of Finbarr Clancy, Brian Dunphy, Darren Holden and Paul O'Brien, have been performing as a collective since 2008, with today's album of theirs being only their second to release, but have been around making music in front of crowds since the 90's, establishing themselves as names to look out for in the region's folk scene early on and proving that work with their later work and acquired success. Memory Lane, an earlier stop in their journey together as one band, allows them to highlight the simplicity and yet charm of their country's traditional music.

Chipper and energetic, the sound of the tracks takes the familiar elements that make up traditional Celtic tunes and presents them in a contemporary manner as to enhance their already wide appeal further. Banjos, accordions, flutes and other instruments fly around as the atmospheres alter between cheerful and full of energy and slower and filled with sentiment, and it is all topped off with the heartfelt singing of the members matching the mood at every occasion, with the thick accent coming through to act as a final full stop to mark the music as undeniably Irish and proud. The lyrics sung within the songs each tell tales from older times, from long-lasting legends, poems and literary works to more modern works reminiscing about the past, and even a track about setting up an arranged marriage for one's daughter and telling her to "show [her] legs to the countryman". Fun stuff all around. 

Though very simple in nature, Memory Lane is a record that is easy to revisit for when wishing to experience a good time, and a likeable introduction to Irish folk music that sticks in one's mind, and most certainly in a positive way. Even if far from mind-blowing in terms of quality or artistry, the grounded nature and charm of the music this album provides gives it its own identity as a worthy record to listen to. It is practically certain to say that there is plenty of fun to be had when giving this collection of songs a spin and letting oneself get carried away with the emotions invoked by these traditional tunes.

*most precise date I could find out there in the interwebs, though it varies across multiple sources and may not be fully accurate.

1 March 2026 - Tales of Othertime (Stormkeep)

 

Release Date: 19 November 2021

Song Count: 6

Duration: 43 minutes, 9 seconds

Rating: 8.2/10

Description:

The magnificent story of a wizard going on a grand adventure to defeat the forces of evil using its powerful magic begins in Denver, Colorado, where the symphonic black metal band Stormkeep is based. Approaching the tail end of the year 2021, the band saw their first - and so far latest, at least as of writing - full-length album release out into the ether, a mystical and anticipated record known as Tales of Othertime. Where the blend of blackened aggression masked in darkness meeting melodies and rich musicality left off previously with their EP Galdrum a year prior, this record picks right back up and channels into something more grand-sounding than Stormkeep's music has ever been.

With their complex riffs and guitar lines colliding with the intensity and weight one would expect from a black metal record particularly emphasised by member Isaac Faulk's vocals, the comparatively small collection of tracks have a lot to offer to the listener to create an enticing and fulfilling musical experience. Each and every moment of the album is set on outperforming itself, constantly bringing in new elements, changes in tempo and energy, and different melody directions to reel in one's attention and retain it in full, whilst also firmly keeping its cohesiveness and consistency as it tells a grandiose tale of a powerful sorcerer embarking on a journey to eliminate malevolent creatures and prove their worth through not only its lyrics, but also its musical direction. Not shying away from the signature stylistic elements within the subgenre often considered "cheesy" or even "cringe-worthy", it non-apologetically plays its concepts entirely straight and does so in spectacular fashion.

Both this and the previous black metal album we have looked at on this site from a few days back have thoroughly shattered my initial expectations coming in with admittedly limited experience in the black metal subgenre, and to see simply how much is possible within this medium in terms of both musical prowess and creative storytelling is a fascinating and delightful revelation. Tales of Othertime simply manages to keep one engaged with the way that it progresses, almost as if having cast a spell on the listener using magic, and really leaves one wishing for more music in this style - and though that drought may only be partially quenched thus far with only one new EP release since this record graced the public, there shall hopefully be more to come for Stormkeep and their fans in the future.

28 February 2026 - Furio (Cat Temper)

 

Release Date: 10 March 2023

Song Count: 10

Duration: 41 minutes, 33 seconds

Rating: 7.1/10

Description:

Feels good to be back in proper synthwave territory again! It's been a while.

From Boston, Massachusetts, a producer by the name of Mike Langlie, better known as Cat Temper, has been in the synthwave seen making music since 2019, with numerous works already under his belt - an impressive feat, given the comparatively shorter time length of activity so far. As one may guess by the cover arts and general branding of the project, every song here is titled around cats and cat-related puns, which is a neat gimmick, and the one album out of many we're bringing in the magnifying glass on, Furio, is no different in that aspect. Though the album disappointedly doesn't greet us with remixed cat noises or anything else of the sort, it regardless has some interesting music to offer.

A combination of synth-pop, other genres of electronic dance music that go along with that sort of sound palette relatively well, such as Disco and Electro, and even influences of video game music at times, Furio has an assortment of highly electric and digital-sounding tracks to nod along to that are both easy to mentally digest and built by melodies and elements unique enough to lead the listener to wonder where any given track will head to next. The equally digital percussions, though both present and defining of the groove, are simultaneously reclined in volume as to give the overall sound a more laid-back feel and let the synths, sawtooth waves, keys and other instruments take centre stage in the composition. Particular songs, in the way they are structured and mixed, call back to older electronic music and their style as well, whilst polishing the sound to a more modernised version of itself, making the music feel practically timeless.

Though far from mind-blowing in terms of quality, Furio's danceable tracks nevertheless lead to an enjoyable time listening and have plenty of charm to appeal to many tastes, regardless of if one prefers older sorts of beats or leans towards listening to newer songs of the genre. Perhaps more energetic than the average synthwave album yet still faithful to the style's elements, it emerges as a successful collection of songs to uplift one's mood or blast at a car ride at night. Most definitely a solid work from a purr-missing artist by the likes of Cat Temper. No kitty-ng.

(...yeah, I'm not nearly as good with cat puns.) 

27 February 2026 - The Great Satan (Rob Zombie)

 

Release Date: 27 February 2026

Song Count: 15

Duration: 38 minutes, 40 seconds 

Rating: 8.9/10

Description:

A legendary figure in the industrial metal scene has arisen once again, as Rob Zombie, whose older work under his band I've covered on the page almost four months ago (jeez, time flies), has returned with an eight studio album under his solo career - The Great Satan. Described officially as a stylistic return to form to the classic Hillbilly-era sound of "punk-infused rock/metal", the album expresses a strong and striking attitude of rebellion, uprising against societal systems, and a tinge of darkness, Satanism and horror elements, as is expected from the man himself, and judging by the way it sounds, those returning influences from the late 90's that kickstarted Rob Zombie's one-man journey are in full force and stronger than they've ever been.

Alternating between groove-filled rhythms and more gliding flows, The Great Satan very much manages to capture the same energy that the debut album from 28 years ago did with its tracks, as its pays homage to the style of many of the most well-known songs from back then and practically acts as a long-awaited sequel. Also similarly to that record, the highlights of this one are ones that instantly stick in one's mind as phenomenal pieces of industrial metal, whether it be for their intense riffs, unique ideas and samplings, sheer musical weight enough to crush one's eardrums, or a combination of all three factors. This raw aggression and power within the songs fits in perfectly with the subject matters of violence, apocalypse, and standing up against a messed up dystopia of a modern world, with several references to Orwell's 1984 in multiple tracks.

Though just short of the full quality and essence of the original inspiration behind it - even if, admittedly, that is an extremely high bar to clear - , this newest addition to the discography of a long-standing artist I consider to be amongst my all-time favourites is a very solid one that kept me engaged and enjoying the throwback-turned fresh music throughout. Even if not every song was as up on the quality ceiling, with a few of them falling into more generic tropes, those that did reach the top more than made up for them, leading to a balanced and consistently impressive album all around. Zombie has truly outdone himself with this one, and is very likely getting a whirl from me for many months, if not even years, to come in the future for sure. Absolute legend, this man is.

26 February 2026 - Mama's Gun (Erykah Badu)

 

Release Date: 18 November 2000

Song Count: 14

Duration: 1 hour, 11 minutes, 48 seconds 

Rating: 6.1/10

Description:

Today marks the 55th birthday of a musical artist considered by many to be the "Queen of Neo-Soul": Erica Abi Wright, known on the stage as Erykah Badu. Her works, especially across the 90's and 2000s, have had wide amounts of exposure, propelling her to the top of the Neo Soul movement, and amongst them is the album releasing at the dawn of the millenium, Mama's Gun. Releasing following a bout of writer's block as well as childbirth getting in the way for Badu, the album circles around topics of justice, self-worth, equality and finding one's place in the world in a tone inspired by multiple genres at once.

Combining soulful vocals with laid-back rhythms as well as influences from hip-hop, jazz and funk scattered all around, the tracks show their inspirations and atmosphere from the moment the first one of the line begins to play. Badu's gentle vocals flow atop a varied instrumental composition and envelop the listener into an air of introspection and tranquility through their sound, only further amplified through the way the songs interact with each other, smoothly sailing through. It lulls one into a carefree state of letting whatever comes along - both physically and mentally - pass by and not let the thoughts of others affect the lens one looks through.

In the best of tracks, and when listening in some doses, this effect strikes the hardest and leaves a positive impact that feels empowering and re-energising. The fact that a lot of tracks follow a very similar formula with infrequent changes in approaches and sounds, as well as the fact that this persists for an entire 74 minutes in total, however, knock it down from achieving the same thing for the entire rundown. Though captivating and engaging at first, the repetition of heading into territories already thoroughly treaded left me coming out of the experience more with boredom than with relaxation or anything of the sort. The talents of Erykah Badu are clearly displayed within the record, and the grounded sound of it is remarkable at particular moments, so it is a letdown that this level of intrigue didn't stick with me for longer whilst listening. Who knows, perhaps this is a record that may have to grow on yours truly first, but for now, this will make its way into the category of "respected more than actually liked" in terms of album enjoyability. Sincerest pardons.

25 February 2026 - De Pinte (Misotheist)

 

Release Date: 20 February 2026

Song Count: 4

Duration: 41 minutes, 5 seconds 

Rating: 7.8/10

Description:

Here is another recent release of a black metal album, after two and a half weeks since the last one we saw: from Trondheim, Norway rises the newly emerged, innovating band Misotheist, with their fourth album De Pinte. What is especially notable about the way this rather mysterious group releases records is that they usually consist of only 3 tracks each, yet comfortably reach the duration length of an average album through including long and extensive songs - and this release, in fact, is an exception to the rule by including a fourth track in for the first time. The band, usually centering their music around the concepts of wickedness, torture, unholiness and darkness, are slowly gathering an audience of curious and impressed listeners willing to observe their particular approach to black metal music, which seems to have been deemed as being on a winning streak so far.

De Pinte is a highly dark and emotive album that immerses one into the displayed melancholy, despair and fury through its clever instrument use to lead into these sensations. The dissonant guitar riffs blaze in aggression and the drums suffocate in their speed and precision as the tracks cycle between introducing layered melodies on a constant basis and looping around in classic black metal fashion, before gliding smoothly into what succeeds it. The delicate balance between dread & tension and small glimpses of light throughout is upheld spectacularly across the experience, really capturing one in and letting the dark mood set without dragging on for too long, even when the closing, titular and by far longest song of Misotheist's entire discography at over 21 minutes kicks in and begins playing. For a track of monstrous length by many standards, "De Piste" is quite effective at pacing itself with consistency and intrigue upheld across the board, as although it takes its time traveling from one sonical point to the next, it never gives the sense of wasting one's time by its overt length. 

Black metal has been a subgenre yours truly has had difficulty clicking with in the past due to its frequent lack of melodicism that I look for in music as well as its "wall of noise" effect of purposefully overwhelming or tiring the listener out - however, in spite of being fully faithful to the particular style with no need felt to blend anything else in, De Pinte manages to shatter this mold through its subtly noticeable yet impactful variety of musical threads and harmony as well as clever pacing that manages to retain interest the entire way through. With how expertly crafted this album shows itself to be, it would quite frankly be a shame for it to not gain its deserved amount of recognition and praise, and I sincerely hope that this work, alongside Misotheist's other works, finds a suitable, sizeable audience in metal scenes in the future. A solid record all around.

24 February 2026 - Memory Mirror (The Octopus Project)

 

Release Date: 7 April 2017

Song Count: 13

Duration: 40 minutes, 13 seconds

Rating: 5.7/10

Description:

A highly experimental act breaking the boundaries of artistic and musical expression is our next destination, as today we glance into The Octopus Project's sixth studio album, Memory Mirror. The Austin-based band consists of members Toto Miranda as well as siblings Yvonne and Josh Lambert, and has been creating unique visual and aural experiences - particularly through their live shows - since their foundation all the way back in 1999. Described as an unorthodox blend of pop, rock, electronica and psychedelia combined into one, their musical style is unlike those of most others one is likely to find out there, and Memory Mirror plunges directly into their extraterrestrial and whimsical ideas and creations with the way it sounds.

The classic rock lineup of instruments - guitars, bass and drums - are interwoven with digitalised sounds like synths and sawtooth-like tunes to create a versatile instrumental as the vocals thrown in on occasion round out the general trip-inducing and mesmerising effect of the music. Tracks are easy to get lost in with their deliberate loops and repetitions, drawing attention away from themselves albeit whilst also introducing conventionally strange-sounding elements and segments within the tracks at times to keep some amount of focus in a sort of self-contradictory way. The album achieves this form of mental absorption within the listener all whilst refraining from using any sort of clutter or large amounts of sounds and instruments at once, achieving plenty with seemingly very little.

Unfortunately, the praise that can be handed out towards Memory Mirror in the contexts of inducing a musical trance through its tracks only applies proper at very specific moments within the album, as a majority of it, in an attempt to lean into this effect, only ends up coming off as less intriguing and less worthwhile of a repeated listen, negatively affecting its memorability. Selling an experience like the one this record is trying to do requires a lot of concentrated effort and, more importantly, a sort of meticulous set-up to make sure the listening experience flows as intended, and with Memory Mirror, there seems to be something simply missing to make it click and propel it forward.

The Octopus Project, as a niche group with a rather rich history, seems to be absolutely full of ideas and creativity which could be easily turned into phenomenal pieces of music with the right building blocks, and their sixth venture seems to be eager in displaying this - however, when only taking this particular record into consideration, it would seem that there is yet a way to go before the band reaches their full potential. Perhaps they have done so since the release of this, however, and the only way to tell would be to jump further down the depths of their music, so one will only have to see if that materialises in the future. For now, at least for yours truly, it is perfectly fulfilling with content to pick this one up for a ride and then put it down and to solely return to it again in the midst of rare spurts.

23 February 2026 - End Of Us (TX2)

 

Release Date: 13 February 2026

Song Count: 13

Duration: 38 minutes, 38 seconds 

Rating: 6.5/10

Description:

Rising to the ranks from a particular short-form content application known to propel music artists of all sorts into the limelight, Los Angeles-based TX2, originally Evan Thomas, has been emerging as a heavily motivated and inspirational musician in the past couple of years with primarily emo-blended rock tracks tackling lyrics of mental struggles, insecurities and general darkness in life. The young visionaire very recently debuted his first album to a dedicated audience, entitled End Of Us, which follows along the precedent set by his prior discography with 13 heavily emotive songs to offer.

In spite of being framed around a heavily modern and polished instrumental sound primarily stemming from the classic rock line-up of instruments and tools, a lot of the tracks make a valiant attempt at capturing a similar sort of charm as older, more classic acts that have shaped mainstream rock music over the years (such as Green Day, My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park), and it is apparent in their structure and approach, especially in the harder and more aggression-filled tracks of the album such as "Feed", "The Rain" and "MAD". This, combined with the additional pinch of emotional hardcore elements, make up the raw and expressive mood of the entire outputs and match the equally dark lyricism. TX2 further collaborates with fellow artists and bands in some of the tracks featured to lend their talents and voices, such as DeathbyRomy, Black Veil Brides and even Ice Nine Kills, who work together on the most popular song of the album.

Admittedly, not all of End Of Us' attempts at providing compelling and qualitative songs with a heavy edge stick the landing, with lyrics, vocals and instruments each certainly having their rough patches at certain points as well as many tracks simply not standing out enough to add to the listening experience; the low moments, however, are far from the norm within the album, as plenty of tracks soar through and hit the bull's-eye on their aim of being passion-driven on all fronts, both narratively and sonically, and Thomas ultimately proves himself to be a capable and driven musician with plenty of talent and creativity to delve into as a means to create qualitative emo-rock music, and his dazzling inspiration does shine through when it really matters whilst simultaneously feeling new and fresh. This is overall a record that has its noticeable highs and lows, though ultimately steers more on the positive end, and most definitely acts as a formidable baseline and debut for a young creator of music with clear potential whose future career I wish to witness with great interest.

22 February 2026 - KFC Core (DJ Scotch Egg)

 

Release Date: 29 August 2005

Song Count: 12

Duration: 32 minutes, 4 seconds 

Rating: 2.7/10

Description:

A rather mysterious face in the world of niche electronic music, Shigeru Ishihara, known his stage name DJ Scotch Egg, is a producer who has created aural pieces that aim to shatter the conventions of what is considered "music" since the early 2000s. His debut album from 2005, KFC Core, emerges as a challenger for one of the most unconventional full-length records out there, taking particular elements from Chiptune, Gabber and Breakcore and pushing them to their absolute extreme whilst also experimenting with whacky song structures.

Most of the tracks on this album are short and explosive, their sonical contents on all fronts designed around being harsh to listen to for the average listener. The rapid and organically abrasive nature of Breakcore combined with bouncing, repeated kicks and beats not unlike Hardcore electronic music and bite-like tunes of Chiptune that are far from afraid to even use melodies from actual video games like Tetris all make up for a strange yet workable collection of sounds and samples to stitch together. The tracks also individually vary in terms of listening harshness, with some of them taking a much louder and noisier approach than others do - the likes of "Scotch Heads" and "Scotch Attack" come in fully swinging, whilst "Scotch Land" and "Scotch Out", though still far from exempt from the natural glitchy roughness, are far more sparing to the ear and brain.

This all is topped off by the closer and longest track by a mile, with a staggering 13 minutes compared to the average track duration of less than 2 minutes that all of the other tracks have, "Knock Knock Sandwich Next Door", which starts off rough and noisy as expected, before falling into complete silence at the 52-second mark and not resuscitating whatsoever until over 5 and a half minutes in, where the rest of the track is spent building up an extremely subtle instrumental with guitars, bass and a drumkit under a long, idle conversation playing out atop it - and it all ends after seven more minutes, without building up anywhere. It is a deeply confusing piece, with the only connecting thread and recurring topic being KFC and chicken, which shows up during the talking in the second half.

In spite of going in with high expectations, KFC Core was unfortunately not a record that managed to deliver on its ideas and promises on any fronts - the harsh moments and songs, though conceptually interesting, collapse under their own weight before they manage to lead to a satisfactory conclusion, the order and structure of the entire package feels very disjointed and uncoordinated, and the final weapon it had in store - the extra-long track - left things on a particularly awkward note by not sonically connecting to the rest of the album's music either. Though DJ Scotch Egg has proven himself to be more than a capable producer with the miniscule glimpses visible within this first album, the record on its own ended up doing almost nothing of positive note for me.

21 February 2026 - The Fat of the Land (The Prodigy)

 

Release Date: 30 June 1997

Song Count: 10

Duration: 56 minutes, 27 seconds 

Rating: 8.3/10

Description:

(Note: Written and reviewed past midnight.) 

The second appearance of the British electronic band on the site, and this time we're checking out a record slightly further along in their discography, being their third released, titled The Fat of the Land. Still carrying over the classic charm of the final decade of the millenium that was present in their previous works, this time around, their legendary dancer and performer Keith Flint provided his vocals within the tracks themselves for the first time in the group's history. Flintwould continue to leave a substantial imprint not only onto The Prodigy's music for the rest of his time making music with them, but also onto the minds of the dedicated audience he managed to garner through his crafts, to the point where when he unfortunately passed in 2019 from suicide, fans from all around collaborated online to get the song "Firestarter" from this very album onto the top of the UK Charts. It is safe to say that the record was a big success, through both the records it broke upon release and its cultural impact all around.

Expanding upon the classic breakbeat foundations set by themselves, with this particular release, The Prodigy seem to have injected in pinches of punk music and hard rock into their formula as a means to add a sharp punch to their sound, and it seems to have worked a treat. The appeal to this record is not unlike the one of where they came from, though it is most certainly not a direct parallel with the shifts in sonical identity introduced further down the line that can be found here. The vocals of both Keith Flint and Keith "Maxim" Palmer only add on to this newly found edge and aggression further, and act as a knot to tie the entire sound of the album together, laying atop the collection of rock-like instruments playing, samples, and digital mixing, that all culminate into one naturally charming stream of electro-punk music.

Though the pure breakbeat of their debut Experience was an example of pure fun bundled up into one full-length album for certain, The Fat of the Land took an additional leap in every way with its added innovation, unique approach to combining breakbeat with rock and punk, and overall improved composition that ended up gaining the slight edge on which album I ended up having more fun with - though it was certainly a close fight either way. There is simply little that can beat the power of strong beats and loops that weasel their way into one's brain in quite the same way The Prodigy's classic output does, and both of these early records of theirs are shining cases that highlight exactly this. Most definitely recommended to anyone looking for a good time.

Rest in peace, Keith Flint, and thank you for the music.

20 February 2026 - NEBULA (Green Lads)

 

Release Date: 10 March 2023

Song Count: 10

Duration: 37 minutes, 11 seconds 

Rating: 6.6/10

Description:

(Note: Thanks to a mate of mine for this recommendation! You know who you are.)

From the Rennes-based group Green Lads, specialised in making catchy and inventive Celtic folk tunes, today we're exploring their third full-length album, NEBULA. Going around all of France (and beyond, on occassion) to perform their music, these players of strings and flutes are no slouches when it comes to making songs their heart desires, and they top their crafts up with electronic productions that amp up their energies further - and nowhere is this combined prowess clearer than with this particular album.

Though most of the tracks consist of the aforementioned blend of traditional instruments and digital mixing with no singing thrown in, the odd tracks like "Dreams" change this trend up by containing vocals from multiple individuals singing along in harmony to the instrumental. With a generally cheerful air around the entire album's output, the songs are designed - whether by direct intention or simply by the nature of the genre - around making the listener dance, or at least induce a positive mood within them upon listening, and it achieves its effect relatively well. Though not many of the tracks end up sticking in one's memory in a particular way, the few that do are excellent in doing so, and overall lead to a fun experience as they flow through.

There is little else to say about NEBULA aside from the fact that it proves itself to be a solid record performed by talented musicians that shines light on a genre of music less touched on by the general music sphere. Perhaps with repeated listens and enough time spent, the individual tracks may start clicking more for yours truly, but for now, from my perspective, the album has cemented itself  as a decent listen one could return to for when trying to induce a specific energy that only Celtic folk such as this can provide. Not bad all around. 

19 February 2026 - Wuthering Heights (Charli XCX)

 

Release Date: 13 February 2026

Song Count: 12 

Duration: 34 minutes, 40 seconds 

Rating: 6.9/10

Description:

Taking an excursion to a new release from a very popular artist, we are greeted by the likes of Charli XCX, originally Charlotte Aitchison, with a soundtrack album made specifically for the romantic drama film Wuthering Heights, where it subsequently gets its name from. The British pop star has quite the weight on her shoulders in terms of public expectations, following from the immense success of her last album from two years ago, BRAT, as well as its subsequent respins and remixes, the widespread acclaim of which managed to lead to the coinage of the modern slang term "brat summer" as a pop culture phenomenon as a whole. Perhaps at least partially as a way to distance herself from this unreachably high bar, Wuthering Heights does everything in its power to aurally distance itself from its predecessor and bring something entirely new to the table to stand on its own merit.

If one goes into this album looking for a collection of summer-defining party anthems or anything adjacent to that sort, this may not be the right place for it whatsoever - the listener is instead greeted with countless dramatic, self-reflective, vulnerable and often slower tracks that incorporate a whole whirlwind of influences and subgenres into its mixture, including things like Baroque Pop and Witch House. The general tendency of the album is not to say that every track within it is a slow and sad ballad with no groove, however - multiple tracks, such as "Dying for You", "Seeing Things" and "Out of Myself", mix their orchestral instruments and highly melodic nature with hooking and at times even danceable beats and provide a much higher level of energy as a means to provide variety. It all overall leads to a fascinating combination of pop, "darker" electronic music, and even at times classical/baroque music, and most certainly not something mainstream music can claim it is accustomed to in any way.

Is this album likely to produce a brand new hit to define the year on and smash records out of the water? Based on the nature of the outputs of Wuthering Heights, it seems rather unlikely, at least to yours truly - though far from lacking in charm, the secret special ingredient that tends to frame an album as one that breaks through spectacularly seems to be sort of missing in these specific tracks. Perhaps I will be proven wrong in that aspect, however, as only time can truly tell what comes of Charli XCX's newest venture. Summed up, it is a record beyond the usual striking zone of the mainstream pop industry, even for an artist like Aitchison who is known to release more experimental music on occasion, and one that stands as rather shaky in terms of general memorability, but nevertheless provides plenty of enjoyment, especially for those willing to experience something new from a more well-established singer.

18 February 2026 - Juggling Dualities (rRoxymore)

 

Release Date: 17 July 2025

Song Count: 8

Duration: 40 minutes, 13 seconds

Rating: 7.1/10

Description:

Within the deep, lesser tapped caves of the world of music, one album I found that showed itself to be worth an exploration was Juggling Dualities, the third and most recent album of Hermione Frank, known professionally as rRoxymore, a French-born producer based in Berlin who makes ambient-adjacent music drawing in elements from many subgenres like New Age, house, drone and IDM, and adds her own tinge whilst doing so. Stating this work to be her most personal and "honest" one yet as it emerged following what was described to be a creatively and inspirationally rougher and drier time of hers, it is abundantly clear when listening with the right ear that the artist's soul and internal thoughts were practically poured into it and converted into a heavily digital-sounding musical format.

Consisting of "only" 8 tracks in total, this album brings its listener along on a new adventure, experience or sensation with every track, wildly switching up the groove and general sound regularly so that it matches not only the track titles, but also the general energy of what has preceded it so it leads to a more organic-feeling segway, even without providing outright transitions or sonical similarities between the songs. From natural sounds and reverbed pianos to heavily distorted digital tunes echoing along, Juggling Dualities provides an extremely varied palette that suits the given track and moment, and this versatility is only amplified by the percussions and beats alternating between following an EDM-inspired path and being entirely absent to let the slower, more ambient segments truly sink in. In spite of this ordering sounding like it would be overly disjointed, especially since it all plays out over only around 40 minutes in total, the way everything is set up within the album makes it work out cohesively enough to not be overly confusing or disorientating at all.

A strange and unconventional yet simultaneously pleasant and creative record, Juggling Dualities is far from afraid to be adventurous in its nature and structure, and though some tracks outshine others with their particular qualities and directions, the overall package comes out as one that is surprisingly easy to digest for such an experimental album and also one that consistently retains one's interest in where it will go next. Overall, this was a record that was positively surprising for my listening experience, and has an abundance of tracks and elements to look forward to, even if genre-wise, there is only a certain level in which I can outright connect to it directly.