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FEATURE MUSIC

Olivia Rodrigo Guts

The Kills God Games

The messy, pivotal, and all-so sudden experience of being a teenage girl has so rarely been reflected upon quite as starkly as

Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart are back with a flaming sword of vengeance! Both members of the indefatigable duo added to their

we get to hear on Guts, Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore album. Stand-outs include ballad-turned-punk-opera Vampire, astonishingly candid admission of that special kind of girl-jealousy Lacy, and the syncopated party stomp Get Him Back! , but every one of these tracks holds a special spot in the well-rounded collection. Gretta Ray Positive Spin The diamond on Gretta Ray’s

skill sets before creating their sixth record: Hince taught himself how to use ProTools, and encouraged Mosshart ”to buy this 100-dollar keyboard and try to write”; we’re tipping Mosshart used this instrument to create the

DMA’S

imagery, and means 21 Year Vacancy is successful in exploring its spectrum of emotions with a relatable sentiment. How Many Dreams? is a sparkling achievement from the adored Sydney three-piece. Lana Del Rey Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd There's no getting past the fact that Lana Del Rey is her generation’s musical poet laureate. Her ninth album is a mystical, mythological plait of spiritual Americana and stellar songwriting, on which wisps of enigmatic thought escape through splits that she’s deliberately left unmended. Don’t go into this one expecting to get out unscathed, or indeed get off the carousel whenever you wish; Lana’s ability to bewitch knows no bounds. Ian Moss Rivers Run Dry Diesel has a beautiful description of Ian Moss’ guitar playing: ”Heaven’s coming through his hands.” And his playing is intuitive and inventive, refusing to follow a script. It’s hard to fathom that it’s 50 years since Cold Chisel started; Mossy’s guitar work is as expressive as ever, and his vocal remains pure and fresh. Rarely has a rocker aged so gracefully, and Rivers Run Dry is testament to the fact.

second album Positive Spin is Dear Seventeen, a brutally honest letter to her younger self about writer’s

block, body image, dating older men, still loving Taylor Swift, and money. The soundtrack to this quarterlife crisis is thrilling, intelligent pop. Stephen Sanchez Angel Face

There are concept albums, and then there’s Stephen Sanchez’s Angel Face. The 21-year-old Californian’s debut traces the tale of fictional

The Kills

alter ego The Troubador Sanchez: his rise to crooning, swooning fame in the late 1950s; his star-crossed relationship with a gangster’s girlfriend; and his tragic downfall. It’s its own sweeping romance, worthy of a Gable-Gardner double bill – and if Sanchez’s famous fans (cough - Elton John - cough) are anything to go by, his star may just reach that high. Dan Sultan Dan Sultan arrived as a songwriter. The ARIA-winning Dan Sultan is the story of survival and resilience, delivering songs that will be ringing – and stinging – in your ears. Taylor Swift 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Almost ten years on from its original release, 1989 got its Taylor’s Version Ian Moss Dan Sultan has always been a great performer, with genuine charisma and presence. With his fifth album of August last year, he

juvenile, cute-yet-creepy, The Addams Family -esque keys hook that adds levity to the dark and sinister Wasterpiece: ”You’re VIP in the hall of fame/ I’m RIP on the walk of shame…” Wow, we certainly hope they paused to celebrate that stroke of lyrical genius! The Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds The ageless octogenarian rock’n’roll rebel gang’s first album of original material in 18 years, produced by the in-demand Andrew Watt, features both Stevie Wonder and Elton John on piano. Opening with killer first single Angry, we gotta love a whispered ”one-two-three-four” intro; ears can familiarise with the singer’s timbre alone. That’s a Start Me Up -level infectious riff – classic Keef! Mess It Up is a catchy, you-done me-wrong rant, which navigates the bitterest end of a dalliance gone too long, and teeters on the truth-telling/just being hurtful boundary.

Swaggering stuff. Troye Sivan Something to Give Each Other

makeover last year – and with the confidence of age, Swift’s vocals give a truly powerful shot of adrenaline to songs including Shake it Off, Blank Space, and Bad Blood. The album which became Swift’s defining crossover moment from country-pop starlet to bona fide popstar has been expanded from 13 to a massive 21 tracks, including five previously unreleased ’from the vault’ cuts.

Troye Sivan has always been a sensitive and nuanced voice on queer love experiences, and with his third album we find his feet

planted firmly on the dancefloor. Led by Rush , a piano-stabbed dance track with an irresistible gang vocal chorus (”I feel the rush/ Addicted to your touch”), Something to Give Each Other serves heart-splitting moments delivered via the thumping thrill of the club.

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