Latest pick
Lily Seabird – Lightspheres on Their Way
The Burlington, Vermont singer-songwriter takes flight on her third album.
No Ripcord recommends
Believe The Hype
Essential records, hand-picked by No Ripcord.
Believe The Hype Archive
Essential records, organised by year.
2026
This Is Lorelei – The Singer in My Band
Nate Amos’ latest album as This Is Lorelai is a spellbinding AOTY contender.
2026
Westside Cowboy – It Goes On
Confident, varied, and unashamedly fun, It Goes On is an astonishing debut album that announces a bold new talent.
2026
Open Mike Eagle & Kenny Segal – DOOMED!
Now this is a break-up album. Long-time friends Open Mike Eagle and Kenny Segal team up for a razor-sharp record that showcases their impressive skills.
2026
L‘Rain – fata morgana
Caught between illusion and reality, the Brooklyn artist uses her self-doubt to push her songwriting into new, undiscovered territory.
2026
Man/Woman/Chainsaw – Cannonball
Man/Woman/Chainsaw have found the perfect sweet-spot between edgy weirdness and tasteful sophistication. Their glorious debut is a delight.
2026
Liz Lawrence – Vespers
Liz Lawrence’s Vespers—a beautiful tribute to her late sister Jessie’s tragically short life—will undoubtedly resonate with listeners seeking comfort and understanding in times of grief.
2026
Greg Mendez – Beauty Land
Philadelphia based singer-songwriter Greg Mendez was one of 2023’s unexpected success stories. Can his first full-length for Dead Oceans survive the weight of expectation?
2026
Iceage – For Love of Grace & the Hereafter
The Danish art-punk veterans deliver their most approachable, yet distinctly odd, album to date.
2026
The Twilight Sad – IT’S THE LONG GOODBYE
On their sixth LP, the Scottish veterans confront loss head-on with raw, impassioned anthems.
2026
Ora Cogan – Hard Hearted Woman
Elevated yet approachable, the Canadian singer/songwriter‘s Sacred Bones debut offers a powerful entry point into Cogan‘s quietly bewitching world.
2026
RJD2 & Supastition – According To...
Hip Hop veterans RJD2 and Supastition deliver a mature, satisfying, and genuinely exciting record—reconnecting with the spirit of ’90s underground Hip Hop without falling into the familiar tropes that dilute the genre’s effectiveness today.
2026
Cardinals – Masquerade
Raw, vital, and expansive, Cork-based quintet Cardinals stir up a distinctly Irish-sounding punk sound.
2026
Pullman – III
The Chicago supergroup’s first album in 25 years is a quiet testament to their friendship, forged in the face of adversity.
2025
Anna von Hausswolff – Iconoclasts
Swedish experimental musician (and pipe organ enthusiast) Anna von Hausswolff goes pop, in her own unique fashion.
2025
Hilary Woods – Night CRIÚ
On Night CRIÚ, Irish polymath Hilary Woods has found the sweet spot between her two contrasting musical personas—the avant-garde drone architect and the cerebral dream-pop minimalist.
2025
The Belair Lip Bombs – Again
Over the course of a lean 35 minutes, the Melbourne indie rock band proves to be resolute in finding a path forward as themselves.
2025
Wednesday – Bleeds
Rat Saw God was No Ripcord’s favourite album of 2023. Can Wednesday’s follow-up solidify their place in indie rock’s top tier?
2025
Constant Follower – The Smile You Send Out Returns To You
Rewarding in its patience, the Scottish trio, led by Stephen McAll, sculpts haunting ambient folk that unlocks songwriter Stephen McAll’s distressing past. Juan Edgardo Rodríguez reviews.
2025
SUMAC & Moor Mother – THE FILM
SUMAC, the post-metal improv behemoth, teams up with Moor Mother on a collaboration that just makes sense.
2024
Christopher Owens – I Wanna Run Barefoot Through Your Hair
Former Girls frontperson Christopher Owens finally fulfils his solo potential.
2024
Aerial M – The Peel Sessions
Aerial M’s The Peel Sessions is a lasting record of a fleeting moment in Pajo’s history that we’re thankful to finally hear.
2024
Charli XCX – BRAT
On the evidence of BRAT, it’s also justified to say that, right now, Charli XCX is the greatest pop star in the world.
2024
Arab Strap – I’m totally fine with it don’t give a fuck anymore
Arab Strap’s eighth album sees the band decking their idiosyncratic brand of post-rock with a warmer, smoky sheen.
2024
Ducks Ltd. – Harm’s Way
Canadian janglers Ducks Ltd. take flight on their second album.
2024
The Umbrellas – Fairweather Friend
The San Francisco indie pop quartet strikes gold on their second album.
2023
Feeble Little Horse – Girl With Fish
Feeble Little Horse find their stride on their second album.
2023
The Lemon Twigs – Everything Harmony
On Everything Harmony, the Lemon Twigs transcend their classic rock influences by sounding very of its time and timeless all at once.
2023
Yves Tumor – Praise a Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds)
Praise a Lord... sees Tumor achieving the difficult task of remaining as perplexing as ever while forging a more inviting sound.
2023
Hamish Hawk – Angel Numbers
Hamish Hawk is an outsider’s outsider with a fast-track ticket to natural treasure status.
2023
Andy Shauf – Norm
On the majestic Norm, Andy Shauf brings a rich musical gravitas that augments the mystery of his chosen subject.
2023
Complete Mountain Almanac – Complete Mountain Almanac
Initially intended as a twelve song suite about climate change, Complete Mountain Almanac ended up becoming a record cancer survivorship following Jessica Dessner’s diagnosis.
2023
The Murder Capital – Gigi’s Recovery
The Dublin quintet’s second album is a giant leap forward.
2022
Weyes Blood – And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow
With the sixth Weyes Blood album, Natalie Mering has concocted a successor to Titanic Rising that any gambler worth their salt would have no doubt taken the under on.
2022
Alvvays – Blue Rev
The Canadian band delivers perfection on their third album.
2022
Beth Orton – Weather Alive
The folk-leaning singer-songwriter’s stunning eighth LP couldn’t be a more perfect introduction for those unfamiliar with her work.
2022
Sudan Archives – Natural Brown Prom Queen
Aided by a number of likeminded producers to help fulfil her vision, Parks comes across as an open book, delivering a lushly atmospheric portrayal of a woman who takes pleasure in living in the moment.
2022
Viagra Boys – Cave World
The searing third album by the Swedish post-punk renegades is a manifesto on stupidity, taking their depraved, ideologically-charged satire into more sonically adventurous territory.
2022
Spiritualized – Everything Was Beautiful
On his ninth LP, Jason Pierce continues to poke a little fun at his own expense, alluding to being in a state of perpetual medical dependence while revelling in the joy of being human.
2022
Wet Leg – Wet Leg
Wet Leg’s hotly anticipated self-titled debut is no slapped-together producer’s vision of what the kids should like. Its authenticity is what makes it so addictive, so accessible.
2022
Nilüfer Yanya – PAINLESS
Nilüfer Yanya draws strength from her emotional resilience on PAINLESS.
2022
Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
To borrow a turn of phrase, Big Thief focus on, quite literally, the journey and not the destination. The result is the most compelling case in years on the potential of the journey—the insights to be gleaned, the friendships to be strengthened, your own potential waiting to be untapped.
2022
Spoon – Lucifer On the Sofa
Lucifer on the Sofa could be considered a more straight-ahead, minimalist affair. That said, it also retains Spoon's ability to reshape classic rock sounds and colour outside the lines.
2021
Ovlov – Buds
Despite getting out their humourous side in song titles and social media, Ovlov nonetheless funnel all their passion and expertise into their exhilarating sound.
2021
Hana Vu – Public Storage
Steeped in alt-rock and new wave influences and “you can't prove this is about you" vagaries, Vu’s full-length debut is just the right balance of melodrama, defiance, and inhibition.
2021
Self Esteem – Prioritise Pleasure
With Prioritise Pleasure, Rebecca Taylor has likely coined enough slogans to retire on t-shirt sales alone, but it’s also one of the most insightful pop records this year.
2021
illuminati hotties – Let Me Do One More
Let Me Do One More is a powerful declaration coming from a pop savant who is upping her songwriting chops behind deceptively simple songwriting.
2021
Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert
The immeasurable talent that hides behind Simbiatu Ajikawo’s fourth LP's nineteen tracks confirms that she’s one of the greatest artists of her generation.
2021
Darkside – Spiral
Darkside’s triumphant return after an eight-year hiatus is an alchemical concoction of beats, textures, sonic flourishes, and melodies that sound like they were recorded in a world that had no precedent.
2021
Charlotte Day Wilson – Alpha
The long period leading up to this record—not to mention the time afforded for additional audio work due to the coronavirus pandemic—means Wilson has had the space to hone her sound and deliver upon the potential her earlier releases promised.
2021
Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
New Long Leg was constructed in pieces on a wiped-down, passed-around tape deck—the new pandemic normal. It could easily have suffered for it, but the production is masterful.
2021
The Weather Station – Ignorance
Tamara Lindeman shifts gears on her fifth album as The Weather Station.
2021
The Avalanches – We Will Always Love You
Four years on from the divisive Wildflower, and now almost two decades on from Since I Left You, it feels like The Avalanches have now freed themselves from any pressure at all.
2020
Adrianne Lenker – songs / instrumentals
Like Dylan and Townes Van Zandt before her, Adrianne Lenker is emerging as a songwriter who takes an idea and toys with it.
2020
Owen Pallett – Island
Considering the avant-garde associations suggested by Island’s sonics, it makes sense to weigh the lyrics according to the same, progressive metrics, allowing that the words exist not as prose narrative but as poetic abstractions standing in for more universal meanings.
2020
Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways
Bob Dylan recaptures the magic on his 39th studio album.
2020
Sports Team – Deep Down Happy
Deep Down Happy moves along with such exuberant energy that we can’t help but feel amused and entertained.
2020
Laura Marling – Song for Our Daughter
While there are moments with more levity, Marling casts this world with a haunting backdrop of striking stories and superb instrumentation.
2020
Yves Tumor – Heaven to a Tortured Mind
Tumor’s latest works on the issues of Safe in the Hands of Love, while reaching for new genres and ideas.
2020
Soccer Mommy – color theory
Soccer Mommy’s second album is equal parts buoyant, earworm riffs and gut punches.
2019
Burial – Tunes 2011-2019
Tunes is a monumental snapshot of the “second act” of Burial’s career, and should be on all electronic music connoisseurs’ Christmas wish lists
2019
FKA twigs – MAGDALENE
FKA twigs’ excellent second album confirms she now has the songs to match her magpie eye for production.
2019
Richard Dawson – 2020
Dawson reminds us that, in spite of our own difficulties navigating the Sisyphean tasks of daily life, there’s always someone worse off.
2019
Big Thief – Two Hands
Two Hands serves as the band’s call to arms—an unspoken dedication to not only put forth music that matters, but also a face-forward shake of the shoulders followed by a clutching embrace.
2019
Brittany Howard – Jaime
What started off as a leap of faith, then an attempt at a memoir, ended up as Howard’s album to date.
2019
Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell!
Lana Del Rey takes a giant leap forward on her sixth full-length release.
2019
Vivian Girls – Memory
Memory poignantly conveys how time has caught up with the Vivian Girls. It may look into the past, but the trio are not the same anymore both creatively and personally.
2019
Alex G – House of Sugar
Alex G’s ninth album is a multi-layered delight.
2019
Bill Callahan – Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest
Bill Callahan’s sixth album under his own name—and 17th if you include Smog—is a deeply enriching experience.
2019
Craig Finn – I Need a New War
Craig Finn’s literary fourth solo album is a refined experience.
2019
Anderson .Paak – Ventura
Ventura is the fourth album from Anderson .Paak.
2019
Weyes Blood – Titanic Rising
Titanic Rising is Natalie Mering’s fifth album as Weyes Blood.
2019
Helado Negro – This Is How You Smile
The sixth Helado Negro album blends intimate glimpses of life growing up in an immigrant household with the struggle of preserving familial identity and fitting in as an outsider.
2019
Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost - Part 1
The fifth album from British rock band Foals is a career high.
2019
Sharon Van Etten – Remind Me Tomorrow
Remind Me Tomorrow is Sharon Van Etten’s grandest and greatest evolution yet.
2019
Deerhunter – Why Hasn't Everything Already Disappeared?
Deerhunter’s eighth album fines them on excellent form.
2017
Julien Baker – Turn Out the Lights
Julien Baker’s second album scores a perfect ten.
2016
Weezer – Weezer (The White Album)
Weezer’s tenth studio album finally justifies the grossly overused “return to form” tag.
2013
Deerhunter – Monomania
Deerhunter's sixth album is their most imposing and courageous release to date.
2013
Flaming Lips – The Terror
The Flaming Lips’ thirteenth album is a bleak affair.
2012
The xx – Coexist
The xx’s second album is a worthy follow-up to their Mercury Prize-winning debut.
2012
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do
The fourth studio album from Fiona Apple is a thoughtful fusion of high art and adult contemporary.
2011
St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
Strange Mercy is St. Vincent’s most sonically rich effort to date.
2011
Mastodon – The Hunter
Mastodon’s fifth album expands their repertoire and capabilities while they turn off their heads and let their fingers tell the story.
2009
Flaming Lips – Embryonic
The Flaming Lips’s latest reinvention caps off another magical decade.
2009
The xx – xx
The nocturnal pop of The xx is impossibly unique, yet quiet and low-key at the same time.
2009
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear’s ornate Veckatimest was the second highest rated of 2009.
2009
St. Vincent – Actor
Annie Clark’s second album as St. Vincent is a grand performance.
2009
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion
The most-hyped record of Animal Collective’s career sees the experimental group trading guitars for a more sample-based approach.
2007
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
Animal Collective’s seventh album is their best yet.
2007
Dinosaur Jr. – Beyond
After a ten year hiatus, Dinosaur Jr. are back—and this time with their original line-up.
2006
Grizzly Bear – Yellow House
Grizzly Bear’s second album sees Edward Droste transcending the work of his bedroom project.
2006
Flaming Lips – At War with the Mystics
The eleventh Flaming Lips record keeps the magic alive.
2005
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm
Bloc Party’s stellar debut announces a new talent.
2002
Beck – Sea Change
Beck’s eighth album is the perfect antidote to the bloated Midnite Vultures.
2002
Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips strike gold again on the joyous Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots.