A perfect dozen; twelve new, diverse and thrilling directions for your stereos.

We start this week with a really big one and the euphoric return of FKA twigs with EUSEXUA. Her third LP is just so impressive; it’s really vast with amazing production and her whispers and coos have just never sounded better, imo. A wide suite of club textures, but it’s all actually very human above all else, it’s a big glimpse of who she is. Vast and impressive, one to sit with and it’s looking like it’ll be one to obsess over too. Record of the Week.

+ Available on Exclusive Milky Clear Colour vinyl.
+ Yes, she really is coming to sign records at Drift on Tuesday evening.

Speaking as a massive Wooden Shjips fan, it was always going to have to be a pretty special sounding departure to stop us missing those epic washes of riffs. Ripley Johnson’s Rose City Band is exactly that, a panoramic soundtrack of modern country hues and Sol Y Sombra - the band’s fifth LP as RCB - is just sublime. Rich and delicious, but moving closer to the country rock of the sixties and seventies, with a little bit of jangle in there too! A focused mood and a really great record.

+ Available on very limited Coke Bottle Clear colour vinyl.

In a hugely full week, never forget the noisy ones. Never Exhale is the dark and alluring return of DITZ and it really hits hard. Dark humour and biting commentary with their most engrossing and direct production yet. Hugely impressive stuff, these guys just have to be massive!

+ Available on limited Pink vinyl - and if you’re really quick - as a Dinked Edition too!

Also noisy (and I mean, all-time noisy!) are the ever-excellent Mogwai who release the huge new The Bad Fire via their own Rock Action label. The band worked closely with John Congleton on production and there is a lot of slow building euphoria, which is especially interesting against the title (Scottish slang for “hell”) and some of the big themes affecting the band and the album's creation. Without losing sight of who they have always been, there is a clear departure into uplifting new spaces, less guitar, more synth and the vocals really give it something different. One for old fans and new fans.

+ Available on double Clear vinyl with a signed print.
+ Available on VERY limited deluxe boxset pressings.

Anna B Savage returns on City Slang with the all new You & i are Earth and her voice is just quite magnificent. The production is also sublime, doing interesting things (chamber orchestral compositions, field recordings, weird boinks) but never getting in the way of her voice or muddying things. A really gorgeous album.

+ Available on exclusive Transparent vinyl with a signed print.

Love You All Over Again is the eighth studio LP from Tunng and it really is well worth the raving. Sonically dense without sounding fuggy and just packed with lush little flashes of sound and texture. Inimitably Tunng, but full of gentle experimentation to keep it evolving.

+ Available on limited Heart Red colour vinyl.

Not complaining about this full week, but do also check out; Mary Chapin Carpenter, Julie Fowlis and Karine Polwart’s super graceful Looking for the Thread collaborative album. Benjamin Booker returns after quite a big gap away with the brash and hugely inventive LOWER. We’ve been really enjoying this one. Mercury-nominated Scottish composer and musician C Duncan returns to Bella Union with the very very pretty It's Only A Love Song. The golden voiced Matt Berry returns on Acid Jazz with his all new Heard Noises. And, a big one for the Norse folk heads with the excellent Birna from Wardruna.

Lastly, American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Amidon releases his new Salt River on the River Lea imprint and it really is a curious one. His performance has always been a huge part of his offer, and this record - more perhaps than any of his previous work -  has captured that unpredictable and inventive live aspect. His elocution can take some time to get used to, but it really does make for such a unique listening experience, with sonic flashes and some really striking songs. Do make sure to check this one out.