Remember when Alex Turner said guitar music is dead for the 48th time and the NME asked us who was going to save guitar music for the 2076th time?

There was no need for any of that. Seriously, no need at all. Five brand new releases today – four of which demonstrate the enduring power of the six strings. Experimental, effective, arresting and addictive – these are well worth your attention.

Have a listen below. Long live guitars. I bet that you look good on the dancefloor.

01

Japanese Breakfast

Sounds From Another Planet

Michelle Zauner’s music fills spaces. Her rich, cinematic explorations of sound have gone up a notch on this sophomore album – finding a kind of spacious, expansive indie that can draw you into the deepest lulls and haul you out of the gravest hangovers.

02

Waxahatchee

Out in the Storm

Having long been one of the more astute and affecting songwriters and lyricists in indie, Katie Crutchfield’s fourth record finds her unpicking the threads of a broken relationship with refined production and some breathtaking vocal performances. It’s her least lo-fi record to date, but it might be her most intimate.

03

Boris

Dear

This is Boris’ 23rd studio album. The Tokyo experimental metal band’s output is almost as unrelenting as the sound itself. If you’re looking for an immersive blast of sumptuous distortion and intricate noise then find some headphones and listen to this.

04

Shabazz Palaces

Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star

Never known for adhering to convention, Shabazz Palaces have released two full-length albums today. The general consensus in the Crack office, though, is that Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star is a better listen that it’s companion record Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines. The Seattle hip-hop adventurers use a sci-fi lens of dystopian universes and alien visitors to illustrate a concept about America in 2017.

05

Sheer Mag

Need to Feel Your Love

Sitting somewhere between hard rock nostalgia and an authentic iteration of modern dread – Sheer Mag are looking for love. This debut album from the Philadelphia band manages to gorge out on some of the gaudier hallmarks of classic rock while – on the whole – sidestepping corniness and nostalgia. Very hard to resist.

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