The Beaches
No Hard Feelings
(AWAL)
★★★★

FORMED in Toronto, Canada in 2013, The Beaches broke out with their 2023 album Blame My Ex, and specifically with the single Blame Brett.

As this suggests, the poppy four-piece’s lyrics centre on youthful romantic and sexual entanglements. Which is nothing new, of course, but the all-women group carry it off with such panache and energy on their new record it feels they could herald a generational renewal in indie rock.

Banger follows banger, from new wavey opener Can I Call You In The Morning? to Touch Myself (“Hid my bullet/ ’Cause everything waist-down is broken/ Don’t need no batteries”). The anthemic Last Girls At the Party is gonna be a big hit.

Echoing the sound of the little known, now defunct Vancouver band The Organ, it’s a gorgeous rush of Gen Z heartbreak and chiming guitars.

CMAT
Euro-Country
(CMATBaby/AWAL)
★★★★

SINCE her 2022 debut album, Ireland’s Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson – AKA CMAT – has had a stratospheric rise, appearing on Jools Holland’s 2024 Hootenanny and the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury in June.

Smart and funny with a voice somewhere between Kate Bush and Lana Del Ray, the outspoken 29-year old pop star publicly supports trans rights and chanted “Free Palestine” as she finished her set at Worthy Farm.

She has also upped the politics on her new record, which she says is inspired by the “loss, pain and lack of community I feel we are suffering from under modern capital isolation.”

Her trademark country sound is still present (When A Good Man Cries) but is dialled down, making way for indie pop anthems like the body positive Take A Sexy Picture Of Me and the amusing The Jamie Oliver Petrol Station.

Kathleen Edwards
Billionaire
(Dualtone)
★★★

AFTER a nearly decade-long break from the music business, Kathleen Edwards returned in 2020 with her impressive Total Freedom record, one of my albums of that year.

Following an EP of cover songs released in March, Billionaire is the Canadian singer-songwriter’s official follow up. “We should all want to be billionaires in life, to be rich in experience, friendship, purpose, and the pursuit of the things that bring us joy,” she says.

Produced by Jason Isbell, the set’s chiming guitars and melodic middle of the road rock hark back to her celebrated 2003 debut album. There’s nothing showy or experimental about her shtick; just high-quality songwriting and poignant performances. Expansive tracks like opener Save Your Soul and FLA are the perfect soundtrack for a long road trip, while Need A Ride seems to be a rare dip into politics.