- By Fred Spanner
Albums you need to crank up this month
The Wombats: “Oh The Ocean”
Some wrote them off as a gimmick when their debut burst onto the scene, packed with offbeat bangers and quirky charm. But guess what? The Wombats have stuck around, outlasting the doubters and proving, album after album, that they’re the real deal.
And this latest record sees the Liverpool lads return with a setlist of killer tunes, razor-sharp lyrics, and more hooks than a fisherman’s tackle box.
Inhaler: “Open Wide”
Dublin lads Inhaler are back at it again, proving once more that they’re more than just Bono Jr. and his mates. Ryan McMahon, Eli Hewson, Robert Keating, and Josh Jenkinson have stepped up their game, delivering an album that’s slicker, bigger, and built for massive festival singalongs.
Everyone Says Hi: “Everyone Says Hi”
The supergroup featuring members of Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks, Howling Bells, and The Dead 60s has released a smooth, tuneful debut album that packs a punch.
The Lottery Winners: “Koko”
The indie foursome “keep on keeping on” and just get better and better. Imagine The Smiths with an uptempo beat. An album filled with absolute bangers and not a single track disappoints. Release date: 21st March.
Doves: “Constellations For The Lonely”
Doves, proving once again that the darkest times in our lives can often prove to be the most creative. They’ve all had their struggles in recent years but through all that they’ve managed to come up with an absolute masterpiece.
The Lathums: “Matter Does Not Define”
The long-awaited third album from Wigan’s indie popsters is full of surprises and has the potential to elevate them further into the public sphere. Their first two albums went to Number One. Can they make the hattrick?
Horsegirl: “Phonetics On and On”
Chicago’s coolest indie trio is back, and this time, they’ve leveled up. Their second album is a proper glow-up—tight, refined, and packed with that sweet spot between restraint and raw emotion. The best part? It’s still got all the magic of their earlier work, just with an extra bit of polish that makes it even more addictive.
Manic Street Preachers: “Critical Thinking”
The Manics are back, and they’re bringing the fire. This is their most urgent, sharpest album in years with big ideas, bigger emotions, and a sound that somehow manages to be both uplifting and brutally honest. It’s all about opposites clashing. Melody meets melancholy, hope fights doubt, while James Dean Bradfield’s lyrics reach for meaning in memories, language, and belief. Proper thinkers’ rock.
