New releases today: All genres

Review: Bullion continues to perfect his endlessly charming strain of modernist synth pop with this new album for Ghostly International. The lead single from the album sets the tone beautifully, as the mighty Carly Rae Jepsen lends her voice to 'Rare' for a blissful, woozy ride through exquisite song craft that calls back to AOR and soft rock as much as synthwave. Further guest spots arrive from Panda Bear and Charlotte Adigery, but as ever Bullion's own charisma remains the driving force on this latest dose of honey-coated audio pleasure from a master of the art.

Review: In a commendable bid to musically relive and recapture the philosopher Plato's infamous cave allegory, explorer, researcher, paleorganologist, composer and multi-instrumentalist Walter Maioli makes a welcome return on the Black Sweat label. Here the Italian polymath keeps it simple in sound but expansive in concept; his specialism in the musicology of ancient societies resounds especially on this calming release, which investigates the secret dialogue between the trickling of pond waters and the faint percussive reverberations of stalagmites and stalagtites, all through the resonant chimes of mallet instruments such as tubular organs, Tibetan bells, glockenspiels, xylophones or stone marimbas. With seemingly every ding and bong sound at his disposal, Caverne Sonore makes for one of the most relaxing yet also the most engaging records of the year, one that admittedly beckons us further into the cave.

Review: From The Fire is a superb new album from Audrey Powne that is about as accomplished as any debut could be. The young auteur herself has composed all nine cuts, wrote all the lyrics, plays all the piano, organ and Rhodes, does all the singing, arranged all the strings and produced everything herself as she set out to have complete creative control. It is a rich and rewarding listen with some soaring solos and meticulously crafted grooves that have already won her high praise from those in the know such as Gilles Peterson.

Review: Sensory Blending is a new collaborative album from Italian collective Aura Safari and Finnish musician Jimi Tenor, born from an impromptu studio session after a Hell Yeah party in Perugia. Despite never having met, their synergy results in a vibrant record brimming with musicality and indelible melodies. Tenor, a psychedelic space-jazz-funk virtuoso, joins forces with Aura Safari's skilled musicians, known for their label regularity and sublime Island Dreams album. From the seductive opener 'Bodily Synesthesia' to the dramatic finale 'Indigo,' Sensory Blending offers a seamless fusion of talents, hinting at potential live performances later this year.

Review: Everyone likes a good mystery, don't they? Well, this artist is new to us and so is this label. Thankfully, the style isn't. Balearic music has taken off in the last half-decade. The style can be a hodge podge of genres like Latin, house, dub, folk, ambient, funk, jazz and more. Jezebell - Jezebellearic Beats Volume 1 is a great example of this style but more importantly, honoring the vibe of the culture where this music would play. Many of these honor original songs but turn them into a mix of Balearic remixes mixed with original elements too. Like the Lionel Richie sample of 'All Night Long' in the smoothed out sounds of 'Jezebellearic" (feat Alfredo)' or the Michael Jackson 'Thriller' parts in 'Thrill Me'. A few of these inject some electronic music into them like the acid line 'Re-Birth' and the beautiful melody touches in the Dizzy Heights dub of Pedestal. 'Hush Hush' is a spaced-out remix of Kajagoogoo's 'Too Shy'. Overall, you a creative and unique album that we think you will like very much.