Mercury Schallplatten & CDs

Review: For fans of experimental and ambient music, olafur Arnalds is as vital as they come. He has amassed an innovative discography over the last decade, joining the dots between classical and electronic sounds. His new album, though, marks a new chapter in his ongoing story. The self-confessed perfectionist dips his toe into messy waters such as romance, a global pandemic and settling down. It was written at home in his harbour studio and captures the essence of what it means to be alive in 2020. It's enthralling, challenging, and thought provoking, and is his most coherent work for a while.

Review: Whatever your views of what Sting may have become after he left his band, you can't argue that The Police was a superb outfit. They took a love of reggae and transformed it into funky, soul, pop leaning tunes with oodles of charm and plenty of big hooks and kooky lyrics. 1982's Around The World now gets a deluxe and extended reissue on vinyl and DVD with restored picture and remastered audio. It chronicles the band's first ever world tour and takes in some of their biggest hits such as 'Walking On The Moon', 'Message In A Bottle', 'Roxanne' and 'So Lonely.'

Review: Twelve Carat Toothache is the fourth studio album from multifaceted rap icon Post Malone. Aiming for a sound that both broadens his horizons and gives his fans a little uplift, Malone's contribution to the global tidal wave of pandemic-rooted LPs features Roddy Ricch, Doja Cat, Fleet Foxes, the Kid Laroi and the Weeknd. Digging into his confessional approach and teasing the possibilities of a pop-minded rap record on lead singles 'One Right Now', 'Cooped Up' and 'I Like You (A Happier Song)', Post Malone continues to evolve as an artist, leaving unique and compelling albums such as this one in his wake.

Review: Post Malone's Twelve Carat Toothache is said to be his 'sobering comedown.' It is the fourth album from the US rapper who is as well known for his face tattoos and various different aces as he is his work in the field of rap and hip hop. Here he gets more honest than ever with an intimate look at his life and plenty of shared struggles. Love and booze are big and reoccurring features - as are, however unlikely it may seem, the folk outfit Fleet Foxes who Post has cited as one of his musical heroes. In riding a middle ground between hip-hop and alt-pop, Malone strikes gold here.

Review: Although he's not made much of an impact this side of the Atlantic, Chris Stapleton is massive news in the United States. Higher, his first studio album for three years, is therefore hotly anticipated back home. Whether you're already a fan or not, the album is well worth a listen - not least because Stapleton's distinctive style (which leans heavily on the richness of his Joe Cocker-esque voice) draws as much on Southern Soul, blue-eyed soul and Americana, as folk, bluegrass and traditional country. When he gets it right - which he does on 'Higher' - the resultant music is magical. For proof, see the bluesy soul simmer of 'Think I'm In Love With You', the slow-motion love jam 'It Takes a Woman', and the frazzled, lighters-up country-rock anthem that is 'White Horse'.