STEVEN WILSON, THE OVERVIEW

To Steven Wilson, 2001: A Space Odyssey is the defining film about space—not as a conquered frontier or a backdrop for adventure, as many movies depict, but as a vast, indifferent expanse of terrifying scale and emptiness where humanity is insignificant. It’s this understanding of space’s true nature that served as the genesis of his new album, The Overview, in which he seeks to capture that of overwhelming perspective.

Inspired by the "overview effect"—the cognitive shift astronauts experience when seeing Earth from space—The Overview mirrors that moment of existential realization. The album consists of two extended compositions: Objects Outlive Us (23 minutes) and The Overview (18 minutes), designed as immersive sonic journeys that take listeners beyond our world. Its structure follows a trajectory from our solar system into deep space, passing celestial landmarks before plunging into the Eridanus Supervoid—a cosmic void spanning 1.8 billion light-years.

Though the album wrestles with existential themes, Wilson does not intend for it to be bleak. Instead, he embraces the idea that humanity’s fleeting existence is something beautiful—a rare and random occurrence in an unfathomably large universe.

Wilson has long been closely associated with progressive rock and often hailed as its torchbearer for decades. Yet he has consistently resisted strict genre classifications. On The Overview, however, he fully embraces progressive rock, citing its grand scale and conceptual ambition as a natural fit for the album’s themes. Still, he avoids predictable prog tropes, favoring dynamic arrangements, melodic motifs, and unexpected production choices.

Lyrically, the album juxtaposes the mundane details of everyday human life with the incomprehensible forces of the cosmos—a contrast he developed with Andy Partridge (XTC), whose observational storytelling helps bridge the two perspectives.

I've always been an enthusiast of long-form musical structures, and this approach naturally fits the album’s themes, reinforcing its cinematic scope. While echoes of Pink Floyd may surface in The Overview, Wilson acknowledges that certain elements might also remind listeners of Blade Runner, a film and soundtrack deeply embedded in his creative DNA. However, he considers his primary influence to be his own evolving body of work, constantly pushing himself to explore new creative terrain without repeating the past.

It’s Wilson’s relentless pursuit of new creative spaces that I admire most about him as an artist. With each new album, he carves out a unique musical world, asking listeners to suspend disbelief—along with their expectations—and embark on a journey with him. With The Overview, that journey becomes a 42-minute celestial odyssey that is immersive, arresting, and a visionary achievement.

THE LATHUMS, MATTER DOES NOT DEFINE

Self-described as "four young whippersnappers" from the town of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, The Lathums are out to prove that melodic "jangle pop" guitar music lives on. And they do so in great fashion on their third album in four years, Matter Does Not Define.

Since forming in 2018, the band has cultivated a distinctive sound shaped by a diverse array of musical influences. The Smiths, The Housemartins, Arctic Monkeys, and The Beatles have all found their way into The Lathums' unique blend of British rock.

While their inspirations remain clear, The Lathums never sound like imitators. Instead, they channel the spirit of classic British indie rock through a lens that’s their own. Alex Moore’s vocals carry a heartfelt sincerity, whether soaring over shimmering guitars or settling into quieter, contemplative moments. Scott Concepcion’s guitar work, often drawing comparisons to Johnny Marr, provides the band with its bright, intricate melodies, while the rhythm section of Ryan Durrans and Matty Murphy keeps the songs grounded with a tight, dynamic energy.

On Matter Does Not Define, The Lathums continue to build on their signature blend of jangly, melodic guitar work and earnest lyricism, delivering a record that feels both nostalgic and fresh. From the anthemic swell of No Direction to the introspective musings of Reflections of Lessons Left, the album showcases a band growing in both confidence and musical depth.

For me, Matter Does Not Define is The Lathums' best album to date. With each release, they refine their craft, and here, their songwriting is sharper and their arrangements more ambitious. The result is an album that feels like a natural evolution—one that reaffirms their place in the modern indie landscape while paying homage to the timeless sound they so clearly love.

RAPT, UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US

Jacob Ware’s musical journey begins in the home he grew up in, surrounded by the sounds of Joni Mitchell, Pentangle, and Van Morrison. These artists, rich with storytelling and intricate instrumentation, quietly shaped his sensibilities long before he ever picked up an instrument himself. However, his first real foray into music was far from the gentle strums of folk—he found his place in the extreme metal scene as the founding bassist of the UK black metal band Enslavement.

For eight years, Ware immersed himself in the relentless intensity of black metal, a genre built on aggression and atmosphere. But over time, something in him pulled away from the distortion and fury. His childhood influences never left him, and he gradually gravitated toward music that mirrored the warmth and introspection of the records that played in his youth. This transition led to the creation of Rapt—a project that fuses his metal roots with a newfound appreciation for ambient textures and folk’s delicate vulnerability. 

Ware's approach to songwriting is as unorthodox as his musical evolution. Rather than writing songs and then deciding on a title, He begins with an album name and builds the music around it. Until the Light Takes Us, his latest release, emerged from this process. The title, borrowed from a 2008 documentary about the Norwegian black metal scene, served as a foundation for the album’s themes: mortality, endings, and the unknown that follows. It’s an album about finality, but not in a way that feels entirely bleak—there is a certain peace to the way Ware explores these ideas, a sense of acceptance rather than fear. 

Musically, Until the Light Takes Us is a tapestry of lush acoustic guitar, atmospheric piano, and airy, melancholic vocals. The album is steeped in folk traditions but carries the weight and cinematic depth of Ware’s past in metal—his ability to craft immersive, heavy moods, even in this softer setting. Through this record, he hoped not only to explore the idea of endings but also to create something that meets listeners wherever they are in their own experiences with change and loss. Ultimately, Until the Light Takes Us is a meditation on the unknown, offering solace in its contemplative beauty. It’s gorgeous, thought-provoking, comforting, and near perfect.

DITZ, NEVER EXHALE

I have always appreciated artists who challenging convention and defy expectations along the way—it’s one of the reasons I listen to music. DITZ, a Brighton-based noise rock and post-hardcore band, is one of those artists. Since forming in the mid-2010s, they have built a reputation for their abrasive sound, chaotic live shows, and unfiltered intensity.

With Never Exhale, their third album in four years, the band distills their sound into a striking, urgent form, blending punishing walls of sound with moments of eerie restraint. Recorded in London, the album’s restless nature explores themes of alienation, frustration, and self-reflection, with lead vocalist and guitarist Cal Francis delivering lyrics that blur the line between personal confession and universal angst.

There’s something cathartic about listening to Never Exhale. It forces a release of something I didn’t even realize needed to be let go. In doing so, I found myself drawn to the album not only for challenging convention but for reshaping my expectations of the kind of album that can take me to a place I didn’t even know I needed to be.

HEARTWORMS, GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT

Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jojo Orme has carved out a distinctive space in London's underground post-punk scene by channeling her personal struggles and experiences into her music. Navigating the industry as an outsider, she has wrestled with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, using these emotions as a driving force behind her work. Her sound is defined by a mix of tension and release, where sharp guitar work and striking vocals meet introspective, emotionally charged lyrics. The themes in her music often mirror her own journey—battles with identity, resilience in the face of uncertainty, and the discipline it takes to push forward in a world that can feel unwelcoming. 

Under the moniker Heartworms, Orme has released Glutton for Punishment, an album that expands on her post-punk foundations with the addition of synthesizers and electronic elements. This combination creates a sound that is both brooding and expansive, layering mechanical precision with fierce emotion. Her lyrics reflect both personal and historical narratives, blending war imagery with confessional storytelling. Each track moves with a calculated intensity, reinforcing the push-and-pull dynamic between control and turmoil. It makes Glutton For Punishment a compelling listen.

LUKE SITAL-SINGH, SPRING’S FOOL

Often, at winter’s end, Mother Nature cruelly throws out false signals that spring has arrived—a brief warm spell, only to be followed by another cold stretch. Fool’s Spring. It’s a fitting metaphor for the emotional landscape Luke Sital-Singh explores on his latest album, capturing the push and pull between hope and disappointment. After uprooting his life from the UK to Los Angeles, he found himself caught in a similar cycle—the excitement of starting a new phase of life, sun filled adventures, the weight of a pandemic, and the struggle to start a family, which eventually led he and his wife back to the UK for IVF treatment. That tension—between light and dark, expectation and reality—sits at the heart of the record, making it one of his most personal yet.

Fool’s Spring builds on Sital-Singh’s introspective songwriting while reaching for something bigger. As his first self-produced album, it has a handcrafted feel, every note and texture carefully placed. The arrangements shift from sparse and delicate to full and soaring, creating an ebb and flow that mirrors the emotional currents of his lyrics. He recorded much of it himself over an extended period, layering rich instrumentation that gives the album a warmth even in its heaviest moments. And though Sital-Singh’s songs don’t shy away from doubt and longing, they carry an undeniable resilience—proof that even in the coldest seasons, spring is still out there, waiting.