Double J

William Crighton isn't afraid of tackling big subjects, and his powerful fourth album Colonial Drift has some of his most profound insights and captivating music yet. Together with his partner Julieanne Crighton, the singer-songwriter interrogates the complexity of our national identity in the current day.

Following the dissolution of Milk Records and a surprise ambient album, Courtney Barnett's newest record feels like a welcome return to form. The scruffy guitars and droll lyrical observations that first skyrocketed Barnett into one of Australia's hottest indie rock exports are now enriched with the perspective of 11 years' growth and hard-won experience.

It's no secret that the times, they are indeed trying. We're all looking for salves from the exhausting seesaw of hope and anxiety that is living in the 2020s. James Blake's solution? Staving off the encroaching chaos by committing to love. Ever since his auspicious 2011 debut album pitched him as some kind of electronic Jeff Buckley, Blake has employed his inventive production and wounded, angelic croon to express all manner of sombre hurt and introspection.

Various Artists — HELP(2) Boasting 23 tracks and serious star power, this charity album does what the very best compilations do so well: offer tastful curation, music discovery, and wow factor.

Fridays just got even better at Double J with acclaimed DJ, curator and radio presenter Tom Ravenscroft joining the lineup to host Friday Mornings. With over three decades spent deep in the world of underground music, Tom's a true music obsessive set to bring some fresh Friday energy to Mornings.

For more than a decade now, Yumi Zouma have been pumping out dependably dreamy yet very underrated indie pop. As such, hitting play on their fifth album presents an intriguing development to their sound. 'Cross My Heart and Hope To Die' sees the four-piece turning up their guitars and pushing the drums forward in the mix while retaining their guy-girl vocals and warm melodies. It isn't pure post-punk but also, it's definitely outside their glossy synth-driven comfort zone.

Having spent most of their 17-year career rambling around the globe and roaming through multiple genres, from indie folk and late-night sophisti-pop to collaborative duets, The Paper Kites have embraced stillness for their seventh album. If You Go There, I Hope You Find It finds the five-piece returning to their foundational elements: gently strummed guitars and yearning romance; gorgeous vocal harmonies augmenting the simple strength of Sam Bentley's comforting singing.

Sincerity and simplicity are the driving factors of the third album from DRAMA — the Chicago duo comprised of singer-songwriter Via Rosa and Na'el Shehade. 'Don't you want to be seen? Be heard, understood? Isn't that the point?' Rosa asks on propulsive opener 'Make It Look Easy' as flashy disco beats swell around her.

If all you know about Youth Group is their chart-topping cover of Alphaville's 'Forever Young', then it's worth investigating further. And the band's newest album provides a great opportunity. Arriving 20 years after that worldwide hit, the humorously titled Big Whoop extends the comeback trail started by Australian Halloween, then the band's first record in 11 years and one of 2019's best, according to us.

'Back in the saddle again', Carla Geneve sings gracefully on the opening track to her third album, which doesn't ever gallop but rather gently trots through a set of emotionally candid, quietly confident songs. The West Australian singer-songwriter began work on Don't Be Afraid even before releasing Hertz – the 2023 Double J Feature Album built around being diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.