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.

Earlier this year, Karnivool released In Verses, their first album in 13 years and one of the year's best so far. Now, the five-piece Perth juggernaut are putting the record through its paces with a national tour, taking in some big capital city venues around the country with special guests TesseracT and Car Bomb. Following some low-key acoustic launches for the album in February, and shows across the UK and EU, Karnivool will hit our nation's roads in July.

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.

Ever since forming in an Adelaide whitegoods warehouse during a 2012 heatwave, Bad // Dreems have excelled at beer-soaked rock with serious brains. Driven by guitarist/songwriter Alex Cameron and frontman Ben Marwe, they’ve forced us to confront the ugliest parts of our national identity through a crucial element of it — pub rock — stowed away in songs built on guts, guitars and sharp social commentary.

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.

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.

The streaming ecosystem has essentially killed the humble compilation album. A crying shame, because playlists haven't quite supplanted the verve of a well-executed "Various Artists" experience. Boasting 23 tracks and serious star power, HELP(2) does everything the very best movie tie-in compilation CDs used to do so well — offering tasteful 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.

After a seven-year break and losing a founding member amid controversial circumstances, Mumford & Sons came back swinging, releasing two albums within a year. The first, RUSHMERE, came out in March 2025, and now the British folksters have swiftly followed up with Prizefighter, which finds a rejuvenated band capitalising on their creative momentum.

The career of Nick Murphy, the multi-ARIA-winning artist behind Chet Faker, is one shaped by restless creativity. Following his breakout, Hottest 100 topping 2014 debut, Built On Glass, his discography has spanned records under his birth name, collaborations with Flume, Marcus Marr and The Cactus Channel, and even an Americana album. The Melbourne-bred muso is a nomad that's toured globally, lived around New York City and Tucson, Arizona, and now based back home in Sydney.