Listening to Sons of Martha's new single, "Samurai Smile," feels a bit like finding a beautiful, slightly unnerving porcelain doll tucked away in a toolbox – all sharp edges and unexpected fragility. This North London outfit promised a harder sound, and they deliver; guitars chew and churn with a satisfying grit reminiscent of early '90s Manchester swagger, but filtered through a distinctly modern unease....

A toddler clutching a kaleidoscope probably doesn’t fathom the full extent of the beauty whirling inside it. That’s a bit like encountering The Report’s latest EP, “Everything Life Throws”. Just when you think you've pieced together what’s happening, you shift it slightly, and new patterns emerge, forcing you to sit with its intentions a little longer. Hugo Allen and Jo Rogers didn’t craft an...