Leon Blanchard, a name perhaps faintly echoing from the mid-noughties indie surge, returns not with fanfare, but with a solitary signal flare titled "Astronaut". Hailing from Grimsby, a town known more for its fishing heritage than its celestial aspirations, Blanchard's new song does not really feel like a return, but more like a personal gearbox picked up after years of chatter. In 2007, his old band,...

Headmaster recently delivered "Seasons Autumn Vol. 2", the expansive second act of his ambitious four-part tetralogy exploring the cyclical, heavy machinery of human existence. You genuinely have to marvel at the real-world context grounding this record. The London-based multi-instrumentalist happens to be the actual CEO and Executive Headteacher Designate of the Hertswood Academy Trust. He channels his meticulous craft into this dynamic, thundering soundscape,...