This Week's Releases

Troye Sivan — Blue Neighbourhood (EMI)

Teenage cult figure, actor and "overlord of a laptop pop revolution", Sivan's album is "certainly nothing new — some gated snares here a-la T Swift (an unabashed Sivan fan), a breathy melody there like some nu-Bieber, some 'us against the world' sentiment WhatsApp'd care of Lorde and a touch of cred inspired by Chet Faker". However, he has "an impressive eye for detail and a deft lyrical touch". We gave Blue Neighbourhood three-and-a-half stars.

Curren$y — Canal Street Confidential (Atlantic)

"Before we even had a chance to miss him, the ever-prolific Curren$y is back with Canal Street Confidential. Ditching the soulful, live-sounding slow jams he's known for (seen most recently in this year's Pilot Talk III), he adds 808s, ups the tempo generally and even dabbles in trap music. The results are not only far from disastrous but encouraging in certain places (especially for an artist with a catalogue as lengthy as Curren$y's). However, he hasn't mastered it, and the album lacks flow and momentum — the generic-sounding hooks on Bottom Of The Bottle andSuperstar suggesting Curren$y might be pushing too hard for commercial appeal." We gave Curren$y three-and-a-half stars.

World Champion — Avocado Galaxy (Future Classic) 

"World Champion's mouth-watering psych is better than avo on toast. Smashing atmospheric electronica with cosmic grooves, their debut EP Avocado Galaxy is a luscious mix of sounds. Sprinkled in synths, the title track and Tip Pit are smeared in smooth psych vibes. Spaced out jams Shakes and Avocado Moon are tasty servings of dreamy electro-pop that put swirling visions of floating avocadoes in your head. A healthy dose of fresh psychedelia, World Champion's Avocado Galaxy is food for the soul." We gave World Champion four stars.