Album review overview: Charli xcx, Jill Scott and more

Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are way too many to listen to them all, let alone review them. It ensures that too many albums are left behind. And that’s a shame. That is why today we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors in short reviews.

Brent Faiyaz – Icon

After a notable twist just before the originally scheduled release in September 2025, Brent Faiyaz now presents “Icon”, his third studio album, executive produced by Raphael Saadiq. Where Faiyaz was previously known for his cool, detached approach to love and desire, here he embraces a warmer, more open-hearted side. All ten songs are written from a desire for stability and commitment, with “Have To” as the infectious single co-produced by Tommy Richman, on which Faiyaz promises to ship himself out if the distance becomes too great. On “Other Side”, his voice glides smoothly over a proto-disco foundation, while “Pure Fantasy” recalls the glossy pop effortlessness of Michael Jackson. The collaboration with Chad Hugo of The Neptunes gives the album a timeless sheen, and the minimal running time of 31 minutes ensures that not a note is wasted. “Icon” shows Faiyaz at his most versatile and vulnerable, an album that deserves repeated listening. (Elodie Renard) (8/10) (ISO Supremacy/UnitedMasters)

Momoko Gill – Momoko

That was a remarkably strong debut: the singles “No Others” and “When Palestine is Free” appeared last October and established Momoko Gill’s name as a solo artist. The latter track in particular attracted attention because of its subject matter, but also because of the arrangement for a large choir. The British-Japanese drummer and singer was certainly no stranger to the London jazz scene, yet until then, she had mainly played in the service of others. With the two single,s she convincingly took centre stage herself, clearly unafraid of controversial themes. Expectations for the album were therefore high. Gill, self-taught in many fields including drumming, moves effortlessly as a composer between genres, from pop to jazz and even from soul to more ambient material. In doing so she also reveals herself to be a gifted vocalist with a warm tone that comes across well on most tracks. From a vocal perspective, “Heavy” is one of the best tracks, where the dark, slightly grainy voice is beautifully framed by a rich arrangement with light-footed flute and harp playing. As light as “Heavy” is, “Shadowboxing” is dark. With vocal distortion and deep synth bass, comparisons with Billie Eilish soon arise. The listener is continually surprised. From the oppressive instrumental “Test a Small Area”, consisting largely of sound effects on an unusual rhythm, the album shifts, for example, to the gentle, simple composition “2close2farr”, on which Gill is accompanied only by a piano. Gill jumps from genre to genre, delivering not only a fascinating but also a relevant album. (Jeroen Mulder) (8/10) (Strut Records)

Converge – Love Is Not Enough

Almost nine years after “The Dusk in Us” and four years after the impressive collaboration “Bloodmoon: I” with Chelsea Wolfe, Converge return with “Love Is Not Enough”, their eleventh studio album and a return to their rawest and most untamed hardcore roots. Singer Jacob Bannon, guitarist Kurt Ballou, bassist Nate Newton and drummer Ben Koller sound grippingly energetic: the opening track and title track immediately blow the lock off the metal factory with sharp riffs and pulsating drum patterns. Short and devastating tracks such as “Distract and Divide” and “To Feel Something” barely allow a breath, while the instrumental “Beyond Repair” inserts a suspenseful silence that dramatically enlarges the album’s second half. “Force Meets Presence” shows the band in a more melodic death-oriented mode, and “Make Me Forget You” is their most emotionally direct song in years. Bannon stated that he wanted more realism in the recordings, and it shows: this sounds like a live band at its sharpest. After three decades, Converge sound more urgent than ever. (Anton Dupont) (9/10) (Epitaph/Deathwish Inc.)

Charli xcx – Wuthering Heights

After the universal success of “Brat”, Charli xcx chose a radical artistic change of direction with “Wuthering Heights”, the accompanying soundtrack to Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic. Together with regular producer Finn Keane, she created an album that recalls her dark debut “True Romance” more than the celebratory club energy of her previous work. The opening track, “House”, on which Velvet Underground veteran John Cale delivers an icy spoken passage, immediately sets the gothic tone. Singles such as “Chains of Love” and “Dying for You” combine dreamy strings with toiling synthesisers, while “Wall of Sound” envelops the listener in a claustrophobic landscape of desire and loss. Sky Ferreira appears as a guest artist on “Eyes of the World”, adding a smoky layer to the already dense atmosphere. The result is an album that frames love as a force that overwhelms and consumes the bearer, at least as wild and untamed as the moors from the novel. That Charli consciously chooses experiment and intimacy after massive fame proves her artistic backbone. (William Brown) (9/10) (Atlantic Records)

Jill Scott – To Whom This May Concern

After an absence of almost ten years, Jill Scott returns with “To Whom This May Concern”, her sixth studio album and immediately one of her most ambitious works. The Philadelphia neo-soul icon had already opened her comeback with singles such as “Beautiful People” and “Pressha”, which immediately made her intentions clear: this album breathes connection, self-confidence and layered honesty. Scott surrounds herself with an impressive cast of guests, including Trombone Shorty on the uplifting “Be Great”, Tierra Whack on the playful “Norf Side” and JID on “To B Honest”, where his rapid flow forms a surprisingly seamless whole with Scott’s flowing vocals. Producers such as DJ Premier and Andre Harris provide neo-soul textures and jazz accents that support the timeless quality of Scott’s songwriting. On “The Math” and “Pay U on Tuesday” she shows her talent for direct, vivid language without sacrificing poetry. As a whole, this album is an open letter from a woman who has lived through everything and is ready to share her insights. (Tobias Brown) (8/10) (The Orchard)