Louisa Nicklin: The Big Sulk (2024)
Shayne Carter (Straitjacket Fits, Dimmer) produced this second album of dramatic folk (The Highs), ambitious Jeff Buckley-like art music (Can’t See) and post-punk experimentalism (The Shroud). Nicklin – with an honours degree in contemporary classical composition – brings a rare daring to her work: the engrossing Sleep It Off sits alongside expressionist sounds from guitar, synths, drums and bass. Nicklin is within rock culture but also in a distinct domain of her own making. Deep, dark and exceptional.
Next: Office Dog, Spiel; Boygenius, The Record
