<span><span>- The Chats have multiple major festival spots and a healthy -albeit naive- coverage from unsuspecting, mainstream TV networks are safely stashed away alongside two rough and ready EPs in the bag. The band are also dropping their debut album. It’s a record that I’ve been well and truly champing at the proverbial bit for the release thereof. Slick, three-chord fret-board abuse, snarling larrikin humour and the classic punk chorus stretched out across fourteen rippers of puerile, juvenile delinquency is what is on <em>High Risk Behaviour</em>.

<p><span><span>- I have no idea where American multi-instrumentalist <strong>Nandi Rose Plunkett</strong> aka Half Waif, found the time to record <em>The Caretaker</em>. Following on from her third solo record <em>Lavender, </em>and extensive work with folk rock band <strong>Pinegrove</strong>, Half Waif has come out with a luscious, baroque pop inspired new album.</span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span><em>- Far Enough</em> is the second album from Melbourne four-piece Cable Ties. 2017's self-titled record was an indie hit both in Australia and around the world - a blast of angry, politically aware, hard-edged indie rock.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span><span>- Steve Smyth has returned with a seemingly ambitious project, a four EP collection titled: <em>Blood</em><em><strong>, </strong></em><em>Matches, Fractures and Celebration.</em> It's a collection of works inspired from within the humanity of consonance. The first part of this series is <em>Blood</em>, a generous and even tempered prelude.</span></span></span></p>

<p><span><span>- If you were to put together <strong>Dylan </strong>and <strong>The Boss</strong> in a songwriting, performance partnership, that’d be a heartland rock appreciater’s holy grail, right? Be careful, you might get what you wish for and your mileage may vary. Brisbane band Cedarsmoke have continued their prolific run of EP releases and on their latest, <em>Everything Is The Worst</em>, although I would never quite have described them that way before, it’s pretty easy to right now.

<p><span><span>- In the past several years, trap rapper Lil Uzi Vert<strong> </strong>has exploded onto the scene with popular projects such as <em>Luv is Rage </em>and its sequel, as well as <em>Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World</em>. However, since 2017, Uzi has remained mostly quiet, only dropping several non-album singles while hyping his next project <em>Eternal Atake</em>. After much speculation, the album dropped early March with the promise of a deluxe edition the week after.

- I really don't mean the following as an insult, but it’s difficult to imagine The Letter String Quartet without a collaborator. Their angular and skeletal creations demand someone to come along and lay something soothing over the raw, bare bones. The thoughtful and often playfully eerie presence of Marita Dyson is a balm here, on this dusty, historical song cycle that is also their debut album.

<p><span><span>- <strong>Lewis Day</strong>, aka Tornado Wallace, has just released an EP / mini-album titled <em>Midnight Mania</em> on Optimo Music. His first release for the label, the Berlin-based, Melbourne producer / DJ came into my awareness with the excellent <em>Lonely Planet</em> album. In addition he’s put out numerous 12”s on the likes of <strong>Beats In Space</strong>, <strong>Second Ciecle</strong>, <strong>ESP Institute</strong> and <strong>Animals Dancing</strong>.