If you’ve got the time to actually sit with a record this week, Australia’s best new albums and EPs are worth it.
From industrial-leaning discomfort to post-punk chaos and introspective slow-burns, these releases aren’t chasing quick hits.
They take their time, lean into tension, and trust you’ll meet them there.
Matt Corby – Tragic Magic
Corby goes inward on Tragic Magic, pulling together psychedelic soul, folk and groove-heavy textures into something that feels both expansive and personal. Largely self-performed, it carries a strong sense of control and cohesion.
The themes around fatherhood and perspective shifts give it weight without overcomplicating it.
Hermitude
Australian electronic duo Hermitude’s eighth album EIGHT is out now, doubling down on dancefloor energy and genre-blurring club sounds. Pulling from techno, UK garage and rave culture, it’s built for shared release – a reminder that even now, a packed room and a good beat can still bring people together.
Loose Content – Forth & Back (EP)
Loose Content come in loud and wired on Forth & Back. It’s politically charged, restless, and never really settles—even the quieter moments feel like they’re about to crack. The chaos is intentional though, not sloppy.
There’s purpose behind the noise, giving the EP a lived-in, frustrated energy.
Sofia Isella – Something is a shell. (EP)
Sofia Isella isn’t here to make things easy. Something is a shell. leans into discomfort—industrial textures, shifting vocals, and themes that push into control and identity. It’s tense, sometimes confronting, and not always an easy listen. That’s the point.
This one lingers whether you want it to or not.
Nat Pavlovic – Big Heart
Big Heart keeps things close and honest. Nat Pavlovic leans into vulnerability without overplaying it, letting small moments carry the weight. The production stays loose and intimate, giving her vocal room to breathe.
It feels more like a personal checkpoint than a big statement – and that works in its favour.
media puzzle – New Racehorse
media puzzle double down on their off-kilter instincts here. New Racehorse is jittery, unpredictable—warped samples, tempo shifts, and a constant sense of unease. It can feel disorienting, but there’s a thread running through it around identity and tech.
Messy in places, but deliberately so.
Tear Drive – Face To Face (EP)
Tear Drive go wide without losing focus on Face To Face. Big, cinematic indie rock moments sit alongside more stripped-back, vulnerable sections, with ‘Better Off’ landing as a clear highlight. It builds patiently before opening up. Feels like a band locking in what they actually want to sound like.
Scott Middlin – A Taste Of Chaos
A Taste Of Chaos lives up to its name. Heavy, intense, and rooted in post-hardcore, it doesn’t really let up. There’s a lot going on, but it’s anchored by a clear emotional core around survival and pressure.
Not always an easy listen, but it’s direct and unfiltered in a way that cuts through.
