Albums to look out for this June

Bring in the sun with June’s heaters.

Our top picks for June, including Jayda G, Janelle Monáe and Squid.

Read more: Upcoming vinyl releases 2023

Albums selected by VF’s Kelly Doherty and Becky Rogers.

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Jayda G

Guy

(Ninja Tune)

Due: June 9

Jayda G returns with the follow-up to 2019’s Significant Changes and her excellent 2021 contribution to the DJ-Kicks series. Written as a tribute to her late father and grandmother, Guy features interspersed archival recordings of her father and is “a blend of storytelling, about the African American experience, death, grief, and understanding”. With co-production from Jack Peñate and contributions from Ibeyi’s Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Ed Thomas, Guy is set to be another wonderful instalment of the Grammy-nominated artist’s accessible cross-genre explorations of house, disco, R&B, pop and more.–KD

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Christine and the Queens

Paranoïa, Angels, True Love

(Because Music)

Due: June 9

Following his relatively obscured concept album Redcar les adorables ètoiles last year, Chris aka Christine and the Queens returns with the regally titled Paranoïa, Angels, True Love. Loosely inspired by Tony Kushner’s two-part play Angels in America, which examined the AIDS epidemic through visions of angels, Paranoïa, Angels, True Love explores grief, memories and love through Chris’ traditional brand of avante-garde pop.–KD

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Janelle Monáe

The Age Of Pleasure

(Atlantic)

Due: June 9

There’s no better way to kick off the summer than with some irresistible pop-funk bangers and thankfully Janelle Monáe is back to soundtrack barbeques, beach trips and late-evening drinks across the world. It’s been five years since Monae’s near-universally adored Dirty Computer, a period she’s taken to make a name for herself in the film industry, and it feels about time for her return. The Age Of Pleasure’s early singles “Lipstick Lover” and “Float”, the latter of which features Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, have abandoned her android focus and opted for themes of queer and femme sexual empowerment. They’re a damn good time and if they’re anything to go by, the rest of the album is going to be a party.–KD

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Squid

O Monolith

(Warp)

Due: June 9

Work started on Squid’s sophomore album, O Monolith, just weeks after the release of their 2021 debut Bright Green Field. Now ready for release two years later via Warp, O Monolith promises similar abstract post-punk but with an overwhelming sense of freedom. From “Undergrowth” seeing drummer and vocalist Ollie Judge reincarnate as a pessimistic drawer to “If You Had Seen The Bull’s Swimming Attempts You Would Have Stayed Away”’s exploration of the human-rat relationship, the record is an exciting yet wacky return to Squid’s punk-tinged eccentricity.–BR

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Nicholas Allbrook

Manganese

(Spinning Top Records)

Due: June 9

Nicholas Allbrook taps into blissful psych-pop with his upcoming fourth solo album, Manganese. More vulnerable than ever, the Pond frontman invites us into his deepest thoughts and concerns, moving graciously between the fear of having cancer (“Vale The Chord)” and odes to loss (“Jackie”), while merging ‘80s glamour with current Aussie experimentation. With such poignant lyricism and a strong sonic accompaniment, Manganese is set to be a welcomed addition to Australia’s ever-growing psych mixing pot.–BR

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King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

PetroDragonic Apocalypse; or, Dawn of Eternal Night: An Annihilation of Planet Earth and the Beginning of Merciless Damnation

(KGLW)

Due: June 16

For many bands, 24 albums in a decade would be unheard of, but for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who released three albums in just one month last year, it’s another chance to expand their multi-genre repertoire. Their latest offering, PetroDragonic Apocalypse, unleashes the thrash metal Sabbathian fury seen in 2019’s Infest The Rats’ Nest, with lead single and first peak “Gila Monster” breaching merciless metalcore without trepidation. Finger-aching riffs aside, PetroDragonic Apocalypse replicates the Aussie psych troop’s live fury with ease, posing King Gizzard as they should be heard–energetic, relentless and loud.–BR

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Django Django

Off Planet

(Because Music)

Due: June 16

Recent Records That Made Me alumni Django Django embark on a multi-planet release this month. Off Planet, the band’s fifth studio album, was initially intended as four separate EPs before coming together as an ambitious 21-track release. Each quarter of the album represents a different planet giving space to the band to revisit their core experimental electronic influences. Featuring contributions from Self Esteem, Jack Peñate and Yuuko to name a few, Off Planet is an opportunity to dive into Django Django’s musical subconscious and see them push beyond genre restrictions.–KD

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Lunice

OPEN

(LuckyMe)

Due: June 23

Montreal producer and Hudson Mohawke’s collaborative partner in TNGHT, Lunice, releases his second solo album this month. OPEN comes six years after his debut CCCLX and has been written with live shows and DJ sets to the forefront of Lunice’s mind. Joined by Cali Cartier, Stargate, Zach Zoya, Yuki Dreams Again and DAGR, Lunice focuses on the Montreal underground scene through off-kilter productions and eccentric writing. One for the futurists.-KD

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Geese

3D Country

(Partisan/PIAS)

Due: June 23

Brooklyn’s resident rockers, Geese, are back this month with their new album 3D Country. Their debut release, Projector, was intended to be their last before breaking up and heading to college, but three years later and the quintet have had a country-rock makeover in this redefinition of the band. The three already-released teasers, “Cowboy Nudes”, “3D Country” and “Mysterious Love” span infectious pop-freakouts and cliché rock eccentricity, proving Geese’s range with ease. A highly anticipated release that’s looking like it’ll live up to the hype.–BR

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Brigid Mae Power

Dream From The Deep Well

(Fire)

Due: June 30

Irish singer-songwriter Brigid Mae Power releases her fourth album, Dream From The Deep Well. Fans of Power are used to her fine-tuned dream-tinged folk sound and Dream From The Deep Well takes that approach and marries it to a grander, baroque creation. Featuring a cover of Tim Buckley’s “I Must Have Been Blind” and a tribute to Ashling Murphy, an Irish teacher who was killed whilst jogging in Tullamore, the release is set to be another moving, deeply human outing from one of Ireland’s most consistent voices.–KD