With a number of debuts to come in the early months of the year, we’re looking forward to first full-length statements from band’s we’ve been tracking for years.

With the new year now upon us, the fog of busy Christmas work and social schedules lifted, it has finally come time to look ahead to a fresh year of music, already shaping up to set down a definitive selection of debut albums in its early months. The names on our list will be very familiar to regular readers, and in each case we are excited to see these bands set down a definitive version of themselves, richer in detail than any individual single or EP. With a busy year ahead, we took a look over a the next few months’ most tantalising releases.

Tapir!, ‘The Pilgrim, Their God and the King of My Decrepit Mountain’ (26^th January)

The gloriously ramshackle Tapir! gear up to conclude the narrative related across their first two EPs (‘Act I’ and ‘Act II’). Now collected in album form with a final four tracks added, ‘The Pilgrim, Their God and the King of My Decrepit Mountain’ completes the musical dimension to this elaborate project. With the promise of further exploration of this fictional world to come through visual means, Tapir! will continue to inspire as they continue to blur formal boundaries with charming accessibility.

The Last Dinner Party, ‘Prelude to Ecstasy’ (2^nd February)

2023’s defining hype band who made perhaps the fastest graduation on record from The George Tavern to Radio 2, The Last Dinner Party prepare to release what will be one of the defining albums of the year. Having secured a massive hit with debut single ‘Nothing Matters,’ followup tracks have continued to assert a knack for memorable hooks, big choruses, and thoroughly good lyric writing. Pitching themselves between the pop heroics of ABBA and the sarcastic wit of Lana, this modern party album is sure to outlast the initial buzz with which it is surrounded.

Mumbles, ‘In the Pocket of the Big Sad’ (2^nd February)

One of our noisiest discoveries of 2023, Mumbles have the playful intricacy of black midi but take it to a completely different place, rushing with wide-eyed fervour between ideas. Combining rapid drums and guitar with furious shrieks of bass clarinet, they are an original and forceful gust of fresh ideas. With singles ranging from the cathartic 18-second ‘Towards a Universal Theory of Gender’ to their most recent release, the symphonic, brain-squashing ‘JD Sports,’ their debut via Oxford legends Divine Schism is sure to be an unpredictable joyride.

Bingo Fury, ‘Bats Feet for a Window’ (16^th February)

We’ve been in love with Bingo Fury from his first single ‘Big Rain’ (and his work in previous bands before that!). Blending jazz phrasings with post-post-punk angst, each song is a singular and ambitious effort, brought together by an incredibly tight band. Building on his existing string of singles and the 5-track ‘Mercy’s Cut’ EP, we’re excited to see a full body of work come together. The album has been recorded at Cotham Parish Church in Bristol, and we’re sure it will be worth the wait.

English Teacher [Title and Release Date TBA]

While we’re still awaiting confirmed details on this one, the word is that an album will be coming sooner rather than later. The Leeds four-piece, noted for their grandiose elaborations on indie rock and occasional deviations into spoken poetry, have in the past year become international ambassadors for the British scene, capping off last year with dates in America and a performance on Jools Holland. Now signed to Island Records, the anticipation of their first full-length could not be higher, with build-up singles ‘Nearly Daffodils’ and ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’ drawing widespread acclaim.