Best Albums of August 2019: hmv.com previews the top 10...

Taylor Swift, Slipknot, Frank Turner and Ride are among the artists with new albums hitting shelves in August...

 

Taylor Swift - Lover

Out August 23rd

 

The superstar's much-anticipated follow-up to her spiky 2017 effort reputation arrives next month. 

Lorde producer Joel Little is the key producer on this album,  while guests include Panic! At The Disco's Brendon Urie

The album moves away from reputation's dark, introverted sound and into something more joyous. 

 

 

Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

Out August 9th

 

Five years after 2014's .5: The Gray Chapter, the Iowa metallers roar back with their sixth full-length effort. 

Greg Fidelman returns to produce, while the album is the band's first without percussionist Chris Fehn, who left before recording began. 

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has promised that the album would be the most experimental to date, but also their heaviest, as you can on new single 'Unsainted'...

 

 

Mabel - High Expectations

Out August 2nd

 

The hotly-tipped singer finally drops her long-awaited debut album next month. 

Coming in at 20 tracks, the album includes hit singles 'Don't Call Me Up', 'Mad Love' and 'Fine Line'. 

The album is packed with production talent including pop kingmaker Steve Mac, Adele and Craig David frequent collaborator Fraser T Smith, MNEK and Disclosure key man James Napier. 

Rappers Not3s and Kojo Funds guest on the album along with Raye, Stefflon Don and Jax Jones. 

 

 

Friendly Fires - Inflorescent

Out August 16th

 

It's taken them eight years to unveil a follow-up to 2011's hit LP Pala, but the stylish dance trio finally do it next month. 

Recorded with Years & Years key man Mark Ralph, Disclosure and Foals/Arctic Monkeys producer James Ford, the album has 11 tracks, including hit single 'Love. Like. Waves'. 

 

 

Frank Turner - No Man's Land

Out August 16th

 

Having previously sworn he'd never make a concept album, the troubadour breaks that promise next month with new LP No Man's Land. 

The album sees the singer using each track to tell the story of a different woman in history.

Among them are Sister Rosetta Tharpe, widely known as the inventor of rock and roll, Byzantine princess Kassiani and Egyptian feminist activist Huda Sha'arawi

Recorded with Foals/Wolf Alice producer Catherine Marks, the album also sees Turner backed by an all-female band including Anna Jenkins and Gill Sandell of regular collaborator Emily Barker’s Red Clay Halo band, Lock drummer Holly Madge, Paloma Faith’s bass player Andrea Goldsworthy, Kat Marsh of Choir Noir and a full West End brass section. 

 

 

Sleater-Kinney - Hold The Center

Out August 23rd

 

The beloved band make a welcome return with their first new album in four years. 

For this new LP, their ninth of their career, the band have worked with Annie Clark a.k.a St Vincent, makes her debut as a full-length producer.  

Hold The Center sees the band in an experimental mood, dabbling with electronics and widescreen production, as opposed to the raw, raucous rock of earlier in their career. 

The album was completed before the band's drummer Janet Weiss announced her departure from the band and features Weiss's playing. 

 

 

Ride - This Is Not A Safe Place

Out August 16th

 

The reunited indie types continue their good work with This Is Not A Safe Place next month. 

Recorded once again with dance maestro Erol Alkan, the album finds the band showing off their trademark harmonies, all with a trippy, psychedelic tinge. 

 

 

Tool - Fear Innoculum

Out August 30th

 

It's taken them 13 years to get here, but Tool will, at long last, finally drop their fifth studio album at the end of next month. 

Details are still scant, as you'd expect, but it's coming...

 

The Hold Steady - Thrashing Thru The Passion

Out August 16th

 

The rousing rockers come back with their first new LP in five years in August. 

Recorded with producer Josh Kaufman and engineer D. James Goodwin in early 2019 in Woodstock, New York, the album finds the band back in fine form. 

 

 

Shura - Forevher

Out August 16th

 

Alexandra Lilah Denton unveils her second full-length effort next month, a follow-up to 2016's acclaimed Nothing's Real.

Co-produced by former Athlete man Joel Pott, the album also features guest appearances from Jagwar Ma's Jona Ma, Whitney's Will Smith, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs as well as Rosie Lowe and Kerry Leatham.