By Maxazine South Africa 
Dozens of new albums arrive at Maxazine’s editorial staff every week. There are too many to listen to, let alone review. This ensures that too many albums are left behind, and that’s a shame. That is why we post an overview of albums that arrive at the editors today, with short reviews.
Photo (c) Jorge Fakhouri Filho
Snail Mail – Ricochet
Five years after “Valentine”, Lindsey Jordan returns as Snail Mail with “Ricochet”, her third studio album on the Matador label. In the intervening years, she underwent surgery on her vocal cords, moved from New York to North Carolina and made her acting debut. These experiences are reflected in an album that is less about broken hearts and more about big questions: mortality, alienation and the inevitability of change. The opener “Tractor Beam” reveals her new, broader voice, strong and layered thanks to warm strings. On “My Maker”, they fantasise about an escape to heaven, while “Dead End” looks back on teenage years with a twangy guitar and a crackling punk section in the bridge. The title track “Ricochet” finds a strange calm in nihilism. Together with producer Aron Kobayashi-Ritch, Jordan has built a layered, introspective sound that feels larger than her previous work, even if it is not always as urgent. “Ricochet” is a step in the right direction for a generational talent. (Anton Dupont) (7/10) (Matador)
Daniel Rotem – Solo II – Under Construction At Bluewhale
Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Billy Childs, Dianne Reeves, Stevie Wonder, Terri Lyne Carrington. The list of illustrious references is almost endless when looking at the CV of composer and saxophonist Daniel Rotem. In addition, Rotem has released a number of solo records. This “Solo II” is the follow-up to “Solo” from 2020, with the subtitle referring to the recording location, Bluewhale in Los Angeles. The compositions indeed seem to be “under construction”: they are snapshots, as if the pieces still require significant refinement. No fixed forms, but experiments with timing and timbre, using only the sound of the saxophone. Rotem constantly balances between developed ideas and spontaneous impulses. The music becomes intense. Intensely exhausting as well. It is a completely abstract approach to music in which the listener is given no foothold whatsoever. Rotem’s playing itself ranges from whisper-quiet passages to loud, expressive outbursts, without the listener being able to predict at any moment where it is heading. With this record, Rotem takes a considerable risk. Admittedly, he can afford to do so. Whether his audience agrees is another matter. (Jeroen Mulder) (5/10) (Daniel Rotem)
Robyn – Sexistential
After eight years of silence, Robyn returns with her ninth studio album “Sexistential”, released via Konichiwa Records and Young. Where “Honey” from 2018 still drifted on dark dance grooves, she now opts for the infectious electropop that marked her major breakthrough with the “Body Talk” trilogy. Together with producer Klas Åhlund, who also helmed that trilogy, she wrote nine songs that transform sensual energy into pure danceable joy. The opening single “Dopamine” builds stealthily before bursting open, while “Talk To Me”, written with Max Martin for the first time since 2010, sounds like an irresistible Prince groove in a bright Scandinavian package. The title track “Sexistential” is a comedic rap about her IVF journey as a single mother, which is just over the top enough to fascinate. The album ends with the melancholic “Into The Sun”, which concludes the search while leaving it open. “Sexistential” proves that Robyn is sharper, more playful and more personal than ever. (William Brown) (8/10) (Konichiwa Records / Young)
Tony Ann – Synergy
Tony Ann is one of the most well known pianists in the world: he has more than 1 billion video views, 300 million streams and 7 million followers. Younger generations also appreciate his unique blend of neoclassical and popular music. For the album “Synergy”, he collaborated with Arkai. This genre crossing electro acoustic duo consists of cellist Philip Sheegog and violinist Jonathan Miron. The distinctive styles of these three musicians complement each other perfectly. Tony’s piano playing ranges from sparkling to minimalist and heavy, and everything in between. He consistently manages to move me, beautifully supported by Arkai. Each track is different and carries its own emotion. The nine tracks contain beautiful details, shifts between pianissimo (very soft) and strong (loud), and between high and low. Everything forms a sublime harmony, making the music an intense experience. It is wonderful to listen with a headset, fully immersed in your own bubble. It is equally fantastic to fill your living room through speakers with the beautiful compositions on “Synergy”. (Esther Kessel-Tamerus) (9/10) (Universal Music)
Benjamin Herman – The Tokyo Sessions
Benjamin Herman has been at the top of jazz for three decades, regularly exploring and crossing the boundaries of the genre, among others with the ensemble New Cool Collective. He also frequently crosses borders literally. In 2025, the journey led to Japan, of which “The Tokyo Sessions” is the musical report. Herman remains Herman, with an immediately recognisable, free, even playful style of playing. Yet the alto sax sounds slightly more restrained on this record, as if he needs to work harder to integrate his playing into the whole. This is characteristic of Japanese jazz: in Japan, it is primarily about listening, about giving each other space with utmost discipline. Herman adapts excellently to this setting, that must be said. Still, the playing style is somewhat more sober than we are used to from Herman. The characteristic tone of the alto sax remains intact, with “NFRS” and the delightful groove in “YAMAN” as highlights. “The Tokyo Sessions” is therefore not a grand statement. It lacks sparkle and feels slightly too directed, precisely the elements that define Benjamin Herman’s signature. The elegance with which Herman adapts to the mores of Japanese, highly stylised jazz ultimately saves the record. (Jeroen Mulder) (7/10) (Roach Records / Dox Records)
Nijaga Terborg