Poppy’s seventh studio album Empty Hands lands as a bold, visceral statement that bridges industrial ferocity with surreal pop craftsmanship and raw emotional heft. From the moment opener “Public Domain” kicks in with its jagged industrial pulse and robotic vocals snarkily addressing critics and cynics, it’s clear Poppy is not here to play it safe. This is music that feels lived, felt, and wrestled with, not assembled in a vacuum.

Some albums cast a spell. hexed!, the second full-length from Manchester-based experimental artist aya, doesn’t ask for permission—it grabs you by the throat, snarls in your ear, and laughs as you lose your sense of time. It’s a beautifully deranged trip into the sonic psyche of an artist who’s as unfiltered as she is fearless.