Maya Hawke, Disclosure, Diesel: Latest album reviews

She’s the actor-model daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman who’s now added singer-songwriter to her repertoire. So how does she stack up? PLUS Diesel and Disclosure

Maya Hawke arrives for the screening of the film Mainstream presented in the Orizzonti competition on the fourth day of the 77th Venice Film Festival this week. Picture: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

This week’s album reviews from The Courier-Mail (ratings out of five stars):

INDIE/FOLK

Maya Hawke, Blush

(Mom + Pop Music) ****

The daughter of Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke has added singer-songwriter to her repertoire of talents with the release of her beautiful debut studio album. Blush is gentle and cosy. It highlights Hawke’s expressive vocals on each track, which is supported by thoughtful guitar playing and drumming. The album draws on human experience and is delivered through folk-rock textures as well as samples country sounds. Without overly romanticising life and love, she captures the essence of what romance and acceptance is and means to a young person. It’s music without any superficialities and stripped of any gimmick, where the only things that matter are good arrangements, great vocals and meaningful lyrics.

Monique Pueblos

ELECTRONIC

Disclosure, ENERGY

(Island Records) ****

In an age where we’re mostly panic and no party, Disclosure bring back disco with their underground house roots on their long-awaited third album. Packed with a star-studded guest list including Common and Kehlani, some ofthe Lawrence brothers’ strongest tracks to date are featured on ENERGY. Standouts include the dance-inducing Douha (Mali Mali) led by Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara, and heavy bassline-filled My High with verses from rappers Slowthai and Aminé. Perfect for a rave – the entire album is lively, exciting and oozes playability. Disclosure have certainly turned up the heat and the beat with their latest release.

Monique Pueblos

ROCK

Diesel, Sunset Suburbia

(Bloodlines) ***

Diesel’s Sunset Suburbia project was intended to be three EPs and an album, but we ended up with two EPs capped off by this just-released long-player. Not that fans can complain in the current climate; it’s still been a prodigious output from the Oz rock favourite during an unprecedented time for the industry. On the Inside opens proceedings on an upbeat radio-friendly note before earworm In Reverse pulses along on a vaguely new-wave foundation. By the Scars is a catharsis of sorts as Diesel confronts a traumatic incident in his young years. I Found a Love has a slight Latin flavour and the title track, with a similar rhythm and vibe to The Black Crowes, wraps the album and trilogy.

John O’Brien