PALACE (UK)

Palace’s fifth album Ox arrives entirely on the band’s own terms, marking a new era of independence shaped by the freedom to write songs for no one else but themselves. There’s a world of beauty and excitement to be found here: an instinctual, open-hearted response from a band to their changing lives, channeling their signature dreamlike textures into songs that feel more alive with emotion than ever before.

Recorded in Deptford with longtime producer Adam Jaffrey, Ox in Hodges’ words, has “a lightness and a momentum to it”. Across 10 warm, sprawling songs, the album embraces a more instinctive and organic approach, drawing inspiration from The Band, Townes Van Zandt, Edward Hopper’s hushed Americana and life on tour. Following last year’s Greyhound EP, Ox places renewed emphasis on dynamics and space, with highlights including lead single ‘Kid’, an affirmation of love written about longing for one’s child while on the road and six-minute opus ‘Brown Bread’. The album arrives as Palace continue to thrive as an independent act. What began in 2016 as Palace Presents, a monthly takeover of The George Tavern in London, has evolved into a label and worldwide community.