The Groove’s Monthly Picks: October

The Groove’s Monthly Picks: October 2025

Something about Friday 31st…

Not just Halloween – the day a load of artists decided to release new music, even with some spooky undertones. That’s why we’ve waited until the very last day of October to announce our Monthly Picks. And did we have a diverse mix to choose from this month, from Sam Fender’s plaintive new single featuring the Elton John, to Eleni Drake’s soft introspection, to Lily Allen’s forensically detailed surprise album.

…There’s also a deliberate omission of the new album from the artist whose name rhymes with ‘Sailor Shift’. We’re still collecting our thoughts on that one.

In the meantime – here are the month’s best releases, from an October overflowing with great new music.

Del Water Gap, ‘Damn’. Image credit: Anthony Wilson, Del Water Gap

Del Water Gap – Damn

Del Water Gap’s third single from upcoming album ‘Chasing The Chimera’ is a warm blend of its predecessors. ‘Damn’ combines the uncertainty of adulthood central to ‘How To Live’ with the unravelling of a vulnerable love, explored in ‘Marigolds’. You can’t help but root for S. Holden Jaffe with lyrics ‘At the beginning of the story / when all you’ve got is faith’ and ‘Why wear my armour when I can be soft?’ This trio of singles paints a strangely comforting picture of a person just trying to figure it out.

Sam Fender ft. Elton John - talk to you

Sam Fender’s had a busy month – a Mercury Prize win, a deluxe album announcement, and a new single with Elton John. Born from the same writing sessions as ‘People Watching’, Fender describes ‘Talk To You’ as ‘that feeling of losing your best friend, and coming to terms with that’. He’s told many heartbreaking stories before but few with such candour, through characteristic poetry, perhaps his most personal yet: ‘seven years wrapped in youth’s grey love’ / ‘I don’t deserve to talk to you, but I hope that I can root for you’. Ooof. 

Sam Fender, ft. Elton John, ‘Talk To You’. Image credit: Tish Murtha, Chuff Media

The Last Dinner Party – From The pyre

This British band’s sophomore album is an exercise in pooling strengths and collaboration without ego. Each of its member’s many talents has space to soar, resulting in a body of work that is diverse, authentic and cohesive. A French-language interlude, a track sung by keyboardist Aurora Nishevci, and tinges of Medieval folk await inevitable new fans of The Last Dinner Party. ‘From The Pyre’ is the work of a band honing their powers – soft, strong, and growing in conviction.

JAMES SMITH – gOLDEN AGE

James Smith is chasing his glory days, or maybe he’s frustrated at watching them flicker in grayscale. Portraying the experience of many musicians – and young people – ‘Golden Age’ is about ‘struggling to keep the dream alive’ amidst constant financial stress in what ‘are meant to be the best years of your life’. Despite all that, it’s an upbeat tune that marks a pivot from the singer’s historically softer style. Read the full interview with James Smith about the new single, and the shift towards a more band-driven sound.

Lily Allen, ‘West End Girl’. Image credit: Nieves Gonnzalez

LILY ALLEN – WEST END GIRL

Lily Allen has achieved a rare feat after such a long break from industry: she’s released an album that is unmistakably hers, whilst slotting straight back into the mainstream. Her debut ‘Smile’ was released almost 20 years ago, but this is the total opposite of a nostalgia trip. It’s a start-to-finish testimony of a man turning inside out and a woman falling apart. Allen’s version of marital betrayal is displayed in court-level, eyewatering detail for the audience to dissect and discuss, which they certainly are. ‘West End Girl’ is its own three-act play in album form: tragic, brilliant, and brimming with drama.

ELENI DRAKE – CHUCK

‘Chuck’ is Londoner Eleni Drake’s antidote to autumn chill, with vocals like the goosebump feeling of stepping into a hot bath on a cold day. Her tone is pure and soft, with delicacy in the darkness that creeps through the album’s lyrics and artwork. Drake’s voice is most in harmony when paired with a singular instrument that allows her crystal clear diction and precise storytelling to gently penetrate, be it an electric guitar in ‘Alone’, or a violin in ‘The End’. That said, it’s ‘Ripples’ and ‘I Saw It Too’ that captures the tug between nostalgic aching and surrendering to hope most beautifully.

Eleni Drake, ‘Chuck’. Image credit: Paul Fencaros

Florence & The Machine – EVERYBODY SCREAM

We’d expect nothing less than angelic vocals from Florence & The Machine, but ‘Everybody Scream’ dances on the line of sweet and spooky, stretching her voice to the limits of what’s comfortable to consume. This album could not be released on a better day than October 31st, with its ghoulish echoing harmonies and occasionally downright sinister storytelling. Inspired by witchcraft and folk horror in the wake of life-saving surgery, Welsh explores her mortality and identity through the lens of spiritualism and contemporary politics. Full review coming soon.

Genesis Owusu, ‘Death Cult Zombie’. Photo credit: Genesis Owusu

genesis owusu – DEATH CULT ZOMBIE

The Australian continues his album rollout with second single ‘Death Cult Zombie’, a lazer-sharp aim at ‘orange man’ Donald Trump, Andrew-Tate types, and their chorus of supporters. You might hear the influence of British punk and Blur-style Britpop in Genesis Owusu’s delivery, though overbearing nationalism and ‘British teeth’ take a lash too. The song ends with an unminced callout of abuse of power: ‘it’s not left and right, it’s up and down’, and it’s released today with an all-out zombie music video …Happy Halloween!

Underrated Gem:

Tash Sultana — Coma (MTV Unplugged — Live In Melbourne)

The studio version of ‘Coma’ off Tash Sultana’s second full-length album ‘Terra Firma’ will catch anyone’s attention, but it wasn’t until I heard this live version that I had to stop what I was doing. If you’ve ever had the privilege of listening to this particular track live, you’ll know that the experience is not far off transcendent. This version comes pretty close to bottling that feeling. Sultana’s passion oozes through the instrumental bridge, and it’s incredibly hard not to feel viscerally moved by it

Listen when: 

You want to transport to a different dimension in headphones at max volume.