A heart-wrenching collection of songs that urges the listener to give themselves over to this album as much as Ethel Cain gives herself over to you.

At times pretty, at others curiously appealing, ‘AIR’ is more-often-than-not simply boring, ca selection of mood music that fills up space without every truly saying anything.

The rawness to his vocals add grit to a sound definitely polished, but not sanitised. ‘Some Nights I Dream of Doors’ may shed the crudity that helped build intrigue around Obongjayar, but there’s enough here to excite the faithfuls and attract new members to ‘OB Dream Corp’.

Admittedly the aural range she executes on the project isn’t massive but it does prove to make a cohesive second album and what she does present shows an incredibly polished sound that doesn’t disappoint after such a monumental first album.

While elements of ‘Every Shade of Blue’ may struggle to cut through its over-ambitious production value, the album is bound to translate well on the big stage regardless.

Brilliant stuff is still very much spooling out of Thom Yorke. His voice is revelatory on these tracks, better than ever, a peerless instrument; buttery and mellifluous in falsetto, snide and viperish on the growly bits. His magpie instincts for a tart one-liner remain razor sharp.

‘Mr Morales & The Big Steppers’ is one of his most profound, complex, revelatory statements yet, a double album fuelled by sonic ambition, the will to communicate, and Kendrick’s staunch refusal to walk the easy path.

A dance party to release your demons to, they cast yet another lyrically beautiful and musically capitulating spell.

Just as grand as one would expect from the German rockers, ‘Zeit’ is a disorienting, glorious dose of Neue Deutsche Härte. Thick with charisma and a sharp sense of theatricality, this is another certified classic.

‘Come Home The Kids Miss You’ illustrates that he’s not quite there yet, but he’s certainly Justified.

Neil Young is also isn’t accompanied by anyone. He’s just has his guitar between himself and the audience. Its wonderful to hear. And this is why ‘Royce Hall 1971’ is a remarkable album. Yes, we’ve heard all the songs before, but not quite like this.

Ibeyi has continued to present the bejewelled depths of their spiritual and ancestral heritage with great success; it's clear that their source is not only deeply personal but boundless too.

This might not be as an essential album, but it’s one that definitely requires your respect and an hour of your life.

The Scandinavian chanteuse has returned with more anthemic contenders in the shape of her sophomore album 'How To Let Go'.

The lack of pristine sound quality also gives the songs something they might have otherwise lost. They, and Neil Young himself, sound more vulnerable. I’ve never heard ‘Ambulance Blues’ sound so urgent. Which, considering some of the other songs, is very impressive.

All in all, its a beautiful sign of the times - psychedelic and indie focused in melody, with poignant and important lyrics giving a pulse to an otherwise-relaxed-sounding project.

‘WET TENNIS’ is a refreshing collection of totally danceable pop bangers. It feels more ambitious than Sofi Tukker’s debut, resulting in a totally blissful listening experience; fine-tuned to get under your skin.

It again boasts a plethora of instruments and will likely remind fans why Belle and Sebastian are so great at what they do.

It’s not a bad record – the highs more than justify your entrance – but with a rumoured follow up on the way, perhaps it’s time for Future to break a few of his own rules once more.

While this is by no means Let’s Eat Grandma’s masterpiece, it’s a welcome development in the journey of an endlessly fascinating band.

A long time in the making, Royksöpp have birthed an engaging, expressive multimedia universe suspended in digital mystery, a sum of many components meticulously executed. ‘Profound Mysteries’ truly captures the imagination.

Highlights ‘Voice’ and ‘Sonic 8’ will be a surefire test for any club or festival sound system to really prove its worth, and the cold, menacing techno of ‘Release’ sounds a bit like the insides of a power station working really hard to keep a city warm. That said, if you don’t have the huge rig needed to do these tunes justice, and with the days outside just getting warmer, it might be a tough sell to sit at home and curl up with ‘LP. 8’.

Kehlani can still be thorny and tempestuous but they’ve also never been more holistic and soulful than on ‘Blue Water Road’.

‘Alpha Games’ is an exciting return with addictive hooks and array of infectious album stand outs.

Overall, the album is a tour-de-force bound to leave the listener nostalgic for warm, sunny times with an inherently groove-focused, genre-bending sound.

There are layers upon layers of glorious melodies and hooks here; you just need to spend the time to find the ones that work for you.

A grand, cinematic record, it seems to burst past the edges of the widescreen limitations it utilises. Terrific space rock that feels utterly untethered from its sources, ‘Everything Was Beautiful’ easily ranks amongst Spiritualized’s finest achievements.

The duo have created something extraordinary here - something that definitely needs to be heard.

While undeniably sweet on a surface level, 'Cry Mfer' is a clear reaction against the self-seriousness that runs rampant throughout indie music, and while its conception proved challenging for My Idea, this debut is a clear sign that specific working relationships can bear remarkable fruit.

‘Invisible Forces’ is a complicated album, but not cluttered. James Heather’s elegant runs, and elegant is the only real word to describe his playing, are thought-provoking and moving. Throughout the pianist delivers emotion-heavy music that is oddly catchy.

This is a band, ten years into their career, still at the height of their powers, rejuvenated and ready to show the world that you still can’t second-guess them.

A broader, more nuanced experience than 2018 ‘Daytona’, Pusha T still reins in the creativity across the album’s 12 track span. Succinct and finessed, ‘It’s Almost Dry’ is a riveting journey, from first to last.

A sensational record, ‘for you who are the wronged’ burns with a fire though quiet is righteously undimmed; poetic, and explicitly emotional, it’s a challenging yet enriching experience.

On ‘Songbook’ The Lazy Eyes are showing off, offering the full kaleidoscope of their insane talent. It’s an invitation into a dreamy utopia of their own invention - and you’ll want to stay.

‘GOLD’ is an album that offers a homely atmosphere whilst questioning the interior of that home. It is wise in its approach – urging the need to face internal dilemmas that have been ignored for far too long.

It finds Fontaines D.C. moving ever outward into a realm of their own. Powerful and probing, ‘Skinty Fia’ is a record that relishes tough challenges, and refuses simple answers.

At best a fiery evocation of the electronic elements that team thrive on, ‘Paradise Again’ isn’t hell-on-Earth, but it doesn’t leave you enraptured.

From ‘Stuck in the mud’ to ‘What you Reckon’, Digga D is quick and snappy, delivering lyrics that push you to listen again and again. With the confidence that knows he is a star ( he raps ‘I’m as hard as Stromzy and Dave, what a statement to make but I say what I say and I mean it’), Digga D proves he is greater than just another rapper. He is an icon.

Although I would not say that this album breaks boundaries or sparks deep emotional response, it is Fivio's formal introduction to the world with a heavy-hitting drill project which will lead the way for future drill projects globally.

Rossen redefines the boundaries of musical imagination with his long-awaited, wholly confident debut LP 'You Belong There'.

Though moments fall into realms of safety, churning out easy radio-hits, we’re hoping she continues on this venture into more diverse sounds - as those more exciting, genre-fusing tracks are pretty fabulous.

‘Whatever The Weather is fortunately distinctly Loraine James; an unexpected new step of diverse experiments, and a perfect companion to a spring as of yet undecided on showing its face.

An attempt to filter out the parts that truly matter, it’s a triumph, and perhaps the finest album yet in his storied career.

‘Broken Hearts Club’ - performed, co-written and co-produced by Syd – feels like definitive moment as the R&B mainstay truly settles into her solo endeavour.

Overall, ‘Ego Trip’ is proof that Papa Roach still have their finger on the beating pulse of heavy music.

‘Serpentina’ speaks to her craft, elevating her talents as a musician as she sheds through her layers and births a new and transformed performer.

It finds the band coming into their own, more unafraid and united than ever, with a record heavy in lyrical content but bright in tone.

Bouncing from indie to alternative R&B to hip-hop, ‘Ivory’ is a culmination of his interests, all mushed together to create his own sense of authenticity. It is a commanding start, clearly marking out his career ambitions as he continues his journey of success. For him, this is only but the beginning.

An intriguing if not fully formed experiment, ‘Fear Of The Dawn’ is a defiantly un-Jack White statement, transgressing his role as a traditionalist in favour of something less logical. Packed with nervous energy, its haphazard dash to the finish line is nothing if not fascinating.

Put aside your cynicism, and dial into the fireworks: ‘Wet Leg’ is an exceptional debut album.

The record is vast yet insular, and you cant help but get swept up by the show.

The tracks ebb and flow, never stopping in a static moment but chasing a thought, an ideal and holding out hope.

What ‘The Line Is A Curve’ teaches us is that Tempest is still capable of tremendous feats of lyricism and dynamic storytelling; if its inconsistency feels a little frustrating at times, it’s perhaps testament to the flow that bound together previous records with such success.

The combination of having finely crafted compositions and a relatable, poetic voice is effective.

One of the quirkiest albums to arrive in the alt-indie sphere for a while, ‘Unlearning’ will definitely surprise you.

‘Unlimited Love’ is exactly what it says on the tin. A celebration of union, friendship, and life, all manifested across 17 tracks. Littered with lyrical easter eggs and distinctive Chili Peppers funky flare, this record is a regal return.

It’s honest, dark, funny, tragic, moving and incredibly catchy. This is PUP’s finest album to date. No easy job. At its heart this is a slow descent into self-destruction. And we feel all the better for it.

Unapologetic bangers with tongue firmly cheek and a furious, feminist bent, ‘Tilt’ is the album you need in your life.

Wallows are at their sunshine best on tracks like ‘Marvelous’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Talk’, bouncy bright tracks which hold clear influences from Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend, Mac DeMarco and the likes.

Despite the dark aesthetic of ‘Reborn’, the album shines bright with promise for the futuristic vista of Kavinsky.

The project finds Lil Durk facing up to his faults, and owning them, while never abandoning the landscapes that framed him. At times hugely inspired, the intensity of the experience will leave you breathless.

‘Melt My Eyez See The Future’ finds Denzel Curry sitting in a lane of his own. A unique, unified experience, it’s a boundary-less work of endless fascination.

An excellent debut record, it offers a tantalising glimpe of what lies ahead.

This awareness of his public perception seems to dominate the album, even in the tracks that don’t outright address it. As a result, the overall mood is far less authentic.

At 13 tracks there is perhaps a little weight that could be shed – at times, ‘Never Let Me Go’ can feel a little indulgent, lacking a certain concise nature, with ‘This Is What You Wanted’ sounding like a flat cousin of Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’. That said, when it hits ‘Never Let Me Go’ is a reminder of how thrilling, and genuinely intoxicating Placebo can be.

'Homesick' is defined by its anthemic vulnerability, truly capturing a sense of coming of age excellence. Much like the outfit’s previous releases, there is this sense of familiarity stitched into every track, making the nostalgia shine even brighter.

Bright, buoyant, and continually innovative, ‘Electricity’ is a project dominated by colour, vitality, and – crucially – a ruthless pop instinct.

‘Heavy Like A Headache’ takes the musical intricacies that The Ninth Wave are cherished for into new territories. Lyrically, this is The Ninth Wave’s strongest album yet – they’ve never been more open about themselves as artists.

While not without fault, ultimately ‘Forever’ emerges as a tender salute to Phife Dawg. Six years on, he remains a key aspect of the rap firmament – a light that has not dimmed.

The variety in the instrumentation is only met by the variety in her voice; going through registers, accents and even characters, 'Warm Chris' is an album covering the complex and enigmatic voices of a supremely singular talent.

A singular experience, ‘Island Family’ is unsettling at first, until the listener begins to relax into the world Pictish Trail has prepared. An attempt to discuss familiar experiences in an unfamiliar way, it’s a rewarding, groundbreaking insight into his life, one that retains a playfully experimental edge in the process.

The music is stark and abrasive but there is a feeling of hope. Lurking underneath it all themes of gender and insecurity litter ‘The Great Regression’.

Although ‘Present Tense’ leans on the cumulative distance between its collaborators as its primary subject matter, it generates a distinct vacuity within the record.

At times brooding, at times impossibly bubbling with light joy, this is a release that highlight Mattiel’s musical abilities - easily able to drop one sound for another at a moment’s notice, and doing it all with absolute class.

‘MOTOMAMI’ blows away the lingering strictures of lockdown, and finds a true modern icon bathing in personal freedoms.

A hugely effective partnership, Curren$y’s raps – weed, women, the trappings of fame – don’t dwell on subtlety, but it’s the manner in which they are presented that affords ‘Continuance’ its depth.

Duchampian yet danceable and nothing short of essential.

Thanks to Black Milk’s production this is their most accomplished album since 1995's ‘Temple Of Boom’.

Even when she’s not at her best, she displays enough nous and melody to stand head and shoulders above practically all her rivals.

The album really feels like it was years in the making. Somehow the neo-soul-leaning cuts (‘Anywhere’) complement the heavier-set tracks (‘Pusher Man: BWI’) with genius levels of curation.

In classic Alex Cameron form, ‘Oxy Music’ is full of true lyrical artistry in the most to-the-point way possible.

'Great American Painting' is a record that is strongest for its instrumentation, featuring The Districts' typical cross-streams of guitars that amply lamenting vocals, intriguing listeners by making reference to social issues within America.

To take influences from so many places, whilst still being as focused as 'Skin' is no mean feat and while it can be hard to define the line between the worlds the band traverse, no one else out there is walking that line right now as well as they do.

With 'Broken Equipment' BODEGA has transformed from a band to watch to something truly exciting indeed. Any early album of the year contender for those who like their music as sharp as a knife.

The album not only delivers O’Connor's signature use of bubbly synths, electric pianos and programmed beats that instantly make you feel good, but it also serves as a lesson on learning how to heal and move on.

With 'Diplo', listeners can raise their hands to the sky and sink into undulating house, dancing safely under the watchful production of a ten-time Grammy nominee.

‘Year of Love’ opens the record with a palm-muted guitar riff, unexpectedly, and from there ‘Classic Objects’ blossoms into classic Jenny Hval, ‘Cemetery of Splendour’ and ‘Jupiter’ forming its plain, heavenly, skyscraping highlights.

Multitude is the perfect return for such a formidable musical talent, serving not only as a reminder of his innovative talents, but also highlighting how much richer his soundscaping and storytelling has grown over his hiatus.

As they create their most on-their-terms album to date, Band of Horses manage to lift a weight from your shoulders you perhaps didn’t know was there.

A noble experiment, ‘Digital Roses Don’t Die’ displays an artist willing to stretch, willing to take risks. He never names the source of his adoration, but the real winners here are Big K.R.I.T.’s fans.

Throughout a collection of moving gems that have the potential to evoke heartbreak, ‘Nobody’s Home’ also houses contagious jams that speak to Bakar’s take on the infectious nature of indie rock.

Effervescent, exuberant, wry, but always appealing, ‘Run Rose Run’ displays Dolly’s evergreen storytelling prowess and is a vibrant and compelling body of work.

A song cycle that touches on identity, loss, and the path through it all, it’s one marked by maturity and a growing awareness of the potency of her own talents.

A record that thrives on subtlety, ‘Screen Time’ is engaging but never simple, its quiet complexities taking time to truly unfurl amid Thurston Moore's painterly landscapes.

As a whole, the album seems to rally against the instant gratification which is a main feature in so much contemporary music—this was definitely not made with TikTok in mind. Instead, it encourages stillness and contemplation, rewarding deep listening with rhythmic undercurrents that lure you into a meditative state.

With ‘23’ Cench truly puts his name at the top of the leaderboard. The ear for production, vulnerability, braggadocio, and likability make him one of the UK’s premier artists, not just in drill or rap but UK music as a whole.

‘God Don’t Make Mistakes’ is a stunning, multi-faceted achievement.

A project driven by a focussed, finessed sense of purpose, ‘The Tipping Point’ is an excellent song cycle, one that touches on their innermost feelings.