Despite having occasionally moments of deflation, ‘Loving In Stereo’ is more refined than past work. Loaded with retrospective jams and summery hits alike, the record leaves their growth open to further exploration.

Surefooted, revelatory, well-rounded and emotionally deep, ‘Council Skies’ cements his reputation as one of the best songwriters the UK has ever produced.

From the flicks of tousled hair and being pale and away with the fairies, the end product sounds more masterful and comfortingly in control than other fashion zeitgeists and angular pouters with every listen.

Hypersonic Missiles is packed with high octane hits, all of which translate into an impeccable record. Sam Fender’s debut is brave, confident and evocative.

This is a gem of an album. Personal, honest and highly emotive, it tackles big questions; but most of all, it dares to be vulnerable.

Sleeping Through The War strikes the perfect balance of the familiar and the alien to distill 45 minutes of musical opium. Bliss.

A record that walks the streets of West Africa and West London with equal confidence, ‘Strange Timez’ offers respite from the dark clouds that swarm above 2020, a gateway into another realm.

Eleven years on from her debut, TORRES’ songwriting remains as infatuating as ever.

This is proper modern pop music: fierce and intelligent in its explorations, defiant and cool in its tone. Wondrous.

This is mood-manifesting music of exceptional quality, experimental electronic fare of substance and, crucially, heart.

If 'Fleet Foxes' was an unbroken hike up from the foothills into the peaks of the Appalachians, 'Crack-Up' is more like the winding train ride home.

You might think punk bands berating the patriarchy is uninspired, but The Spook School do so with spirit, vibrancy and clever honesty, demonstrating how candid discussions of gender and sexuality in pop culture is still worryingly subversive.

This won’t run as smoothly as her DJ-Kicks bow of 2015, and it’s not a mix you’re allowed to get comfortable with, the Siberian’s non-conformist stance playing fast and loose with the ideals of cohesion, and letting the faders lead punters astray.

However dreamy the music may be, mind, it's not all quite so heavenly. The main distraction is how overwrought it all is. This is especially prevalent in Granduciel's lyrics which he sings in whispered reverence.

Yes, at times it is ungainly and crosses over that line into sheer noise, but it never stays there too long as Giant Swan is all about the tunes, despite all the distressed window dressing.

The sonics are strange and hard to recreate: they are forward thinking but in some ways ageless, a natural fit for Tirzah’s magnetic voice.

Malleable, accessible but equally polished and bold, ‘Capricorn Sun’ will no doubt propel TSHA into new environments and challenges.

‘FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE’ is nostalgic, melancholic, hopeful and hopeless, existentialist and nihilist. Brian Eno is one of the few artists who is able to convey the things he does by using so little, and ‘FOREVER’ is a prime example of his mastery.

‘Utopia’ has its limitations. The retro/out-of-time musical architecture feels a bit familiar, although magical closer ‘Hireth’ is a singular highlight. Nonetheless, there’s heady magic to be found herein, if a touch less so than on its creator’s truly otherworldly previous works.

All in all, ‘Liquorice’ is Hatchie at her best yet: it’s poignant, poetic, and above all else, utterly hypnotic.

With new voices, new avenues of exploration and new lyrical viewpoints, The National, alongside producer-director Mike Mills, once again show their ability to reinvent themselves to produce something that is more than just an album.

Rainbow is a muddled hotch-potch that offers little beyond the fact it heralds her return. It's great to have Kesha back--it really is--but let's hope the quality improves in future.

This isn’t mere voguish reinvention but a masterful insertion into the most indecipherable of back catalogues, and its reliably mutable, endlessly wandering creator.

While New View is not especially novel, it still has some fine songs at its core.

It won’t be for the faint-hearted, but if the primal throb of Neneh Cherry’s ‘Blank Project’ ensnared you in the early months of 2014--and it’s hard to imagine how it wouldn’t have--then there is similar pleasure to be found in the utterly absorbing company of Rhythm.

Complex, thought provoking and undeniably engaging.

A record that alternates between the playful and the emotive, ‘My Boy’ thrives on the songwriter’s restless creativity, while never truly settling into one sphere.

Villains is the kind of album that sits at the back of class openly smoking a cigarette but still manages to ace its exams at the end of the year.

Something that immediately grabs you about this record is the production, which easily elevates it above its more naive sounding predecessor; the sound of new label Wichita making good on their investment.

No two songs sound similar and, while Jonsi’s vocals confirm that this is, really, the artist on the album sleeve, it is far from more of the same.

Whilst it’s nice to hear a change of pace for twigs (and to, on occasion, genuinely hear her laugh), there’s not as much focus on experimentation and expression, which could disappoint some exacting fans.

Taking inspiration from Al Green, Barry White and D’Angelo, produced with her long-term friend and collaborator Micachu, Tirzah manages to create a warped ‘90s R&B record with a soulful core and enough electronic dissonance for the modern age.

An album that's completely beguiling.

Most bands master a sound, but there’s the distinct feeling here that TOTS are merely vessels for a force operating somewhere beyond our comprehension of what can, and does, qualify as pop music.

With lyrical viewpoints and musical references more diverse than ever, this set is his finest solo release to date.

On ‘Ignore Grief’ they’ve done it again as the album is the most powerful and uncompromising album they’ve ever released. It’s also one of their most playable. This is down to the dense music. Every time you listen you hear something new that gives the song a different context. This is the mark of a, and I use this word properly, class.

A wonderful, and truly enchanting experience, ‘In Limerence’ will no doubt rank of one of 2025’s most special achievements.

A record of curious indulgence, ‘The New Is Rising’ stands out through its bloody-minded singularities.

A cornucopia of ideas and influences, here, Andrew Bird has created a veritable treasure trove of a record, where to equal the bare sum of its parts is a momentous achievement.

Building shifting ambient electronic compositions, there's no easy way into his world and Replica is a brooding testament to patience and investment.

Poppy is ready to leave her mark upon the world again with this hook-focused album that favours front-to-back consistency over constant mayhem and it makes you wonder what’s next.

For a 2026 experimental capitalist-critique, dedicate half an hour of your time to this album. You won’t regret it.

Although ‘Modus Vivendi’ has oodles of instant appeal, the minute the rule book is thrown out the window, Shake is at the top her game.

Dornik has come out of leftfield to release one of the best quality and most addictive pop records of recent times.

The execution doesn’t always match the scale of its creator’s ambition but ‘Gemini Rights’ is a time capsule of Lacy’s metier right now, and you get the sense he’s one or two masterstrokes away from a classic that will be distinctly his own.

From the lyrical outpouring of questions and realisations, to the emotions encapsulated by these instrumental vignettes and thoughtful production, you get the sense that Maggie is at home here in this state of experimentation and consideration.

There’s a stunning candour to the lyrics, though it gets a little stodgy in the mid-section and, at 80+ minutes, is a little more verbiage than the typical album. Yet we’re dealing with an untypical songwriter, and the last two tracks are among the best he’s ever written.

As much as this collection of instruments can so often deliver the hair-raising tricks we expect, these pieces feel more resonant, more entrenched. The surface level thrills are there, but the impact lingers.

Though compact, Crawl Space draws the focus in on Tei Shi’s compelling and sultry vocals like never before and includes more elements of guitar.

Introverted and understated but not underwhelming, ‘The Night’ rewards repeated listens and while it is unlikely to provide the viral moment that returns Saint Etienne to their rightful place in the charts or troubles new audiences, it will more than satisfy the committed and may, with the benefit of an even longer lens, be among their greatest achievements.

The joyfully raucous Forth Wanderers bears testament to just how well the distance formula is working.

A marvellous new set, then, that only develops its makers’ already enviable reputation.

Musically scattergun, with vintage rock ‘n’ roll rubbing shoulders with post-rock sounds, there’s much to admire about this bold artistic statement.

This is a photocopy of the original Britpop blueprint.

An infectious offering, ‘Out And About’ shines a light on the band’s unified creativity.

TERRY are over the hype and romance of being a new band and their music is richer for it, veering off in all directions.

Malkmus' third (or fourth depending on which folklore you believe) outing with The Jicks, is a disappointing collection of hits and misses--with the latter winning on points.

Though it might overreach itself from time to time, this is a record with real purpose and drive to it.

With Ric Wilson, YMCK and Mndsgn coming on board, the band’s collaborative effort to produce a rebellious and determined album has been able to come to fruition.

Wayne Coyne’s lyrics occasionally aim to capture some of the small-town desperation of a Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp, referencing go-nowhere greasers and bikers with names like Johnny and Tommy. More often than not, however, he reverts to his usual themes: spaceships, magic forests and the undimmed majesty of the milky way.

Scratchy, inchoate electronics, heavy, almost-metal power gestures and subtle violin all conspire at different points to make this a beguiling artistic protest of an album, and singularly one of the most considered and thought-provoking records of 2016.

Unusual, refreshing and vulnerable KoKoro is an album inspired by the political, environmental and the human conscious.

Bleeds isn’t a flawless album, but it is diverse and imaginative.

The result is a truly thought-provoking, needfully important record.

Sonically ‘The Loves Of Your Life’ is a Wurlitzer whirlwind of nostalgia, however the glimpsed memories that lie at its heart are so charmingly dazzled to life - they are testament to the humanist eye of a songwriter as vividly inspired as he has ever been.

Eve Owen has only just started her journey, but there’s clearly a bright future ahead for the artist as her mature and accomplished album proves she’s indie music’s rising star.

Soaring vocals and clean-cut production allow for an easy listen where listeners can grasp the feelings of the collective. This new release was needed, not just for the fans who have been dying to hear new music, but needed for the music community in general. The current climate is dark, moody, uncertain with the pandemic in mind, but this new album brings joy and happiness in a time where it is needed most.

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.

Never once is Jean Dawson restricted by any instruments or styles. Instead he crafts a nostalgic, and sometimes aggressive, world, matched beautifully by the well-thought-out visuals. It took everything that made ‘Pixel Bath’ so incredible and just elevates it. 8/10

An urgency and classic rock vibe, noticeably missing from recent atmospheric releases, is back in full swing here, and it works to their advantage.

Authentic, uplifting and instantly enriching, ‘The Big Decider’ was absolutely worth the wait.

Black Panther: The Album is an instantly enjoyable project that allows its featured artists to shine under the watchful eyes and ears of Kendrick Lamar.

A bold attempt to embrace his contradictions, this is a project held together by the brutal strength of slowthai’s performances.

An early contender for this year’s big summer rap album, we won’t be surprised if we are still hearing about Honest when the winter cold returns.

Patina is a solid sophomore effort, and perhaps hints at the promise of a greater sonic exploration to come with their future releases.

Emerging from the murk and into the new-found quiet of middle age, Feist’s Pleasure is a document of stark beauty that’s entirely and unequivocally her own.

It's less immediate than previous material, but nevertheless absorbs the magic of the world, distilling it into ten slices of trembling, impassioned rock 'n' roll.

The OOZ is undoubtedly another thought-provoking entry into the discography one of Britain’s most exciting and challenging young artists. An intense, yet rewarding listen.

‘Invisible Cities’ is a beguiling album that is as rich as it’s subject matter. A Winged Victory For The Sullen designed 13 piece of music that are architecturally sound but tap in directly, and build from, their enchanting debut album.

Enriching yet austere, its methodology seems to embody the title of a previous Claire Rousay song: ‘everything perfect is already here’.

Not For Radio’s ‘Melt’ is an incredible introduction to her solo world.

The Mars Volta have hit upon an incredibly surprising new phase in their multi-faceted evolution.

A thoroughly worthwhile listen for ambient fans that value a narrative.

A beautiful vessel for messy emotions, 'Build A Problem' is a tour of the highs and lows of living and loving in your teens, twenties and probably beyond; raw, full of questions and yet celebratory as it revels in its big emotions.

An enlightening journey through the mind of an outsider, but an entirely relatable one.

The Baltimore duo have somehow gifted us their masterpiece, and though the rain outside has now stopped, new heavens have opened.

There is plenty to unpack with plenty of anthemic moments but also moments of calm that help the epic tracks to soar even more. Dobson’s vocals and guitar work are both captivating throughout in a record that rarely has a dull moment and is full of spirit and spark from start to finish.

While nostalgia does play a prominent role in ‘After The Party’, the record manages to avoid getting bogged down in it thanks to its ability to keep one eye looking forward.

A crisp, often emotional, pop experience, it’s a break with the past while remaining utterly true to the precepts that Wolf Alice forged their success by.

Armed with some equally intriguing sleeve notes, This Ain't Chicago is more than just a collection; it's a journey.

With Face Your Fear, Harding has given us a captivatingly concise project brimming with soulful and pensive reflection.

With its polished sound and central themes of love, appreciation, and reflection, ‘Leon’ is a must-listen for fans of smooth and sonorous soul music.

Lucky Shiner is one of the most innovative and mind-melding albums of the year and one that just keeps on giving.

A long time coming, ‘Heaven knows’ is a debut album that was well worth the wait from PinkPantheress, and a sign of a promising career from the singer.

The result is an album of intimacy, introspection and incredible beauty; a communion with the sands.

There's nothing here for the existing fan base but enough to entice new arrivals and strong enough to furnish a fresh interest from them.

Lotic has pushed the envelope sonically, and compositionally, to create a brave and breathtaking view of gender in 2018 and, ultimately, what it means to be alive.

In fairness, we have heard the duelling solos, galloping Guitar riffs and Dickinson’s operatic Rock vocals all before, in that sense there’s nothing particularly new in form of style (but that’s no bad omen). Upon The Book of Souls the band do, however, sound tighter than ever, offering a raw atmosphere that makes the album sound as though it was almost written in order to be played live.