It’s Buzzcocks-goes-Daniel Johnston, with a little Guided By Voices on the side, erudite and desperate, and everything mentioned above and yet a lot, lot more. And it’s a pleasure to share it, and them, with you.

Hyper, aggressive, silly and just-bloody-gorgeous, it's a perfect microcosm of the album as a whole.

In 'FLOWERS for VASES / descansos' Williams belts the stapled vocal range she’s praised for in notable tracks, ‘All I Wanted,’ ‘Feeling Sorry,’ and ‘Ain’t It Fun,’ and completes it with comforting acoustics, simplistic key work and alluring songwriting.

While ‘Glowing In The Dark’ isn’t their strongest album to date is it their most accomplished. The wonky fun of their debut has been replaced with slick productions and the songs just sound amazing for it.

It’s an album that Beths fans will doubtless like very much, and it offers a strong mission statement to the future that this is a band hungry to expand and determined to explore the hitherto untrodden ground. It’s just a shame that, on this project alone, they’ve not delivered anything of career-defining merit.

An early contender for album of the year.

This is cheap theatrics masquerading as inspired art.

From ‘cover art’ to core, it might seem the listener is last on his list, but this is just classic reverse psychology. The less Dean Blunt cares, the more we do.

Post Malone still provides us with a sprinkling of the classics: bitches, butts and Millie on wrists, it’s appeasing. But for the most part, he created an insightful and eclectic record which is a testament to his versatility and willingness to do exactly what he wants.

She’s perhaps bringing the sweetest voice so far to Hyperdub.

Cat's Eyes is an impressive first outing full of sensuous dreamy atmosphere. Worthy.

Nutini reins in the melodrama, and Caustic Love is testament to that restraint.

Faraway Reach is a happy place full of group hugs and big shiny grooves.

For first-time listeners the distinctly compilation nature of the record could prove disorientating and less rewarding a listen than any of Olsen’s singular, more complete albums. But that’s generally the case in any rarities album. For fans of Olsen's work this is a treasure trove of lesser known recordings that capture the artist in a period in which her sound was ever-evolving and progressing.

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.

Joyce Manor’s latest is a very likeable and highly-charged return from a proper contemporary cult band, one that boasts an admirable ability to tap into a resonant well of impassioned feelings, in spite of one or two slightly misjudged digressions.

Flawed but unbowed, it is a fascinating but frustrating listen.

A broad, diverse and enriching album, the ten tracks which make up Culture Of Volume are each distinctive but seamlessly connect and click together to produce a piece of work that will both delight and enthral.

That a record so dark and ripe with nuance can also harbour such blatant pop sensibility belies the duo’s young age while serving as a testament to their rampant eccentricities.

Album thirteen not only acts as the best thing The Pumpkins has released in over a decade but also an exciting indicator of things hopefully to come – a welcome surprise from one of rocks most unpredictable acts.

Expect to be challenged, provoked, and amazed by this near-heavenly debut.

With greater room for booming electro-ballads and crisply produced dance numbers, Tenderness is more engaging than its predecessor but no less immersive, making it on the whole a hugely accomplished return.

‘The Good Kind’ is full of dynamism and energy with pounding riffs and basslines. The trio are clearly revelling working together again on their sophomore LP, delivering on what fans might expect and showing the role each member plays.

Listen closely and the lyrics are raw in places in terms of questioning oneself and yet grow in self-confidence and belief as the album progresses, perhaps reflecting experience. However all of this is wrapped in the most glorious music, full of spirit and vitality.

‘My First Album’ is bold, fascinating, and addictive. A dark pleasure for summer season.

Despite spanning only nine tracks, the album feels complete, a full arc from despair to declaration. In its brevity lies potency: an emotional journey which navigates heartbreak, self-discovery and resilience.

At the heart of ‘Wormslayer’ lies an undeniable truth – Kula Shaker’s creative fire has never burned brighter.

If you like your pop with a bit more bite to it, then Tegan and Sara are everything you’re looking for.

Ash serves as a stirring, reflective statement in uncertain times. Russell’s production throughout is outstanding too.

It's predictably brilliant; another display of Dear's dazzling musical imagination.

Oxymoron is all killer, no filler--and despite some tracks here not quite translating to radio, in the album context nothing feels out of place.

Even after several listens there's little here to really strike a chord with the long-standing Foos fan. That's not to say it's poor - it's far from that.

The travelling folk shows of Michel Cleis and Die Vögel, healing dancefloors and faiths while handing out daisy chains, head the electronic curiosities helping join the dots of a compilation that poses as much might as it does magic.

This is the sound of a questing spirit pushing at the parameters of unlimited freedom, a hand reaching out to grasp infinity and not falling far short.

Opener ‘Shock Out’ illustrates a playful approach that floats on the periphery of danger while ‘Slay’ sees her really flex her lyricism complete with a wavy flow. As is to be expected, The Bug’s production floats in the oxymoronic universe of heavy and atmospheric that is both haunting and devastating.

‘KOMPROMAT’ is an album that cements I LIKE TRAINS once more not only as a force to be reckoned with but as a band who are able to deliver a delicate critique on society.

The future, past and present is Enter Shikari’s, restructuring the sheer meaning of creativity with another commanding album.

It’s sci-fi, afro, poetry delivered with a snarl. This may not be for everyone, hell, it may only be for the brave, but if you take the ride you’ll be vastly rewarded.

It's All Real continues along the same lines: lush production, low-key bleeps and bloops, a hushed, lovelorn 2am ambience.

The music is engaging, yet thought provoking. It sounds unlike his previous three releases, but there is a continuation of ideas throughout. It’s an album from an artist who doesn’t pander to trends and goes his own path.

While every track on The Haunted Man is brimming with invention, there's little to keep you coming back for repeat listens.

While some moments may be a little theatrical, the astounding musicianship and production pulls it back, from the thick woodiness of clarinet and raucous cupped trumpet to the unbelievable percussion and strings.

This is a timeless collection of blossoming ballads.

A four-track EP that runs for the best part of 25 minutes and possesses more depth, more intrigue, than most full-lengths running to twice as long.

This an album that proves Kaytranada’s production skills to be limitless.

Wanting more of something is hardly the worst criticism to be leveled at an album. With this long-awaited release, Santigold has once more shown the world she’s one of the game’s most unique, imaginative, and fun creators. It’s good to have her back.

United States Of Horror is wired on a different kind of anger--these tracks seethe with violence and disgust, raging at dark political orders, economic inequality, racial tension and fractured society.

There's no reaching out to new audiences here nor attempts to break ground, just an accessible expression by an artist with the freedom to do just that.

A project as mystifying at it is engaging.

Beach Slang play with the kind of heartfelt abandon that you could imagine translating to wider audiences in a similar vein to The Gaslight Anthem or, going back even further, The Goo Goo Dolls. For now, the no-hopers have a voice, but you get the feeling that it won't be theirs alone for much longer.

While this may not be as perfectly realised as "Black City," it's still a beautiful, complex, weird and bold album.

A fine album that balances its expansive and experimental edge with rich, emotional musicality.

There’s a profusion of standout tracks that invite you into Teyana’s world of emotions, sex and vulnerability. ... This a grown woman ready to continue her reign over R&B.

An album that could be the soundtrack to the most fucked-up cowboy movie yet to be made.

It’s a multi-faceted and mature second album from an artist that a lot of people wrongly assumed could only work in one narrow lane.

A brave and open experience, it stands as one of Gold Panda’s most riveting statements, amplifying his technical virtuosity while also honing in on the glorious melodic jewels that allow his work to linger so strongly in the imagination.

An inspired listen, it stands as a wonderful achievement not only in jazz, but in African-American improvisatory arts more generally.

Khruangbin didn’t need to change much on this album, the sound they produce as a unit is still fresh, exciting and uniquely life-affirming.

Slimmed down to forty minutes split between ten tracks, Apple has the feel of one cohesive whole when compared to 7G’s daunting monolith.

Atlas is full of seemingly effortless, ageless, guitar-driven songcraft.

Martyn manages to strip through countless layers, to absorb numberless ideas without losing sight of his own identity. A fine return.

Between the caustic riffs and searing lyrics there’s some damned beauty in Parquet Courts.

The Liverpudlian foursome have by far exceeded expectations with their new, more defined, crisper record.

By cementing his role as musical heir to the mantle of Serge Gainsbourg (if you ignore the fact that Charlotte Gainsbourg herself is a pretty worthy heir), as well as perhaps the only musical peer of Sleaford Mods, Baxter might just have succeeded in further escaping Ian Dury's long, dark shadow.

A fine piece of work from a criminally-underrated talent.

Hard to ignore, her voice is glorious and rich, and her music intoxicating. ‘I Was Born Swimming’ is an intense journey to take with its creator, but it envelops entirely. You are where she is, you feel as she does.

She exudes the beauty of an artist comfortable in the idea of taking risks, an asset she’d do well to keep hold of as, from what exists on this record, you feel that a classic is just around the corner.

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.

So It Goes delivers on the promise they exhibited early on, successfully paying homage to NYC’s biggest hip-hop hitters, navigating busy, broken rhythms, and throwing up fresh perspectives with hazy, boom-bap production.

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

An outstanding effort rivalling his brilliant work with The Lemon Twigs.

A hugely accomplished debut album.

Jeez, it’s long, and there are some missteps, some ill-advised detours, along his peregrinations, but all in all, it’s worth coming along for the ride.

The National are closer than ever, the type of closeness that allows individual growth, and this organic coming together is reflected in the collection of songs on ‘Laugh Track.’ Music that will no doubt stand the test of time.

A relationship breakdown between the band's two founders, singer Nona Marie Invie and producer Marshall LaCount, is laid bare, but with dramatic and beautiful consequences.

Overall it's a robust, respectable detour but will leave some fans pining for the smoky chanteuse of old.

This is an album that strips Rae Sremmurd down to their bare essence. Removing any excess, it allows their contradictions to come to the fore, with sometimes fascinating yet always gripping results.

‘Hackney Diamonds’ is probably the Rolling Stones’ best album in two decades. .... Equally, while his status as a lizard-like, hip-shaking frontman of immortal prowess remains intact, Jagger’s lyricism – so often underrated – delivers a few clunkers here. The highs, though, are what fans are tuning in for.

It’s a jarring listen from start to finish, but worth sifting.

‘Silence Is Loud’ is unafraid to look beyond this hyper-focussed lens. As such, you’ll encounter jazz and neo-soul vibes, alongside bass-bin rattlers galore.

If you like your music heavy with feels, story and a tangible sense of nostalgia, this is for you. Oberst and Bridgers have created one of those rare collaborative albums that rank with the best efforts of the respective artists.

A core message for hope in a fragile world (delivered via singers like Moses Sumney and Tawiah) completes this delicate musical tapestry perfectly, resulting in a quietly triumphant comeback from the British masters.

It’s all over the place stylistically, but then no one ever said that feelings had to make sense.

A richly melodic, welcomingly melancholic debut.

‘Bunny’ is an album that rewards listening with a sense of naivety. Basking in its summery sheen is more than enough to draw pleasure from. But if you allow yourself the time to uncover all of its layers of depth, that glow only becomes brighter.

A record composed of experimental dissonance and slick pop bravery, ‘PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE’ ranks as the boldest aspect of his career to date. A project that searches for honesty, it places Christine and the Queens in a quite singular lane of alt-pop abstraction.

Sacred Paws feel like they have figured out how people listen to music ie. as part of playlists rather than albums, and have set out to write a collection of songs that will fit perfectly into the popular picks in your three minute indie summery vibe playlist, a place where a fair few will nestle in nicely.

Somebody’s Knocking sees the former Screaming Trees frontman continue his foray into electronica, subtly blending ice-cool synths with dirgey guitars and doom-laden imagery to reveal a love of ‘80s English alt-rock. ... Welcome back.

Preaching the same elements on 'Different Scales', this EP shows us what is to come on Jenkins' forthcoming album. If 'The Circus' is just a prelude, then old and new fans alike are up for a special treat.

Its delicacy and sentimentality may strike a cheesy note on first listen, but Post-Tropical is a definite grower.

Total Life Forever is a massive leap forward for the band. The music writhes with a renewed ambition, capable of moving from near ambient strains of electronica to propulsive African funk in a drum break.

Though it’s slow and brooding, Impermanence is bold enough to employ silence as part of the music.

At seventeen tracks it's a purposefully meandering ride, one filled with funky instrumentals and ambient vignettes. While songs such as 'Lately', 'Insecurity' and 'Sex Emoji' show the band has not lost their ability to deliver funky floor-fillers, it's the more subdued material that really shines.

Throughout, Kirk’s hyper-literate brand of songwriting is fully captivating, thanks in part to his propensity for a real zinger.

To hear tracks like ‘Dizzy Dizzy’ or ‘Halleluwah’ hacked down to mere Can-ettes for the humble 7” format feels a little like trying to make sense of a vast painted canvass simply by focusing on, say, the top left corner. Once you get over that, with singles typically being the most accessible or marketable moments in a band’s trajectory, this collection represents a superb introduction to the Can catalogue for anyone lacking the willpower or patience to trawl their albums or the goldmine of material presented on 2012’s essential ‘The Can Tapes.’

Some of Ghetto Madness hasn’t dated well, yet elsewhere it’s upfront and out the gutter stature gives prudes and purists the finger.

Bloated at 16 tracks, it could have been a genuinely strong EP that formed a platform for Dizzee’s return to the sound he helped birth.

With Screen Memories, Maus once again welcomes all that dare enter into his all-consuming, oddball world.