There is a risk that we might take such quality for granted. Just one listen will remove any such complacency.

With funky guitars riffs and breezy melodies, Monáe's latest effort manages to resemble a throwback and tribute to the Purple One yet avoids feeling too nostalgic.

I think it’s safe to say that ‘GNX’ alone feels like another significant addition to Kendrick’s flawless discography. Not only shocking the world with the nature of its release, but also delivering a project to the same exceptional standard that we’ve come to expect from him.

Though it often overstays its welcome, with a handful of tracks pushing beyond the 15-minute mark, Twin Fantasy is an ideal starting point for any latent Will Toledo fan.

A challenging yet continually beautiful project, ‘In These Times’ contains a terrific sense of unity, one that belies the lengthy manner of its gestation. An ode to community, it’s a record that carries a very special charm.

While the synth and electro are certainly there, it lacks a little punch.

The 29-year-old’s skilful complexity as a musician and producer has undoubtedly progressed along with his self-development.

An absorbing, mystical voyage that lingers in the memory long after morning has broken and the celestial observer has vanished.

On the surface, a welcoming, accessible, wholly beautiful record, but laced with depth, allusion, and verbal knots that refuse to be untied. It’s addictive yet confusing, instantaneous yet difficult to fully understand--it continually forces to you to cease arguing, and simply listen.

‘Javelin’ is an outstanding record, technically brilliant, and emotionally bewitching.

Reborn through anguish, Hookworms are alive and otherworldly as ever.

Throughout, she retains this knack for delivering lethal lines with classic Mitski concision.

With Arise, the London singer continues her excellent run, delivering a refreshingly enchanting and intriguing project.

'A Billion Heartbeats' perhaps lacks the cutting perspective or lyricism of classic protest records, while managing to present the revolutionary spirit of old in a modern context.

Jane Weaver has produced what could rank as a career-best project. The best part is, though, that the elastic creativity which drives ‘Flock’ suggests that much more may lie ahead.

The 13 smooth jams showcase Joy Crookes not only as a vocalist or candid writer but as the new face of British soul. While many artists chase nostalgia, Crookes offers a different way forward by disregarding the traditional boundaries of classicism.

‘Last Night In The Bittersweet’ transports you from the hard-hitting indie rock chaos to gentle soul; his vocals being just as strong and as captivating as he moves from one end of the spectrum to another.

Daring, experimental, and hugely addiction, Blue Lab Beats may just have delivered your summer soundtrack.

Here, Cook examines minimalism from all angles, embracing its ethos while not being scared to keep pushing the boundaries of his sonic experimentation.

It demands your attention, but more importantly, it deserves it too. This is the sound of an artist in complete control, full of confidence and dazzling flair.

John Glacier had often considered herself as ‘particular’, and someone who knew exactly what she wanted, and with her latest body of work, the artist is moving forward in this exceptional journey taking her to exactly where her mind has manifested itself to.

The album's weakest points come in the shape of some unnecessary interludes that only act as murky limbos between its better parts.... Other than that, Hiatus Kaiyote have put together a project that is both vibrant and uninhibited in its nature.

With most of the numbers coming at you like a Doc Marten to the face, a change in tempo is appreciated on the appropriately named ‘Slow Burn,’ a wonky gothic riff adding some atmosphere before the inevitable loud chorus.

It contains some of his finest work, and this lengthy package is a profound expansion on the sessions, live shows, and experimentation that took him there. A terrific piece of Dylan lore, for casual fans and Dylanologists alike.

‘2’ is a stronger album than their debut. It takes more risks; it’s catchier and feels like a body of work.

High doses of intricacy and complexity are contained on Reward. It is a record that signals an attempt to find and hold on to meaning in life. Intimate and personal, it is also one where mumbling is the order of the day, and where a lack of clarity is desired, intended and legit.

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.

A stunning set of songs, this is an album that whispers its impact long after the last note has finished.

This more mainstream-friendly, luscious-yet-intimate sound is a huge gamble for Dry Cleaning, and they came through this stress test shining, delivering their best work so far.

The material more than matches the ambition on these 11 bewitching songs.

It's a bold and stark opus worthy of attention, if your attention span is long enough.

The songs sway with gravitas and hit home whether you’re wrestling with innate and confounding dependence (‘Crack Baby’) or trying to pilot your own mental health (‘Happy’), Mitski feels dedicated to those who, for once, just want to set their own pace.

Arca rides a steady stream of minimalist melancholia, juxtaposed against Ghersi’s intense, operatic vocals--the effect is one of ceremonial transcendence.

Like all Björk albums before it, Vulnicura is the work of many but the vessel, really, for the voice--and everything that means--of just one persistently empowering talent.

Featuring savage and often heartfelt, diary-like ruminations, CTRL pushes against the borders of convention lyrically and sonically, placing it on the upper echelons of potential ‘Best Of ’17’ lists.

Thoughtful, innovative, and reflective, ‘Songs Of An Unknown Tongue’ is a special record, one that offers up questions and revelations in equal measure.

The twenty-track project, dedicated to his late mother, features Headie’s strongest, most reflective writing to date. Distance offers clarity, and the further he navigates away from his past life, the more vivid the pictures he paints of it.

What ‘Septet’ really does well is show how accomplished Kirby has become in his writing. The music is fun, with a joyous bounce, but also hints at a deep melancholy. It’s not sad, but it’s also not happy.

As a project ‘Jack In The Box’ feels personal. It is refreshing to see J-hope experiment with genres not normally associated with his artistry.

From start to finish, Dawn Richard and Spencer Zahn have created a truly refreshing body of work, a seamless experience. ‘Pigments’ encourages one to reach outside of their comfort zone, to listen more closely, more openly.

Refusing to take the easy route, ‘Sundial’ can at times be daunting, and the task of following the profound success of her earlier work isn’t an easy one. On repeated listens, however, the project breaks open as a singular work of Black American artistry.

‘Between You and Me’ sounds as if it was both carefully constructed over a thousand hours, and improvised in one take, and it’s the most Flyte Flyte have ever sounded. Half of the album is simpler, softer, and more stripped-down sonically, and it showcases the vivid songwriting that Flyte are so expert at.

Refusing to be hemmed in by their influences, there’s a real streak of inventive originality to The Cords’ songwriting, aligned to an effervescent innocence that feels totally right for the genre

It never rests and never tires.

A daringly deconstructed soundtrack of the spheres.

Rather than crumbling under the pressure of acclaim, Mitski embraces it and is all better for it. These trials and tribulations that birthed Be The Cowboy have not only developed Mitski as a musician, but also act as another sign that she has the potential to be considered one of the best singer-songwriters of our generation.

A brilliant and intoxicating record.

A must-listen for those who like their metal with depth and mystery.

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

‘Jaguar II’ is a compressed listen with only 11 tracks but still packs in dimensionality and texture. It marks a new pinnacle and a denouement of an era for a once clandestine figure now dancing under the prismatic light of a disco ball.

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

Random Access Memories confuses, disappoints and grates.

Serpentwithfeet teaches us to be ourselves, to endure and be happy and love each other, and it’s rare to hear these simple, well-known things being delivered with a power and strength that can transcend the medium of music itself, turning it into a pure magic.

This is a staggeringly powerful record. Continually evading easy descriptors, Dave pushes his art to higher levels.

Happiness, for Lana, is a process. This album is a testament to her afresh stability and strength, and shows that hope might be a dangerous woman for a thing like her to have — but she’s finally got it.

It’s difficult to envisage anyone else but Remy conceiving such a record. This is exemplary, political pop music executed to near perfection.

Melodic, melancholic, at moments almost celestial, it's simply stunning work.

Cocoa Sugar is a record that merits mass appeal recognition, a timely offering educing the moral panic fever reigning over our everyday existence.

Further proof that The Arcade Fire may indeed be the best band on the planet.

An emotive, emphatic and often joyous collection of music that plays equally for the head and the heart.

This is a thoughtful and sensitively crafted project showcasing an awe-inspiring collection of carefully-crafted tracks. It is a touching tribute to this special musical partnership and demonstrates their musicality, artistry, and emotive storytelling.

Maybe it’s the sentimental Beatle-maniac in us, but ‘Now And Then’ feels like something beautiful, something to cherish.

Showcases an artist gleefully scaling dizzying, wondrous peaks, backed by flawless musicianship, detailed production and marvellous songs.

As natural and inviting as the curling of the leaves, ‘Shore’ is Fleet Foxes at their best. A voice of comfort for an atmomised generation, this is less album, and more treasure trove.

‘Hit Parade’ is as colourful and playful as Róisín Murphy herself. Truly a contender for album of the year, Murphy has created an album of true musical depth that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

An enormous leap forward, Freedom finds Amen Dunes grappling with his abilities, with the passing of the time; a superb record, it’s one that deserves the widest possible audience.

The truth is that in matters of injustice, anger is one of our most powerful tools and with it ‘Hugo’ showcases an essential part of the depth and criticality Loyle Carner possesses as an artist.

‘Being’ is the most enjoyable album Maal has released to date.

V is the record that has finally given The Horrors a set identity. Perfecting every element they did so well on their four previous records, V is a pure and unadulterated celebration of The Horrors.

Kali has created a lucid dreamscape where you can be whatever you want to be, self-venerated and free. Isolation is an escapist escapade of the highest order.

Yes, 22, A Million is painfully, painfully sincere. Yes, it’s also hopelessly oblique, grandiose, and pretentious. Yet it’s also an absolute diamond of a record, at once fragrantly beautifully and also hopelessly complex, easy to disregard and yet thoroughly hypnotic.

Pom Pom Squad seize these influences and DIY them to fit their own Gen-Z aesthetic. In other words, ‘Death Of A Cheerleader’ is a tour-de-force that toasts to all of our own Dumb Bitch Selves.

Yes Patti Scialfa joins him for ‘Tougher Than The Rest’ and ‘Brilliant Disguise’, but other than that it’s just The Boss doing what he does best, “To provide an entertaining evening and to communicate something of value”. And in all honesty that’s all we could ask for.

Distinct from his 2022 debut ‘Rave & Roses’, this feels uncompromising, and new. ‘HEIS’ is the work of an artist emboldened, and undimmed.

Something raw, something ancestral is born and found in the freedom of this album. It serves beyond the ear and reaches to the core of the collective heart. I’m captivated by the force and variety from which she’s presented each song.

Authoritatively potent, bitterly bleak and beautiful, this record is an unexpected but essential punch in the face.

‘Heavy Heavy’ sees them fully marry their two sides; is this a very fun album from a very serious band, or a very serious album from a very fun band? Why not both? Young Fathers can have it both ways.

There are thoughtful beats and thoughtful words here, complementing each other instead of overpowering one another.

So, while Robyn shows that her body can certainly do the talking, when it comes to walking the walk she's prone to stumbling in directions she should avoid.

Hollowed will give you hope, then gut you. Nothing but a victory all round.

SOPHIE manages to incorporate the personal without detracting from what set her apart in the first place, and it makes for a record that’s as affecting as it is thrilling.

‘Lotus’ is a developmental album that excels in a complexity of genres. It showcases Little Simz’s personal resilience as she takes on this vulnerable melodic journey to selflessly blossom in her introversion.

An album of rare patience and empathy, ‘End Of The Middle’ doesn’t ever allow itself to descend into forthright commentary. Instead, it presents its scenes to you, inviting you in, and allowing you the time to reflect on the quiet luxury of finding such comfort a drag, in turn asking you to consider the fates of those who would find such a life an aspirational relief from the breadline.

While the opening moog throbs of ‘No-One’s Easy To Love’ and ‘Comeback Kid’ are initially distracting coming from an artist once known for her sparse compositions, they quickly blend in to become just another part of the atmospheric scenery that add colour to her widescreen laments.

The album does a good job of rekindling the connection with our younger, hopeful selves.

This is an album that further cements their legacy and feels like it captures elements from across their 20-year career into something wholly new and exciting.

A fun pop record that doesn’t skirt from difficult questions, ‘Girlfriend’ is a stellar return.

It’s a truly fascinating listen.

A genuine thrill from an artist who could rest on her nostalgia laurels, Kylie is back for her well-deserved crown.

A wonderful, worthy follow-up.

‘Where’s My Utopia?’ is a musically diverse step forward for Yard Act, who refuse to be intimidated by their debut.

All good music transports the listener, and 'Afrique Victime' does that in spades while spreading a message of hope, resilience, and lessons on political inequality.

By working with a producer who sought him out and by letting the songs lead the way, he has delivered a timeless album.

There is melody here, clear structure. The Blackest Beautiful is a pop record, of a kind. The kind that eats the other albums racked next to it.

It’s a fearless, intricately crafted and sonically expansive body of work that effortlessly showcases why he’s one of the UK’s most talented songwriters.

Reaching greater and greater heights, ‘Magic 3’ could well be Nas and Hit-Boy’s finest hour together – the closure of this chapter allows us to analysis their relationship, but you’re still left yearning for more.

Despite a slight moment of monotony in the back-half, it’s a debut that succeeds in introducing their eclectic current set-up while also highlighting their huge future potential.

While mostly pensive throughout, each moment on ‘Sonido Cosmico’ feels different from the other; each picture evoking something different from the imagination. It’s hard to find a track not to like here.