While producer Paul Epworth’s contribution is accomplished, adding a dynamism that maintains our attention throughout, the record seems to lack an underlying theme. Bay has been a bit too clever for his own good, and on Electric Light fails to latch onto a identity that makes him truly unique.

‘Bike Lane’ doesn’t quite strike the balance, and as such isn’t a highlight, nor is ‘Shiggy’. But they’re done so wryly, so knowingly, that it’s not a big deal and they don’t detract much from what is an assuredly sparkly album.

The resulting work is cracked but compelling, a real warts and all record that slaloms its way between moments of breathtaking romance and ugly reality. Occasionally its composition feels scrappy or unfinished, but this doesn’t particularly mar the experience of listening to it.

Longwave is a gently simple record but one which manages to exert an almost hypnotic pull.

A brutally funny, scuzzy and lacking-in-seriousness affair, it truly is one of the most entertaining New York guitar albums of modern times.

While ‘My Name Is My Name’ was a great album, this is a masterclass in design: in contrast to the 20+ track albums of this streaming era, Kanye’s ruthless editing ensures every song, every bar and every sample have purpose.

After the cheap--but definitely magical--thrills of her debut, this is a slow-burning triumph.

This isn’t a linear narrative, with our author bending the fabric of time to suck us deeper into the emotional life of the characters in his story. As devices go, it’s a sharp one.

44/876 is like a hilarious fever dream somehow brought to life. Not entirely awful.

Turner’s inconsistent seventh LP may not compare with the likes of ‘Love Ire & Song’ and ‘Poetry Of The Deed’ but a willingness to experiment paired with a deceptively simple message make it a decent, if unremarkable addition to his stellar back catalogue.

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

Whilst your first few visits to the ‘Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino’ may feel alien and unwelcoming, you will gravitate ever closer to its shimmering outer-space treasures with each stay.

Crafting a solid set of songs that hold their own among break-out singles is no mean feat, but the Sydney trio have pulled it off--in the main, at least.

The album’s production works against it, however. Beyond proficient, it's so clean and glossy your attention slides off the album. You long for a little grit and texture to really bring the music alive.

‘C O S M’ is the first dramatic reduction in pace, but proves to be only temporary respite, as the album’s second half builds to a glorious finale. Hopkins remains in ascension, and no one is on his level right now.

Seven deeply moving songs teetering deliciously on the brink of collapse. It was a long time in the making, but now, at the age of 27, Minus feels alarmingly close to the album Blumberg was always supposed to write.

Though it might be lacking in the amount of quintessential indie floorfillers that we’ve come accustomed to with Peace, Kindness Is The New Rock And Roll shows progression.

Their most confident and assured release filled with the promise of things to come. One for you wicked souls out there.

Cinematic in scope and delicately constructed, the album grows from warm, organic techno (‘Persona’) through ambient electronica (‘Dreamer’s Wake’) to the insistent synths, drums and drones of ‘Hidden’. Lovely stuff.

Worthy of comparison to the late career stylings of Björk, Plunkett’s vocals often steal the limelight but, make no mistake, this album is considerably more than the sum of any individual part.

This year’s Pinned is its well-made product that checks all the boxes, successfully imitating the late ‘80s feel--the highest compliment in this line of work.

There’s still plenty to admire here, especially Gracie’s emotionally raw, brittle vocals and despite the record’s shortcomings, this remains a solid, entertaining debut from an exciting new talent.

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.

It feels like a career-straddling greatest hits collection in which all the ‘hits’ are brand new.

While the comedown is expertly managed, one begins to pine for the glossier touches which Molleson clearly excels at. Nonetheless, it’s an album brimming with vigour and ideas from start to finish, and likely set to be one of the UK’s most engaging debuts this year.

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

On first listen, it’s hard to ignore a sense of inconsistency and feeling that something’s lacking from its second half. That said, come the second time listening you start to stop questioning the diversity and simply celebrate the fact they’ve got the repertoire, and guts, to mix everything up and make it work.

The highlights on this project are the glimpses of musical experimentation, but unfortunately the album doesn’t have enough of these to really shine.

Recorded with Berlin-based chamber orchestra s t a r g a z e, their sound is simultaneously laid bare and enriched by its cinematic qualities.

The album’s first half sees Taye relish the experimental nature that first drew him to the scene, and to its defining Teklife cohort. When it works, it’s weird - but it definitely works. ... The latter half of the record serves a more straightforward (if such a thing is possible) footwork rinse-out. And it sings.

It’s a bit less frenetic than previous material, but across ten songs Thomas leaves his unmistakeable sonic signature with auteur-like precision.

The Doom-helmed ‘Lil Mufukuz’ and Phat Kat’s ‘Bubble Up’ show the Dabrye-plus-MC chemistry at its best, but if there was ever a criticism of the previous entries in this trilogy, it was that Dabrye struggled when it came to trimming the tracklist. ... The same is unfortunately the case here too.

Apollonia is for fans of Jamie xx, Tame Impala, and SBTRKT, and all its elements have been combined and thoughtfully arranged in a way that makes sense. A solid debut for Garden City Movement.

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.

That the new Daphne & Celeste album is not just good, but great may seem absurd, but that’s the only way to describe it. It’s full of moments of sublime pop genius, thrilling electronica, unexpected warmth, DGAF attitude and good humour.

Taylor’s brilliantly bonkers pop odyssey certainly lives up to its title and ultimately, is an impressive, if uneven addition to his already stellar discography.

It seems as if Novelist made the album he wanted to make, despite the external pressures, and gave us a project which is sonically, socio-politically and unapologetically grime.

For the most part, regrettably, Geography only showcases a producer out of his depth behind the mic.

Though it is far too early to start talking about this as one of their finest records, I have no doubt that 'Firepower' could slip through a wormhole in time to stand in the mighty presence of 'British Steel' and 'Screaming For Vengeance' and feel no shame.

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.

‘Broken Algorithms’ is a sizeable misfire from its title onwards, thundering about with the ham-fisted bluster of much of their debut, ‘Generation Terrorists’. Its digital focus is at odds with an album besotted with faded analogue beauty.

Earworm guitar licks and choir-like harmonies sprout unexpectedly from Goat Girl’s skeletal, unpredictable songs like wildflowers in landfill.

I Don’t Run advances Hinds’ endearing charm and esprit de corps, which in turn makes this another totally enjoyable listen.

Showing not only progression and honing of a craft, this record goes from a hulking shredding Goliath to a reflective funk record in the space of a few minutes with wonderfully engrossing results.

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.

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.

It’s not that Nihilistic Glamour Shots is some objectively terrible record, but it’s certainly not a great one. The music isn’t minimal, it’s mundane, a songwriting stodge that seems content to play in its own filth.

Intended settings aside, Song For Alpha demands repeated listening, finding its place oscillating between the ecstasy and dejection of experience.

2012 - 2017 is one hour and seven minutes of sample-heavy dance tracks--eleven in total. Those who are deeply inquisitive about music will have a field day on WhoSampled finding vocal stems from David Axelrod, The Delfonics and Kanye West. Those who aren’t interested in that will still find an album which has an instant impact as Jaar substitutes avant-garde dystopian techno with the most off kilter time signatures for something much more predictable.

Call this a mismatch, a contradiction, if you want, but only he can fully acknowledge this seriousness, this complexity. And if this is a ‘coming-to-terms-with’-type record, it does suggest he is starting that process, even if--musically--the progression remains somewhat tender.

By the end of it, it’s very clear that this is a deadly serious record--not a parody, not even an homage, but a largely enjoyable marriage of the stodge with the airy and the old with the new which manages to retain an impressive sense of cohesiveness and consistency.

Though they sometimes still miss, Twentytwo In Blue stakes out the loss of innocence that comes with growing up, and it does it beautifully.

Boarding House Reach is easily one of the most layered and compelling releases of 2018, which furthers White’s legacy as one of the few remaining mavericks in music.

There are a couple of tonal mis-steps, we’re looking at your ‘Esportes Casual’, and perhaps the running time could be shaved down, but overall this stands as a sweet reminder to take a step back from the madness and breathe.

The Magic Gang’s debut is all you could wish for. ... Though it’s been a long time coming, The Magic Gang is still an ambitious release, that offers hopefulness and heartbreak in a 60s tinged wrapping.

A singular, precise, and continually inviting experience, Clean finds Soccer Mommy reaching a new level of artistry, using her earlier releases as a bedrock to support her ambitions. A marvellous debut, it’s truly something to savour.

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

It is impossible to deny the craftsmanship with which the trio have sculpted the opening salvo of 'This Is It' and 'Loveless'. ... Sadly his talent for building epic, emotive crescendos does not overshadow his shortcomings as a lyricist.

The disorientating utopian ride you take when listening to this album in full will no doubt bring you glee, and maybe some weird dreams if you think about being a prawn too much.

With the obvious potential fully realised, 'Improvisations’ could have become an instant cult classic, but in this raw, rushed and unfinished form it is hardly anything more than a collectible item for curious die-hard fans.

Rather than a coherent and recognisable new sound, it seems as though all manner of ideas are being thrown at the wall to see what sticks.

Not everything on All Nerve works. But then, perfection was never the aim for Breeders; instead, they’ve provided something vital, visceral, completely modern. In never once looking back they’ve re-captured the incessant energy that drove ‘Last Splash’, and given us something to take its place.

All of this seems like a nod to the work ethic of their DIY roots, but they often transcend this, knowing they could go on to greater things.

Belief is a truly remarkable record; hermetic and idiosyncratic, the work of a stubborn maverick pursuing his own lone path.

The firm foundation of the songs can be, at times, a little monotonous, a listening experience that not even the more jazzy guitar work can save. That being said, the band still oozes of swanky confidence.

Drift see’s songwriters Mark Perro and Nick Chiericozzi reflect on a decade of relentless experimentation to produce an album that truly showcases both their versatility as musicians and the many dimensions of The Men’s musical canon.

A well-timed treat delivered by one of music's most beloved eccentrics. Go explore.

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

In its entirety Marble Skies is a mixed bag that showcases the multitude of genres Django Django can draw upon, but it lacks cohesion.

Diverse talents are woven together with ease by a man with an encyclopaedic knowledge of how music can affect us. The end result is something truly special.

This is Dashboard Confessional in 2018: still as charming, still as cathartic and ultimately every bit the record you want it to be.

Trading the band’s raggle-taggle instrumentation for vintage echo, Mac DeMarco slick and C86 crunch only oversaturates this occasionally loveable, mostly feeble effort.

Even at it’s bleakest, All At Once is sheer rock’n’roll joy from start to finish.

With its themes giving the listener the desire to actually pay attention to what being said, rather than just zoning out to the album’s ear-worming melodies, Insecure Men is no doubt one of 2018’s best debuts.

For all their feel-good, boppy charm, The Orielles have created a truly intelligent indie-pop album with Silver Dollar Moment.

With Little Dark Age, the group have perfected the balancing act between the two, and have delivered a project that should please fans on both sides.

A Humdrum Star feels like a step beyond the precious experiments of their opening records, a concise and complete statement that defies categorisation and reinforces the vitality of UK jazz at this moment.

For the most part, too, it’s an absolute joy, an urbane, witty, extremely catchy selection of three minute ditties, superbly well-written and expertly arranged.

Loma is an interesting concoction, but one that doesn't always necessarily gel. It's undoubtedly a lovingly produced set of tracks, filled with an almost tangible level of texture, but the songs often don't match their treatment.

The overriding, inescapable, and most important aspect of ‘Amen,’ though, is that it is fun. Fun to listen to, fun (it seems) to have made and no doubt fun to perform.

Ever the showman, Darcy and company have engineered a refreshing return which though softer around the edges than previous Ought releases, is no less gratifying.

the way Technology compromises on solid songwriting in favour of material that’ll evoke carnage in a live setting is detrimental to the album as a whole.

An early contender for album of the year.

Though hit and miss, Brighter Wounds is a solid addition to the group’s catalogue.

For all its best intentions, Man of the Woods often feels rushed, occasionally underproduced and at times, unfinished. Lacking the effortless polish of previous releases, it troughs more than peaks and ends up floundering in its own ambition.

Tracks like ‘Feeling Good, Feeling Great’, ‘High’ and ‘Guillotine’ feel soulless and lack the gusto that DZ Deathrays have shown through their live shows and previous releases. Albeit brief, there are glimmers in which the duo capture the visceral and angsty essence of their past through the tribal ‘Back _ Forth’ and closer ‘Witchcraft Pt. II’.

Outstanding work with the sound, abundance of catchy tunes and thoughtful, memorable lines make Rest an engaging experience for any listener, guaranteed to evoke or further develop the interest for the story of the illustrious Gainsbourg family.

Dream Wife’s self-titled debut is a satisfying and infectious trip of lo-fi indie pop that starts 2018 off with a much needed shot of adrenaline.

Lovely tunes and scrupulous attention to detail make Resolve Poppy’s best album to date, equally suitable for quiet relaxation as well as a more conscious enjoyment.

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.

This is really an album about empathy, and feels incredibly necessary today.

Bloody marvellous.

A beguilingly atmospheric record, this new album from Red River Dialect seems to be in perpetual transition, coming close to but never quite achieving that sense of return.

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

Open Here is a defiant and impassioned statement in which Field Music prove they have mastered the art of addressing the political and the personal simultaneously. It’s fun, it’s loud, it’s dense. It’s not content with wallowing in the state of things and wants to inspire positive change.

Overall, whilst Semicircle does contain obvious flaws, this chapter of The Go! Team is here to have a good time and hopes you are too. And who can knock them for that?

Lyrically, it is an album with contemporary themes, but sonically, for much of the record, it remains rooted in a style that is essentially nostalgic.

The Time Is Now hangs together relatively well, and achieves what it sets out to do.