A credible effort though, with enough promise to merit an investment of anticipation.

Musically stripped to the basics, the set is engaging with an infectious charm, neatly adding to that capacious back catalogue.

Occasionally Rae slips into serviceable, insipid pop, but it’s a minor grievance in a record that takes her from monochromatic to technicolour dreaming.

With their frantic live performances and a solid set of tunes behind them, the sunbaked stoners are on to a winner with this ten-track wonder.

At 40 minutes long it’s probably just the right length, and both beats and rhymes will have you reaching for the microscope to appreciate the layers and nuances of each, listen on listen.

It’s an album in tune with sometimes grim social realities but one which doesn’t get wrapped up in them, privileging lovely tunes and a broad appeal. European Heartbreak is a triumphant wodge of sparkling pop.

The solemnness of the title track reverberates throughout most of the other tracks on the ‘Prizefighter’ album. It easily wins the ‘prize’ as the best song on an especially spectacular album.

It’s a subtle progression for the trio, the band honing their craft to produce a record that is equal parts compelling as it is isolating.

‘Different Kinds Of Light’ shows Bird navigating melody and emotion with impressive command, a musician in all senses of the word. Continuing to colour outside the lines on future material could make Bird a household name for years to come.

Revelatory, raw but resplendent throughout, ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran’ is one of Shakira’s best albums to date and is a fitting testimony to her strength and resilience turning what was a devastating situation into a beautiful body of work.

Ashnikko uses cogent and wisecracking lyrics thrown in to a vat of saccharine pop, punk, rap and trap as her weapon of choice. She promotes her sex positive ideals with genuine laugh out loud humour as she explores the movement throughout the mixtape.

Suck It And See is not a disappointment, because we've learned never to expect the Monkeys' next move, but it's not half as fun as we'd like it to be.

Its straightforward, no bells and whistles approach is at once its greatest appeal and its most obvious shortcoming. Doris & The Daggers is deliciously satisfying beer rock--nothing more, nothing less.

Dusty Notes is an easy listen, but a Meat Puppets album shouldn’t be easy--it should be a hot mess. Somewhere along the way the Kirkwood brothers lost the ramshackle charm that made them everyone’s favourite musician’s favourite musician.

Gallagher remains an excellent interpreter of others’ lyrics, but he takes the skill further here and it results in a collection of classic songs drenched in melody, accompanied by clearly expressed, noticeable lyrics.

Shifting their past into their present, this intensifies retrospective beats with the primitive passion that’s always been at their core.

This record can be the perfect soundtrack to slacking in the sun or it can be deconstructed, stripped of its intricacies and analysed in great depth, allowing for new discoveries even on the 20th listen--and it’s this diversity that proves why Splashh are not a drop in the ocean.

A valiant and partly successful attempt from K-pop’s biggest band to move forward in their music. While they undeniably remain a success, the recycled sonics and multiple references to past music makes it hard for old listeners to let go of past glory and for the new to connect with their current music.

Adam Lambert doesn’t do subtle, he is theatrical through and through – and we are here for it. The gravitas towards all things dramatic is ever present throughout his latest offering ‘High Drama’ – an album of bold reimagined tracks personally curated by the singer himself.

Collaborations with vocalists Serpentwithfeet, Elise Serenelle and India Carney bring elevated moments to an album of ambient piano which will have you drifting in thought.

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.

Dan Deacon’s return into the solo world has resulted in an exuberant fifth album that leaves us craving for more of his newly honed skills. The fascinating contrast between his acoustic and electronic backdrop leads us towards an elusive higher power, while some of his lyrics bring us back down to earth.

A record that allows itself space to shfit and evolve, ‘Home’ is both airy and immersed in strong roots. A Canadian in Los Angeles, Rhye is proof that ‘Home’ is where the heart is.

That soulfulness amid the misery is the key to making sense of Spirit.

It’s less of a seismic shift from their debut, and more of a progressive tweak towards something much bigger.

Producer MJ (of Hookworms fame) and the band intended to strip things back and become more economical with their sound. While they certainly have achieved this, in this instance it has arguably starved the songs and disallowed them the space to breathe.

Meiburg’s voice is a wonder throughout, wonderfully fragile on ‘Hidden Lakes’, tearing it up on ‘Corridors’. A wonderful album.

If you stand back and appreciate the whole, like a Monet, you will be delighted and intrigued.

Thumping Mark Hollis-style piano and ominous scuttling backbeats add another satisfying touch to a recommended collection.

It’s direct, unflinching and explicitly pop: rarely have Slow Club sounded this full, this bold.

The main takeaway from ‘Dawn Of Chromatica’ however is Gaga’s curatorial ability, and the even strength of talent on display. Capable of moving from Ashnikko’s playful digitalism through to the ballroom energy of the Jimmy Edgar and Bree Runway take on ‘Babylon’, it’s a relentlessly entertaining display.

‘Curtain Call 2’ is at its most engaging when the Detroit figure simply cuts back on the Billboard tie-ins, and reminds us all why he became such a revered rapper in the first place. ... As a project, however, ‘Curtain Call 2’ is weighed down by its flaws. There’s no ignoring the wayward path Eminem has taken over the past two decades, and the tracklisting reflects this.

A pothead's dream and a supremely-crafted set.

Reachy Prints is yet another artful and aerial treasure.

Like a virus-ridden PC vainly trying to upload lovelorn messages over dial-up to its neglectful owner, this side-stepping of the usual Hyperdub format is most welcome. We want more.

This latest from Lindstrøm weighs to heavy on the pedestrian side. Sure, the whole package is professionally crafted and confidently gets you drifting away from your day-to-day woes, but what we really need is for Chewie to punch it into hyperspace.

Many fans will still be happy with the change that Beauty Behind The Madness has brought but some will surely feel the album has nothing to offer except immediate accessibility for the short attention of the mainstream.

This eclecticism of emotion expressed instrumentally and lyrically is indicative of a matured songwriting style, and absorbs the listener at every turn.

Lady Wood proves Tove Lo is one of the more interesting characters in what is often a personality-less genre, but unfortunately, her unique perspective is diluted by fairly humdrum electro-pop production.

It’s the Gaviscon after the turkey dinner; the strategic nap to escape the family. Like the best sort of present, I didn’t know I needed it until it arrived.

The long-time drummer may be walking hesitantly into the spotlight, but the record carries a softly-spoken sense of confidence. An enriching song cycle, we sincerely hope this is only the start.

All in all, this is a good album. While it has some magnificent moments, it doesn't quite come together enough to make a for a completely stellar ride.

C’MON YOU KNOW is the broadest of Liam Gallagher’s three solo albums, and also the deepest. It’s the one in which he learns to bare his soul a little, and accept different influences.

Across its 14 tracks, the record is an honest and striking body of work.

Life & Livin’ It is a powerful reminder that basic truths, basic rights, are always the most important.

II is an absolute masterpiece of dancefloor work.

The backbone is Allen’s afrobeat vibe, on top of which ten Haitian percussionists have piled on the voodoo grooves and chants. Pretty krautrockarama.

If there’s a criticism to be made about Big Box Of Chocolates, it’s that while every track works on its own, often a song has a tendency to knock the course of the album as a whole off centre by contradicting its predecessor.

Lower Than Atlantis may have already released a self-titled album in 2014, but it’s the follow-up that sounds more like them than any of their other records.

A reinvigorated set, it’s the sound of a band resurgent.

FLOHIO’s debut shows a willingness to step out the boundaries like few other rappers, and she’s got the power to prove it. Out of Heart plants well-intentioned seeds; with some refinement, FLOHIO has a real shot of some bangers to sow.

If 2022 album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ represented a clearing of the decks, a shake-up from top to the bottom, then ‘Happenings’ continues this process. As times, it feels as though you’re caught in a snow-globe, being shaken up and down, from side to side – watching the pieces fall is a thrilling experience.

Endless Scroll is 14 snappy, spirited and occasionally incantatory songs.

A work of subtle evolution, it’s a record that rewards repeated listens, with patience allowing these fresh elements to rise to the surface on an album that underlines Bonobo’s role as one of UK electronic music’s most consistent, and pervasive voices.

‘With Heaven On Top’ is comforting yet absorbing, timeless but timely, a space to escape in while still feeling challenged, and still feeling entertained. Whatever it is, Zach Bryan has cracked it.

Overall ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ reigns true to Baby Queen’s signature synth-pop sound whilst being let down by lyrical cliches on a couple of the more manufactured upbeat, pop tracks. The album, however, triumphs on the more toned-down tracks showing a new dimension to the alt-pop starlet’s songwriting style.

Not only does it showcase her ability to blend introspective vulnerability with infectious pop sensibilities, but it also finds McRae discovering the sound she’s most confident in, leaving everyone wondering where she will take it next.

Nothing here transcends either songwriter's back catalogue, but Jonny is a welcome blast of warmth that shows the fires still burn bright.

An endearing, and wholesome end for an album so wonderfully content it it’s own bubble.

Mogwai have come a long way since ‘Angels vs. Aliens’ in 1996. Gone are the walls of raging guitar and searing feedback. In its place is understated quiet and contemplation. This underpins KIN and really adds a grandiose dollop cinematic majesty.

Egypt Station feels like Paul McCartney having a blast being Macca, grasping his own identity, and relishing it--a fun, at times downright bold, return it’s something fans will cherish.

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.

Little Red should rightly see Katy B cement her ascent to the stratosphere, joining the rest of dance music’s glitterati.

Following the trend set on previous effort ‘Olympia’, the beats continue to become crunchier, direct and undoubtedly more contemporary--but unfortunately less interesting also.

She questions, she purges, she excavates and embraces the thorny contradictions of her life. Smith continues to shirk commercial viability, stripping away sheen and artifice, presenting herself as dimensional; flawed, bruised, exposed, at times disbelieving, but ultimately worthy of love.

It makes for a stark--often chilling, often exhilarating--collection of music that spans the genre(s), from the well-known to the esoteric, the accessible to the impenetrable.

While there’s certainly more emphasis on melody this time around, it’s brought about through noticeably more mature, more refined compositions.

Ultraviolence marks real progression: never has Del Rey sounded so compellingly crystalline on a set of recordings. Thematically, though, tracks can appear content to splash in the shallows.

While hardly reinventing the wheel with ‘What Do We Do Now,’ J has yet again delivered a set of songs that only an enigma like he could.

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.

It may not be original, but in a time where bands prefer to gaze wistfully at their shoes or navels, Leeds’ Eagulls are like a necessary breath of fresh air.

Antiphon is going to divide opinion, but give it a chance--it might just be the best thing they’ve ever done.

It meets its pre-release hype head on, and comes away the winner.

Without it being a slight on Wood’s performance, it also adds to a beneficiary mix of vocal viewpoints, aimed at tightening the Orchestra’s hold over main stages and secret, more intimate tents out back.

A fun and colourful indie album full of pop sensibilities, Different Days is a joy from start to finish and is further indication that Tim Burgess and co. show no sign of stopping.

Although SCUM can sometimes feel like the 2017 update of music you’ve enjoyed from the past 20 years, at its best Rat Boy delivers some of the most interesting and exciting moments to come from British music this year.

Wizard Bloody Wizard proves that the music Black Sabbath birthed can still hit hard without much in the way of embellishment nearly fifty years later.

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.

Their sound hasn’t evolved but simply bettered itself, and as per usual, finds its way around an extensive (and slightly absurd) range of instruments.

It may be a lighthearted exercise in updating old pop bangers to suit a new style, Lovato’s career-spanning retelling is also an unexpectedly touching retrospective by the time it gets to the explosive rendition of ‘Don’t Forget’ that serve as a joyful end-credits.

IX is a finely detailed exercise in establishing and exploiting excitement levels, at points telegraphing its trajectory but always delivering substantial payoffs.

As polished as a beach stone, it's a subtle, startling work.

Jesus Is Born - as a stand-alone album - is pretty neat.

It’s a record that at first curiously struggles to find its footing, before an assured mid-section guides Cardi B to the next level of her career.

Sure, Ultimate Painting know their influences, but what shines through most of all is the sheer diversity and inventiveness of their songwriting.

Hotel Shampoo shows off a simpler, stripped back Rhys - whose lyrics are placed front and centre of beautifully arranged tracks, each imbued with an infectious energy.

Summer 08 is the banger-filled record Mount has always wanted to make, for fun, and we’re very much glad that he did.

From the very first note Encore is superb, a joyous, addictive experience. Remarkably, it’s everything we’d want from a Specials album in 2019 and more.

The upped slickness does mean the album offers little in the way of the provocative, though, so you may be disappointed by Breakage's leniency, and a wrath that's merely implied.

It's pure, carefully conceived theatre, at a pace that you can never predict, without being an emotional descent that spirals over and over until you're wishing it'd buck its ideas up.

The punchy indie exuberance pervading this record is its calling card but beneath the surface there's a whole lot more going on.

‘Love Sux’ is more of an antidote to pop progress rather than a nostalgic throwback. It just has all the elements of what made us fall in love with Avril Lavigne in the first place.

Don't be surprised if Ghostpoet is on Mercury minds once more with this excellent effort.

If it feels just a little patchy in places compared to its predecessor, it's hard not to be jerked into life by this band's approach to the dancefloor's dark bidding. Just don't over-think it.

Tracks like ‘Swamp and Bay’ bring us punchy indie rock, and ‘Hoax and the Shrine’ give us woeful nursery rhyme acoustics befitting to a reflective train ride in a coming-of-age film. A development for Girlpool, and one of sheer enigmatic bliss.

They write hooks, they’re inventive, they’re passionate, they can do uplifting and they can do poignant, and on ‘Sick Scenes’, they do it all with panache.

Down In Heaven is a great, hazy summer album.

Gimme Some, sixth album from Swedish indie pop types Peter, Bjorn And John, is absolutely superb; sunshine and a hundred beach parties stuffed into thirty minutes, sprightly and joyous, cool, confident and glossy.