In context and execution, Songs Of Praise is one of the most daring, scorching, seethingly intelligent, and at times downright funny British guitar albums to come our way in years.

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.

‘Praise…’ feels like a completed maze, a finite and full creation, and cements Tumor as an extraordinary explorer.

Oh My God is Kevin Morby’s attempt at crafting his own post-modern American Songbook. The sound of a succinct vision--executed precisely as intended.

She's brilliant, sometimes inspired, and this tenth studio album finds her gifts undiminished.

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.

‘the apple tree under the sea’ isn’t just going to be one of the year’s best debuts, but one of the year’s best records, full stop.

The Portland-based psych-rock outfit’s second album is an absolute triumph.

Offering up a mix of pop, hip-hop, R&B and a sprinkling of trap and neo soul for good measure, Lizzo covers all bases and serves the perfect introduction to her world for mainstream audiences.

‘Goldstar’ has all the ingredients needed to propel the six-piece outfit into the mainstream, whether they like it or not. Thrillingly weird and wonderful.

They’ve come out the other end with a truly talismanic record that will live long in the memory for any who experience it.

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

This album serves up Summer Walker’s best work yet. It’s brutal, yet romantic, it’s fun, yet flirty, it’s everything any listener could be wanting. A rollercoaster of emotions and she’s not even finished yet.

‘Endlessness’ is a remarkable record, a project that borrows from dozens of voices while communicating in only one. Somehow eclipsing the magic inherent in her debut, ‘Endlessness’ finds Nala Sinephro operating in a creative universe of her own.

It’s not as shiny as ‘Nevermind’, nor as raucous as ‘Bleach’; it’s not as sensibly realised as it would have been has DGC had entirely their own way, but nor does it completely kick against Cobain and company’s prior achievements.

He draws on the many splintered facets of UK rap – and other sonic traits besides – while somehow transcending them. Literate, wise, and emotionally devastating, ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’ places Dave at the absolute pinnacle of British music.

A dystopian masterpiece.

He sounds freer than ever. ‘The House Is Burning’ subverts expectations. ... Rashad’s music is like a sonic encyclopaedia of Southern rap reference points.

[Gloss Drop] is one of the most startling, visually emotive albums we've heard in years. Vividly audacious.

It's heavy, but so very beautiful.

Thankfully, they’ve saved their finest ideas for Tomorrow’s Harvest, which burns as brightly as anything they have accomplished thus far

As raw and energetic as ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’ is, it’s over after a breathless half-hour. There’s enough variety to keep attention firmly on this exciting duo, who might just be one of the best up-and-coming British bands.

As his main band disappears into "indefinite hiatus", console yourself with the knowledge that Birgisson has just made the best record of his career.

‘SIGN’ is an album that doesn’t just get under your skin, but in your head. If you give it enough time it will own, you and you will feel better for it. Autechre have returned and the wait was definitely worth it.

There is just Nick Cave, stripped to the bone and robbed of a future. It’s impossible to turn away.

Imposing on first listen, ‘From The Private Collection Of Saba And No ID’ is packed with detail. Both artists have stratospherically high standards, leaving some to wonder how this would work – reaching to perfection, Saba and No ID have conjured something magical.

What will keep you coming back to Film Festival is a profound desire to dissect further, to unpack the lyrical and instrumental proficiency to such a degree you feel so in on the joke that Mike and Paul aren’t just collaborators and flawless music makers to you, they’re friends.

Dublin in the rain belongs to Fontaines D.C., and rather than being too real this album is just right, it is a ragged delivery. The trick lies in the seemingly un-filtered rawness combined with its stark poetic reality. The three components help secure this album’s position as an example of authenticity; authenticity in its most concentrated and truest form and expression.

The trio’s self-titled debut album sounds like the first airing of lost classic rock record, with a tonality redolent of tube amps and smoky studios. ... A bold and surprising statement of purpose and intent.

Duchampian yet danceable and nothing short of essential.

An uplifting album with a distant and ever present sadness culminates on a high note, and then right before you know it, you’ll start it all over again.

A fantastic example of world-building, Maria Somerville has create something unique and truly forward-thinking; a cryptic, ghostly song cycle, ‘Luster’ will undoubtedly rank as one of 2025’s most significant releases.

‘Amelia’ is this a towering work of artistic endeavour and creative genius which comfortably ranks as one of Anderson’s most definitive statements yet.

‘Perverts’ is not an easy album to listen to by any definition – but that never takes away from how exceptional it is.

‘Young Shakespeare’ is a fascinating artifact. Before ‘Sugar Mountain’ he says he’s 25 years old. Imaging being 25 and knowing you have another album, pretty much, ready to go and teasing audiences with snippets from it? It really does boggle the mind. The album is another flawless release which sees Young digging through his live recordings and releasing albums of interest.

{Awayland} is just brilliant.

A dazzling display of technical and emotional virtuosity, ‘Busy Guy’ is an incredible experience, a work of true intimacy from a songwriter whose return is long overdue. Magical.

While DRIFT’s production values remain solid, a few tracks would have needed more time to be fleshed out. ... Even then, you can trust Underworld to play to their strengths. ... By taking all these ideas and running with them, Underworld has rushed in where most artists fear to tread.

A record everyone with half an experimental ear should experience, even if they run from it, screaming.

A work of quite singular intensity, it leaves a lasting impact.

bar italia unravels the sprawling and playful, yet concerted, development of their sound. Largely abandoning the sketchy, diaristic transitions and abrupt ends so characteristic of their previous sound—and World Music acts, generally—’Tracey Denim’ progresses with relative sonic coherence.

The album is intense, emotional, energetic. It feels beautiful to be invited into Harle’s world and the way his mind works.

Overall, ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ is excellent. The praise the original album received for its composition, songwriting and overall curation is still absolutely worthy, and will hopefully serve as a reminder of how and why Taylor Swift became one of the greatest solo artists of her generation. The tracks from the vault are exquisite and make strong additions to the album as a whole, and it would be surprising if these songs didn’t become immediate chart successes given their likeability and quality.

Without doubt, this is one of the folk albums of the year.

Devastating, but utterly beautiful.

'Superache' is a definitive evolution for Gray. A matured turn since his debut 'Kid Krow', 'Superache' continues to exemplify Gray's flair for pop bops, but with ripened introspection.

The North Borders is a triumph--each listen is a revelation; seemingly it’s a breadth of work that marks a new, exciting era of electronic music.

To Be Kind is altogether more colourful, an expansive record--fleshier, bloodier and lusciously psychedelic.... Near perfection.

Something about the songwriting on ‘This Is Why’ are undeniably the most something, Williams both elegant and sandpaper-coarse, depending on what is called for.

This is Hopkins’ strongest album to date. It is also his bravest. Which is saying something indeed.

An excellent return.

Rest assured, his remarkable voice and grasp of melody remain undimmed and while it may not sound exactly as you were expecting, it is a bold, distinctive and genuinely excellent record.

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

‘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.

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

The album is Kelly Moran’s finest work to date and really shows why she is in a league of her own. She is moving in her own field.

Where three years of agonised, vice-grip creation and destruction preceded Grizzly Bear’s 2012’s multi-dimensional effort ‘Shields’, the five years of space following has worked in their favour--leading to the conception of a creature that breathes confidently with a heavy sense of hyper-ambition in Painted Ruins.

As an album, though still swinging from one place to another with glee, The Underside Of Power feels important, and very, very serious, as a body of work. It is one of the year’s very best albums, and sets out Algiers as one of the decade’s very best bands.

Throughout this record, the sense of adventure and excitement is palpable – this is a band at the peak of their powers, having fun creating; it’s hard not to get caught up in such a truly unique and thrilling journey through the cosmos. If death metal hasn’t yet had its breakthrough critical moment, this might well be it.

This is a confident, bold and captivating record, and one which is dominated by that beguilingly ragged voice.

This record is about living, even as it is shaped by loss. They make the tiny changes, as the grieving do. Re-frame what is left, and keep him alive within.

There’s a quiet, steady faith apparent in ‘Wild God’, a simple wonder that feels unique in modern songwriting, a beatific glow that lingers after the final lights have been switched off.

Michael Kiwanuka has undoubtedly created a timeless album, one made with impressive confidence.

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.

It's too early to say if Currents will be the masterpiece that Kevin Parker is remembered for, but not too early to state that this is his best LP yet, a near-perfect album in a body of already remarkably impressive works.

An album with soul jazz, spiritual jazz, jazz-funk, electro-soul and many more genre-busting approaches incorporated across 16 wondrous pieces, aspects of free rhythms nestling next to vintage seventies soul sounds, all evolved effortlessly for the 21st Century. ... You won’t hear another record like it this, or maybe any, year.

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.

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.

She’s brought herself to the very edge creatively, and the resulting album is stunning. She has earned this moment of glorious reflection.

Avoiding easy cliches that exist in this universal experience, Claud brings humour and light to what could have easily been a reproduction of any Adele album.

A cacophonous exhibition of everything that makes Deafheaven so special, ‘Lonely People With Power’ stands resolutely alongside ‘Sunbather’, ‘New Bermuda’, and ‘Ordinary Corrupt Human Love’ as testament to the brilliance of a band that is quickly amassing an unrivalled discography of masterpieces.

It’s often difficult for pop-punk bands to bring something new to the table, but in ‘Model Citizen’ Meet Me @ The Altar have completely out done themselves.

Lyrically fascinating, charmingly vulnerable and compulsively danceable--this is how to do a debut.

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.

Joyous, pensive, cathartic and hymnal in equal measure, this is the human condition set to music.

Grief, cross-cultural exploration, and musical experimentation coexist effortlessly, grounding the record and giving it both emotional resonance and sonic adventure. This is an album which proves Gorillaz can stretch their sound even further while remaining entirely in control.

A riveting, vastly effective display of his generational talents, The Weeknd uses this broad canvas to assert the multi-faceted aspects of his pop genius. Unafraid to plumb the depths of his emotions, there are also straight-forwardly fun, explicitly pop moments. For all its undoubted complexity, it’s also an incredibly open record.

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.

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

‘Broken Hearts Club’ - performed, co-written and co-produced by Syd – feels like definitive moment as the R&B mainstay truly settles into her solo endeavour.

‘Promises’ is five years' worth of experimental soundscaping condensed into one mind-boggling harmonic journey. A highly accomplished piece of music, Pharoah Sanders and Floating Points both excel in their newfound exploratory duo with a piece of work which will go down in jazz-cross- electronic-cross-classical history.

With this latest album, Ichiko Aoba has created yet another subsuming listen, an oceanic and blissful record that is a masterclass in escapism.

Beyoncé’ is one of the best damn albums of 2013, basically, however you’re looking at it: as an R&B record, a pop set, an electro collection. Whatever your tastes, you can’t question the quality here.

Finding magic in the mire ‘Rat Saw God’ is an emphatic, uplifting reminder of the privilege of being alive.

‘Future Nostalgia’ is an empowering, dynamic pop cavort from start to finish. Dua’s compelling vocals, hooks and beats are a force to be reckoned with, daring you not to boogie around your bedroom.

The band are effectively building and complexifying their sound to keep things fresh. 'Comfort To Me' sounds like it could be played in a rowdy Australian pub the band are used to – or a colossal arena.

This album is not for everyone. It’s not an easy listen. At times you think “Why am I listening to this? Is it even any good?” and feel like turning it off and trying something more conventional. However, if you are game enough and persevere with it you will be rewarded, as ‘Aura’ is an absolute delight once you let it under your skin.

While Harmony Of Difference will delight jazz fans, it is a truly incredible record irrespective of genre. If you are capable of feeling, you will find much to love here.

Even without images, you can see the raw emotion etched on Gore’s face as he delivered the poignant torch song ‘Home’ or the energetic maelstrom of windmilling arms that Gahan kicks off toward the end of ‘Never Let Me Down’. .... The album concludes with four unreleased songs recorded during the ‘Memento Mori’ sessions. Quite why these tracks never made it to the final album is beyond this writer.

That a band with this much already behind them could still arrive here, sounding like they have only just begun, is its own form of mastery. Lend yourself forward. Be with it.

This is one of modern rock’s very best kept secrets at their peak, a band on the brink of sold-out stadiums.

The band's strengths are here in abundance, but they are reimagined, twisted into new shapes and given a visceral intensity that is utterly irresistible.

An album of consistent high quality and endearing personality, Petals Have Fallen might have missed the deadline for a 2014 Mercury Prize nomination, but with ‘Dead’ and ‘Everybody Down’ making this year’s list, it’s worth popping a tenner on this exceptional LP matching their shortlist status in 2015.

It’s certainly frustrating at first, especially if you’re expecting another dubstep masterpiece. But it grows on you given openness and attention – the kind of attention that Burial has earned through years of consistent brilliance. Love it or hate it, ‘Antidawn’ is one of the most unique releases you’re likely to hear in 2022.

‘The Great Impersonator’ is both deeply personal and sharply relevant to wider pop culture, quietly contributing to conversations being had by, and about, Chappell Roan, as well as those that have followed the death of Liam Payne.

Less of a debut and more of a bookend, it listens like an aural autobiography of Greene’s influences and productions, a release that will satisfy old fans as well as find new ones without compromising the clarity of his vision.

Through channeling their frustration into their craft, Boston Manor have not only made their finest album to date, they’ve lent a voice to the disaffected youth of modern Britain at a time when that is sorely needed.

This is written by someone who’s a kid right now, about what it is to be young right now. Consequently, this isn’t a “you” and “I” album. It’s a “we”, “us” and “them” album.