Remarkable. ... The 12-track project explores the collapse of a marriage, financial turmoil, anxiety, self-doubt and self-care. A lesser rapper might sink in the mire, but Open Mike has always been dope on the mic, and ‘Anime, Trauma and Divorce’ find him at his best.

They're offering something new with 'MUNA' - evolving, inspiring, and taking us along for the [horse] ride.

On her third album, the view has swung from microcosm to breathtaking panorama.

It’s a beautifully sunny, unashamedly melodic tour de force which pitches up somewhere between a fevered Beatles obsession and a well-loved pile of Go-Betweens records.

As a rapper, woods has gone from strength to strength, his armoury fortified. It’s been a joy to witness. Where hooks were once short phrases bellowed on repeat, now he toys with the capabilities of his voice.

You can hear the size of her thoughts and desires on this truly stunning record, this genuine opera. They are as big as the universe and everything in it.

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.

Adele is sincere, poignant and affecting throughout; the emotive 'Someone Like You' closes the album magnificently.

Young, yet somehow void of naivety. Vibrant, yet artistically matured.

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.

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

An awesomely designed underground rising.

At its best, ‘Ruby’ is an exhilarating listen that proves Jennie is capable of much more than she’s been given credit for.

This is mood-manifesting music of exceptional quality, experimental electronic fare of substance and, crucially, heart.

Brilliant stuff is still very much spooling out of Thom Yorke. His voice is revelatory on these tracks, better than ever, a peerless instrument; buttery and mellifluous in falsetto, snide and viperish on the growly bits. His magpie instincts for a tart one-liner remain razor sharp.

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.

It’s majestic and beautiful in ways I never expected black midi to reach, let alone attempt.

The album's arrangement of serenading beats and jazzy undertones has genuinely proven that Kehlani is a force to be reckoned with.

Intimate and endearingly honest, This Old Dog is Mac DeMarco’s most essential chapter of slacker gospel yet.

‘Good News’ is a triumph, and a late contender for Album Of The Year.

In short; ‘Rack’ is everything you could want from a new The Jesus Lizard record, with some extra musical chops and lyrical smarts thrown in. This great band might be growing old, but they’ve not lost a speck of their singular crazed brilliance.

M.I.A. stands alone in her own world of pop firing out her mercurial messages, which are as complex as they are captivating. MAYA is a towering work that makes a mockery of rivals and genres.

It’s a statement of intent from Billy Nomates, unbalancing sonic scales and weaving this into a force to be reckoned with.

Whilst the initial surprise felt on the original ‘Saturation’ may have subsided, the erratic excitement and experimentation on that album has been executed more confidently on each subsequent chapter. The LA group are everything progressive rap music should be; forward thinking, energetic and perhaps most importantly, exciting.

This is an album to get lost in. Rosenstock is one of the most important songwriters working, in any genre, at the moment. You’ll love exploring ‘HELLMODE’ like Craig in his creek.

10 tracks of soul-bearing introspection swathed in layers of rich reverb, icy chill and ephemeral echoes of 30 years of synth pop.

An attempt to filter out the parts that truly matter, it’s a triumph, and perhaps the finest album yet in his storied career.

The duo have created something extraordinary here - something that definitely needs to be heard.

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

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

The group feel more at home with the methodology of early prog or post-punk, with a sense of the abstract rippling beneath those crystalline waves of perfect sound. Shine on, you diamonds.

It is one of The Divine Comedy’s finest records and it draws from many of the most powerful elements of his musical instincts in support of a welcome emotional wallow.

On ‘Ignore Grief’ they’ve done it again as the album is the most powerful and uncompromising album they’ve ever released. It’s also one of their most playable. This is down to the dense music. Every time you listen you hear something new that gives the song a different context. This is the mark of a, and I use this word properly, class.

It's a masterpiece.

ELUCID’s rhymes themselves are equally dense and layered, yet also effortlessly impactful. .... This is ‘I Guess U Had To Be There’s most spell-binding quality; you just want to peer deeper and deeper into it, plunging head first into its many thrilling mysteries.

A grand, cinematic record, it seems to burst past the edges of the widescreen limitations it utilises. Terrific space rock that feels utterly untethered from its sources, ‘Everything Was Beautiful’ easily ranks amongst Spiritualized’s finest achievements.

The friction between these two worlds is rife throughout the album, creating moments of explosive hyper pop euphoria (Bites on My Neck) and complete emotional vulnerability and devastation (Friendly Machine).

Tom Misch’s vocals return towards later in the project for stunning standout ‘Last 100’. The piano chords brighten the mood whilst a raspy yet soft vocal line glides down, with quick-fire guitar peppered throughout, while album closer ‘Storm Before The Calm’ rounds off the mood with bittersweet nostalgia.

‘Cry Sugar’ may take the cake for dance record of the year; that lighting-in-a-bottle moment we’ve all been waiting for.

A nerve-jangling experience, it could well rank as their masterpiece.

It isn't just the narratives that feel more mature however, the entire composition does. Something which stems from its two individual halves.

Through their ability to find beauty in adversity, Maribou State have created an album that stands as a beacon of resilience and artistry. ‘Hallucinating Love’ is a powerful contender for Album of the Year – a body of work that radiates a perspective on life we too often overlook.

DAMN. does at times feel contradictory and the ideas he’s transmitting at times don’t feel fully formed, but this is where its genius lies. Kendrick offers a true snapshot of the eternal debates that we host inside our heads, and there is immense bravery and artistry in his depiction.

It’s a surefooted, brilliant second album of any era, by any reckoning.

Overall, Modern Vampires Of The City conveys one hell of a sense of permanence from a band that once seemed ephemeral and frivolous.

‘MONTERO’ excels the marketing spin by delivering one of 2021’s most daring, riveting, and honest pop statement.

Mason is going from strength to strength, and new album Above the Light is quite possibly the most grandiose thing he has released to date.

A thoroughly worthwhile listen for ambient fans that value a narrative.

‘DEACON’ is a triumph because it realises and relives love’s quiet, archived moments, be it romantic or spiritual. It’s a triumph because it reminds us R&B exists on a vast continuum, forever a source of inspiration and innovation.

The human condition and thus society is complex and difficult to navigate but Sprints have not been afraid to express uncertainty and vulnerability. And all the while they have enveloped these themes in the most glorious noise for us all to find comfort and lose ourselves in. Is it possible to have an album of the year contender on only the first week in? Of course it is.

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

A singular experience, You Will Not Die is a theatrical jewel, the sound of a rich, vital talent moving briskly into the limelight. At times reminiscent of Kate Bush in its sense of performance, ANOHNI in its integrity, or even Marvin Gaye in its soulful, sinewy groove, this is an album to be cherished.

It’s evocative and like much of Empress Of’s entire discography, it’s a reconfiguration of laptop material and pop expectations. It subverts heartbreak, makes it sexy, and silhouettes a continuous desire to distort dancefloor traditions with experimental come-ons.

With lyrics dripping with casual poetic nuance and bold, full arrangements, Stay Gold is at once an arresting set of classic country reference points as well as a towering body of stirring, beguilingly original songs.

Everything here is gorgeously sung and this woozy, gently uplifting collection of songs is pretty close to perfect.

Centepede Hz is somehow both futuristically innovative and welcomingly accessible. Amid the obscurantism caused by white noise and radio interference are strong choruses likely to get any form of life dancing.

The only real criticism of Ceremonials is that this album is completely, relentlessly, Florence. Her fans will lap it up, while those who aren't keen on her will probably remain unconvinced.

The record plots a gorgeous curve from open to close, with earthy drum rolls rubbing up against rusty industrial buzzsaw synths and field recordings serving as segues.

‘Cousin’ is the perfect entry point for those who have inexplicably escaped the shadow of the Wilco’s influence to date. Showcasing all they do best it is also unique enough to stand as one of their finest moments.

The process seemingly thrived on capturing ideas when they were half-finished, and this ruptured, fragmented approach gives ANIMA its character--tearing down productions, reigniting processes, this is a wild, careering feast of sound.

[Loveless] not only stands the test of time, but transcends it. Songs like 'When You Sleep' sound as inventive now and would outshine much of the crop of young pretenders... Remains an archetypal classic.

Sad, weird, beautiful, fiercesome; music to move and excite. [Apr 2013, p.97]

With its polished sound and central themes of love, appreciation, and reflection, ‘Leon’ is a must-listen for fans of smooth and sonorous soul music.

The music is stark and abrasive but there is a feeling of hope. Lurking underneath it all themes of gender and insecurity litter ‘The Great Regression’.

It doesn’t feel like as much of an instant classic as 'Your Queen Is A Reptile', but it has all the makings of a slower, more thought-provoking, ultimately more accomplished project, the likes of which will remain relevant for decades to come.

From understated bedroom pop to innovative troubadour, Skinner’s new record is truly a gift.

The product of producing something so relatable that people find solace where you once only saw pain. Sack off therapy, just stick this on.

A successfully adventurous debut that bears countless relistens.

‘GOLLIWOG’ is an abrasive, demanding album. woods’ afro-pessimist vision of a world fundamentally hostile to every facet of black existence (family, history, spirituality) is a hell of a lot to chew on. However, it’s also a beautifully singular vision, one that’s delivered with thrilling intelligence and visceral, gripping force.

When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is a brave and fortuitous debut album from the LA teen, capturing the hopes, fears and vulnerabilities of an entire generation. The genius in this record is its unaffected relatability.

An album that leaves you in a different environment than where you entered it, ‘YIAN’ will surely rank as one of 2023’s most impressive British debuts.

‘Alfredo’ excels on every front, a record that fuses a thirst for fresh innovation with a depth of love for hip-hop and rap music that is almost unparalleled. Pretty much an instant classic, it’s the sound of Freddie Gibbs finally bursting free, working with tour de force production to surge past expectations and claim his place at the absolute pinnacle.

There’s still moments of fragility that populate the record (‘Fade’), but for the most part it’s a brazen and self-assured release, and it’s all the better for it.

Only their most dogged of fans would have expected such brilliance – this lengthy, thrill-a-minute release could well be their finest moment.

On ‘Songbook’ The Lazy Eyes are showing off, offering the full kaleidoscope of their insane talent. It’s an invitation into a dreamy utopia of their own invention - and you’ll want to stay.

Hypno-grooving at its best.

III is a triumph that takes pop and redefines it, and may come to be seen as a watershed moment for the group as they hit full stride.

An emphatic show of force that frequently taps into outright brilliance. As an album it's not without fault, but as a cultural event it's largely without peer.

‘Bleachers’ as an album symbolises the full-throttle shift from solo voice to its current form of ensemble unity; a band of six-talented musicians entering their most monumental era yet.

There is a Big League sheen to much of this record which, mercifully, at no point saps the band's wildly abandoned creativity.

This is a band, ten years into their career, still at the height of their powers, rejuvenated and ready to show the world that you still can’t second-guess them.

It’s intimate yet expansive, it’s beautiful, but also reveals the ugly truth that death is inevitable for us all, but how you live your life is what counts. ‘Mahashmashana’ is assured, emotive and luminous,

‘LAHAI’ is an astral soul coda that whilst intimately rendered, doubles as a pledge for connection and interrelatedness. We needed this.

‘Pink Noise’ is a triumph for both the label and for the super-talented Laura Mvula.

‘FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE’ is nostalgic, melancholic, hopeful and hopeless, existentialist and nihilist. Brian Eno is one of the few artists who is able to convey the things he does by using so little, and ‘FOREVER’ is a prime example of his mastery.

Instinctual, acerbic and erudite, ‘UK GRIM’ is stark and enthralling all in one.

Sleeping Through The War strikes the perfect balance of the familiar and the alien to distill 45 minutes of musical opium. Bliss.

Constructed amid the dystopia of 2020, ‘CARNAGE’ instead stands as something unique, the sound of two vastly experienced musicians removing themselves from expectations, and constructing something both beautiful and visceral, tender and blood-thirsty, wholly terrifying and completely absorbing.

The three piece are as creative and alluring than ever before, and it solidifies the band’s place at the top of their game. Through wide-eyed vulnerability and reflective song writing, False Alarm is a game-changing record for the future of indie-rock.

By stripping back the layers of overbearing electronic production of the past, they've recorded an album of lush and elegant pop music, beguiling and gloriously cinematic.

A dance party to release your demons to, they cast yet another lyrically beautiful and musically capitulating spell.

It’s the sound of ‘60s experimentation smashed stunningly into the present day.

On ‘Lifetime’ she masterfully connects her eras, looping back, editing and upgrading the sound of rapture she’s cultivated through time. On ‘Lifetime’, she’s finally arrived at the sound of sweet surrender.

As after parties go, ‘brat and it’s completely different but also still brat’ is one for the books.

‘Jubilee’ sees Zauner fully unshackled for the first time, keeping the emotive core of her songwriting and marrying it with boundless energy and ambition. It’s truly a triumph.

It's hyper real hip-hop made just in time for the end of the world.

‘star-crossed’ demands to be listened to in one go. ... She has calcified a range of difficult, overwhelming, sometimes liberating emotions into a time capsule marking the most turbulent time of her life. This is heart on sleeve storytelling.

It’s a magnificent experience. ... If you’re not a fan, or never heard of them before this is the perfect album to start introduce yourself to them. ... Because: trust me on this, it will hold your attention.