Unsettling at times, with moments of quiet intensity – ‘Geist’ is the vulnerable soundtrack to a person’s self-discovery during a period of long, hard reflection.

We have no right to expect a band to make a record this strong and vital almost three decades into their career. It’s full of piss and vinegar, but it’s full of desire, regret and love, too. Whatever the dismissive album title may tell you, Arab Strap very much still give a fuck.

I See You is perhaps the bravest album of the band’s career, the one laden with the most changes, with the most prolonged journeys into the unexpected. Yet it also feels resolutely like The xx.

As a diary entry, defined by dark nights of the soul and cast in the same bluish-purple hues, ‘Midnights’ offers little of revelatory purpose to those who have yet to succumb to Swift’s charms. For those already swayed by her craft, however, it may reasonably go on to be recognised as her best album to date.

On OCHL they’re keen to take risks, side step that familiar territory and play with the formula. That consistent need to innovate and grow is what makes Deafheaven so divisive, so unpredictable and so extraordinary.

Wistful and plaintive, solemn yet blissful, these are songs from another time - if not another planet - and their mesmerising melodies have the powerful ability to transport you, temporally and spatially, into the band's anachronistic, peaceful, eternal summer.

Every Baroness album before this has featured huge shifts in style, this being the one where they take the best of each to create a propulsive, thrilling whole.

Aromanticism is style over substance, certainly his sentiments run the risk of evading the listening, such is the beauty of the dreamscape he weaves. Yet as you revisit the record, the case for being ‘aromantic’, has never sounded so fully realised, so complete and so utterly inviting.

Le Bon’s finest moments bypass rational analysis in favour of radiant gestures. We should welcome them during these colder days.

Although this first effort can be seen as the bridge between some of her collaborators, such as the projects of Wallows and Dominic Fike, Wolf is in her own universe, creating a new style of artistry that will inspire many others for the years yet to come.

‘Self-Titled’ makes up for its musical instability with Tempest’s sharp penmanship, and it is difficult not to be raptured on their next word.

‘Weirdo’ is as stark, sharply composed and up close to its creator as the photo that adorns its cover.

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.

Yet beyond this wired mix of post-punk anxiety, splintered techno elements and haunting soul samples, it’s Danny Brown’s rhyming ability that ultimately sees the LP flourish.

Semper Femina matches Laura Marling’s personal quest to unlock facets of her identity echoing with the wider struggle to clear a space for the feminine voice within society itself. With a triumphant new album it seems that this songwriter has found a room of her own.

There’s nothing nostalgic here--it’s the sound of a band reborn, rather than one reformed. And yes, it’s well worth the wait.

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

Smother does exactly what it suggests but with a poetic fragility and an exacting panache that enthrals and entices like never before. An essential album.

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

Its brevity might lead some to think it slight, but those who persevere with ‘Seeking New Gods’ will find yet more evidence of Gruff Rhys’ undaunted off piste genius.

‘Melt My Eyez See The Future’ finds Denzel Curry sitting in a lane of his own. A unique, unified experience, it’s a boundary-less work of endless fascination.

Though the days of the jangly, innocuous Britpop they were so integral to establishing are gone, Suede haven’t lost their roots – they’ve just re-established them for a new era.

At over an hour, it’s not casual listening. But SUNN O))) have always been about testing limits, pushing boundaries, (destroying speakers). That’s precisely why the album works and why the band have endured.

If they’ve perfected the modern pop template associated with acts like SOPHIE (on production duties here) - and they have - it’s somehow not the most impressive element of the record. The second half of the album includes a pair of breathtaking epics, ‘Cool & Collected’ and ‘Donnie Darko’, that showcase a songwriting maturity well beyond their 18 and 19 years.

Whilst her talent has been evident in previous releases, there’s something in ‘My Method Actor’ that sees her stand taller, more certain. Yanya’s movements feel deliberate, smooth. An effortless transition from one song to the next, as if telling a story passed on to her, that she now gifts to you.

It finds Fontaines D.C. moving ever outward into a realm of their own. Powerful and probing, ‘Skinty Fia’ is a record that relishes tough challenges, and refuses simple answers.

It's a strong and accomplished debut, and Jessie Ware has provided the missing link between SBTRKT and Sade. Whether you think that's a good thing is your call.

It’s a debut that captures so much of the excitement surrounding her, whetting appetites for the next steps from a potent talent.

‘Year of Love’ opens the record with a palm-muted guitar riff, unexpectedly, and from there ‘Classic Objects’ blossoms into classic Jenny Hval, ‘Cemetery of Splendour’ and ‘Jupiter’ forming its plain, heavenly, skyscraping highlights.

Fender lyrically distances himself from his first-hand experiences on ‘People Watching’, adding a new dimension to his already accomplished repertoire. Still, this album is a quintessential Sam Fender experience – a heartfelt, homegrown immersion of the mundane and extraordinary people and places this dweller was lucky enough to know.

A remarkable return to form by one of rap’s finest wordsmiths, it’s Pusha’s most focused and cohesive solo effort to date, and one of hip-hop’s strongest long-players of 2015.

A beautiful outing in hauntingly pastoral heartbreak. Impressive.

Multitude is the perfect return for such a formidable musical talent, serving not only as a reminder of his innovative talents, but also highlighting how much richer his soundscaping and storytelling has grown over his hiatus.

Moving further than ever from the sound of those initial solo albums, he seems to constantly reach out to new definitions. It doesn’t always land, but it’s incredibly brave; it also needs more than a few listens to truly absorb, and accept – on first listen, this writer couldn’t understand it at all.

For every Beyoncé, there’s a Michelle Williams. For every Harry Styles, there’s a Niall Horan. There’s no doubt this is a good record but only time will tell which side of the road JADE will land on.

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

Far from dipping into past glories, the Mael brothers continue their storied run on a stylish, impactful record that illuminates their continued engagement with the wonder of the pop song.

Elaenia is one of those rare albums that crosses genres and audiences with ease due in thanks to the sheer craft that's gone into its seven tracks.

Succinct – a smidge under 30 minutes, all told – ‘I’ll Be Waving As You Drive Away’ manages to be extremely impactful.

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).

A stunning work of self-analysis, it’s Jamila Woods’ finest record yet – high praise in itself – one of the most absorbing, illuminating records you’re going to discover this year.

Once again I am moved with the delicate care Gia Margaret approaches her art with, something of a prayer and an anthem to the sovereignty of unraveling, longing and finding.

Misty keeps this album pretty genuine. There are jaunts and horns and dancing mixed with sorrow and piano and heartache; his lyrics cutting through any joy with wicked humour and his comic persona still second place to his incredible songwriting.

A raw, primitive nod to the planet we inhabit and our connection to it.

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.

‘Fir Wave’ is a subtle triumph, a record whose innate beauty dissipates to reveal complex aesthetic machinery, while never fully revealing its secrets.

‘Coral Island’ is huge in scope and ambition, while also remaining staggeringly consistent. The bar is set high from the off, and they never fail to reach it. A lazy comparison: it’s as creative as ‘The White Album’ and as unified as ‘Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake’. A truly superb experience, it feels as though The Coral have painted their masterpiece – a one way ticket to ‘Coral Island’ is a truly an offer you can’t turn down.

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.

A powerful album, confirming Home Video as another exquisite offering from Lucy Dacus.

To hear someone so comfortable in their own creative process, binding the childhood inquisitiveness that’s never left them to the artistic confidence that they’ve developed over more than three decades, is a delight and a privilege.

Ultimately The Impossible Kid is an album that will reinforce whatever preconceptions about Aesop Rock you already hold. However, it’s also worth noting that this is most probably the least cryptic and most honest of all his records.

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.

‘This Stupid World’ is another wonderful instalment in their extensive catalogue.

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

These are songs for songwriters, beautifully constructed and realised--after a full rotation, it'd be difficult not to fall in love with this album.

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.

A fabulous album, confirming St. Vincent's status as a deeply talented artist.

The glimpses at the making of the album and its various iterations will enthral fans, finally getting the fabled electric sessions. Ultimately, it proves that the album in its original guise in 1982 was a masterstroke, continuing to win new fans to this day and reinventing the home recording process.

Ecstatic Arrow is kind of the sonic equivalent of the Barbican Conservatory, with its juxtaposition of undulating concrete and myriad verdant plants from across the world. And if you’ve ever been there, you’ll know it’s a very pleasant space.

Yes, it’s also chaotic and messy, but also catchy. This is not an album, or band, to sleep on in 2026.

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

Deafheaven have managed to craft a lengthy, complex offering that could be considered the antithesis of their lauded second album, but also proves to their doubters that they're here to stay.

With this expertly curated and brilliantly sequenced collection, BadBadNotGood have demonstrated that there’s still life in the compilation, and have shown the benefit of getting professionals on board to create them.

‘I Don’t Live Here Anymore’ sees no severe changes from the Grammy award-winning 'A Deeper Understanding,' but does make for a more nimble listen, the track's shorter running time creating a tauter experience.

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.

Phoebe Green explores and elevates her creative visions with ‘Lucky Me’, with helping hands by some of pop’s most innovative producers; Kaines and Tom A.D as well as lead producer for the album, Dave McCracken.

Bleak as you like, but strangely cathartic in many places, it's absolutely the worst album to soundtrack your Christmas lottery win. For the rest of us dour wageslaves, it's perfect.

Miss Universe is an intimate record full of personal fears and emotions, but these are of wider, universal relevance. They should resonate with us all.

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.

This offers an unparalleled listening experience. Each quality – the gorgeous vocals, the radiant tones, the graceful guitar – manifests enlightened bliss. The expertly blended transitions between each track transform them into puzzle pieces that fit smoothly together.

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.

‘Evermore’ wholly offers more conviction, without sacrificing the vulnerability that enamoured even her biggest critics earlier this year.

Fans of Depeche Mode can be happy to receive the band’s best offering of this century (though don’t get it twisted, ‘Playing The Angel’ is still a great record) but it’s unlikely they’ll change the minds of non-listeners, as foolish as such people are. The same ground is tread here, just in new shoes.

Occasionally, the lyrics wander into cliché but for the most part, it’s a strong addition to a stellar body of work and another welcome showing from one of music’s most consistent and underrated performers.

Concise and packed with intention, SLAYYYYTER’s new album is forceful and focussed.

This album captures an occasionally combustible but largely uncomfortable sound of a previously fearless and pioneering band caught in a crisis of confidence, overriding their own musical instincts to pursue an idealised version of themselves they picture in their own heads.

As faithful as these songs might be to their back catalogue, OMD have never been ones to repeat themselves, and everything here shines with an intense and neon-lit originality.

The accompanying DVD features an early performance by this line-up, which is a mildly diverting if sonically unspectacular curio alongside a still largely splendid record.

Broad, in-depth, and held together by her singular sense of purpose, it’s time the world cherished this blossoming star.

Fans of Father John Misty, First Aid Kit and Sharon Van Etten are likely to be enamoured.

Element, and devoutly ambitious, it’s a record to be absorbed at its own pace.

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

Any Human Friend is powerful, sexy, and self-assured - pretty much exactly what we expected from Marika, but even better.

While Loop The Loop isn’t a retro record, neither is it futuristic; it’s not a singer-songwriter album, nor is it an electronic beats record. One thing it does qualify as though, is a hugely enjoyable debut album.

Starmaker is a joy from start to finish. Together, each song on this debut album supports Honey Harper’s ambition to bring his cosmic country into a wider setting and he does it with currency and aesthetics.

Self-consciously designed to echo a transformative lysergic experience, ‘Yellow’ comes to embody everything Emma-Jean Thackray strives towards, and describes: you emerge in a quite different space than the one you entered in, the world around you subtly transfigured.

‘Live Laugh Live’ is a rap Escher diagram, a Greek maze with MC as Minotaur; it extends Earl’s world, and invites you forward with every step.

While ‘Dim Probs’, on initial listens, may not appear the most substantial addition to Rhys’ work, it is nevertheless a relaxed (and relaxing) thing of warm humanity and beauty that, in the long run, may be more durable than much of his more lavish and accessible outputs.

It’s a project that requires time to sit and grow with its listener, carving a new path after each and every run.

Subversive, non-conformist and melodious, this record has the credentials of a classic rock and roll album. The decision to take a radical approach only works for the few, the possession of ammunition that’s needed to master such a challenge is not for anyone. Fontaines D.C. have it.

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

If this is Spiritualized’s last – and Pierce hasn’t fully rowed-back on that threat, given his lucubrations drove him “crazy”--it’s a very satisfying denouement. If not, it’s still a stellar addition to the Spiritualized® catalogue, matching the vitality of ‘Songs in A&E’ or the richness of ‘that famous one from 1997’, even if it doesn’t say anything especially new.

Arab Strap are back with a vengeance. And it’s fucking glorious.

This record comes on like the voice of a friend, confessional and familiar-- full of small, important reassurances.

The lack of pristine sound quality also gives the songs something they might have otherwise lost. They, and Neil Young himself, sound more vulnerable. I’ve never heard ‘Ambulance Blues’ sound so urgent. Which, considering some of the other songs, is very impressive.

‘Below A Massive Dark Land’ reinforces the gravitas of her songwriting. A beautiful record dominated by fading light and ominous shadows, it could well be your perfect Autumn soundtrack.

It goes in constantly engaging directions and challenges what we expect from her as an artist and writer. It should please long-term fans and offer a fine jumping-on point for those who’ve not explored her work before.

It’s a collection that proves Moby’s a gifted, mature songwriter.