They’re reborn, revitalised, and really rather good.

A U R O R A is both testing of boundaries and transcendental of beauty.

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

Whilst the premise of this album is for Ariana to purge all memories of her previous relationship whilst coming of age into her third decade, it’s highly unlikely we will be forgetting about ‘Eternal Sunshine’ any time soon.

Even with 30 tracks, there is rarely an uninteresting moment across three LPs. Fans of Wilco and Tweedy will lap this up no doubt, and far from being throwaway, there is a sense of urgency and purpose throughout.

Ultimately 'Under~Between' is the work of an artist serious about his music without being a Serious Musician.

It goes without saying that he hasn’t lost what has made him a permanent fixture of British music for so long.

Produced by man of the moment, Danger Mouse, the sound remains unmistakably Black Keys but adds further dimensions to what is already a winning mix.

A slimmed down project that is over before you feel it really hits its stride, it exists in an uneven nether space that continues Robyn’s legend in some ways and takes some of the shine off it in others.

Here, we hear hints of funk, jazz, Americana and folk--and before you know it, the album’s ingrained itself.

It does not lose sight of its subject, and goes from strength to strength after each listen. There is no doubt that ‘Double Infinity’ will be a milestone release for Big Thief – for the band’s past, present, and future.

This is the album we've been waiting for, whether we knew it or not.

It doesn’t challenge expectation, but equally it does nothing, puts nary a single step wrong, to risk their reputation as a preeminent act of their kind, and of our times.

Things are prone to occasional lulls with three tracks exceeding ten minutes. However, Johansson is capable of some beautifully stirring music, and when this album soars, it is a treat.

This sophomore LP does a bit of everything, but this time around feels more refined, consistent and polished: exactly what a follow up should be. And on a label roster saturated with enormous amounts of talent, Rina Sawayama is making a pretty good claim to being the ruler.

Expectations for CMAT’s second album were sky-high, but she’s managed to reach new musical heights with ease and style. ‘Crazymad, For Me’ is another smash hit from a showstopper vocalist that really puts the fun back in pop music.

Passion is a puzzling thing, expressed in myriad manners. But it can never be fabricated, and Ought’s heated brand of it is amongst the most bracing sounds anyone can encounter in 2014.

‘Any Shape You Take’, rich in the emotional palette that it’s genre-free conveys, gathers together sentiments that may be familiar to many but haven’t been depicted in the vivid and complex methods explored here.

A daydream-like haze smudges the crispness of the beats while Lewis sings his osmotic melodies, his tones akin to Richard Swift gone disco.

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

Lean, mean and as uncompromisingly focused as its maker, this is an album for everyone's collection, and whilst Weller is perhaps not the man he once was, the man he is now is most definitely still a force to be reckoned with.

Sure, the combination of digital bleepage and raaawk! is nothing new, but few electronic bands have rocked quite so hard as these guys do.

Broadly eclectic throughout, it's a buoyant return.

Largely Uyai stands as a genre meshing oddity which, thanks to its pure groove and spirituality, will appeal to those who haunt the dance floor as well as their own dimly lit bedrooms.

Songhoy Blues have once again produced an album for all. The small-minded stamp of ‘world music’ does not apply here (or should anywhere really). This is quite simply a record for anyone ready to get down to some beautiful rhythms.

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

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.

Deaths is punchy and economical, written under the pressure of looming deadlines. But even then, it doesn’t abandon the literary and experimental sensibilities developed on the band’s previous records.

Driven by a passion to tell real, meaningful stories- without shying away from gritty topics-using their music, Skinny Diet Girl deliver with Ideal Woman a creation that has strong messages encapsulated in a brilliant soundscape.

It’s a self-assured, hook-laden set, and it’s exciting to imagine what they’ll do next as they settle into their roles.

Tastefully pieced together, ‘Jungle’ concludes In A Galaxy with chopped and screwed sound productions and juddering beats, a wholesome way to complete an emphatically creative album.

Right now it sits near the top of 2019’s jazz releases. However, if things continue in this fashion it might not even make the top ten by the end of the year, which is an exciting prospect to say the least.

Revenge is Sweet almost feels like a compilation full of singles – quite a few tracks are Top 10 contenders – and it’s a welcome return for a pair of South London’s finest.

It’s testament to JME’s influence that he’s able to pull in such heavy hitters, but also to his talents on the mic that he’s never overshadowed.

At just under and hour the album isn’t notably long nor short, but there are no parts that drag or feel out of place. This isn’t a hip-hop album, a jazz album, an electronica album...but something that will speak to fans of those genres who’ll take this as their album.

It is an intriguing interpretation that seems unforgettable, leaving a strong impression of him as an artist and this remarkable album.

These tracks are like messages in glass bottles, making their journey from one continent to another, across a calm sea. Pure serenity. ‘Flora Fauna’ is proof that a woman can be many things.

A record you’re sure to fall hopelessly in love with, its immediacy taps into the endless zen of those long summer days.

‘You Signed Up For This’ is the most developed offering the singer-songwriter has delivered so far, with higher levels of production really allowing her storytelling to come through.

In all its floaty, seductively numbing glory, 'Good Morning It’s Now Tomorrow' is an exceptional work of chamber-tinged indie songwriting.

What ‘Fleuves de l'Âme’ shows are that some albums are worth the wait as ‘Fleuves de l'Âme’ shows a delicate balance of killer melodies, tradition playing and contemporary electronica.

One of the quirkiest albums to arrive in the alt-indie sphere for a while, ‘Unlearning’ will definitely surprise you.

It finds the band coming into their own, more unafraid and united than ever, with a record heavy in lyrical content but bright in tone.

The soul tradition turns once more, and this evocative, moving record is leading the way.

Rich, warm and deeply immersive, ‘Datura’ is brooding proof of a band refined.

Ezra Collective have once again released an album that is hard to fault.

A fun record, but also one with real depth, ‘Alpha Zulu’ becomes an apt testament to the group’s continuing vitality.

A remarkable talent, this is an album to cherish.

There are some very distinct new heights on ‘Variables’. ... ‘Variables’ gently pushes Alfa Mist in a newer direction, there are glimpses of his usual evocative and bassy tones, but overall the project is almost absent of his vocal presence. This comes across as a very considered move, however, indicative of a need to show rather than tell this time.

Never afraid to show both sides of the coin, this LP is powerful as he spits about hardships, politics, love and more; constantly referring to the title, he proves that not only is real rap back in style but so is realness.

An album of subtle transformation, there’s much to cherish here.

Healey has delivered the ideal summer album, but it feels as much a gift to himself as his listeners.

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.

The 36 minute ambience of ‘Drone In B’ allows space to contemplate all that has come before; and the conclusion is that ‘I DES’ is a celebration of future possibilities, and a truly beautiful listen.

Arresting, yet often unexpected, ‘Fairweather Friend’ pilfers from the indie pop lineage, while daring to stamp out a unique identity of its own.

It has the power to give you these little, unexpected, rushes enabling you to fall utterly for this intricate, complex, but captivating album.

Both shockingly immediate and with immense replay value, TYLA’s debut album taps into the emerging energies of spring to produce one of 2024’s most insistent projects.

It’s METZ’s most confident record so far and a deafening reminder that art wasn’t designed to adhere to paint-by-numbers standards – it’s meant to bend until it breaks into something new.

Shellac, across 28 minutes of beat-em-up mutant rock, are on fire here, the six-legged noise beast dependable as ever. ‘To All Trains’ showcases a rock band who get every single thing about being a rock band absolutely correct.

Ferocious and feral yet exhilarating and energising, this is music that will reverberate through your bones. One to play loud and ignore the world outside. And boy do we need that right now.

There are times when the producers’ imaginations seem to be tearing at the seams a little, pulling as they are in so many different directions at once. But these are minor critiques in an album which does so much so successfully, and whose ambitions soar so high above so many of its influences, that it more than makes up for the four-year wait.

‘In This City They Call You Love’ is an album of universal themes and tones, and one of Richard Hawley’s finest.

‘HEAVY JELLY’ is wilder, faster, heavier, more frenetic, and downright hilarious that anything they’ve done together before. Both cartoonish and extreme, it’s a cycle of songs that are both heavy duty and utterly ridiculous.

For those who weren’t able to attend or for those who wanted a cheeky throwback to watching the gig that night, ‘blur Live at Wembley Stadium’ is an exhilarating celebration of the band’s barnstorming gig on the Sunday night.

Inevitably there might be some that call The Heavy Heavy overtly nostalgic but when they are capable of producing such beautiful and layered tracks, it is hard not to be swept along by the band’s tightness and breadth.

‘Real Deal’ is more mature, both in sound and lyrically, leaving behind the blushing self-consciousness found on their self-titled debut with tracks like ‘Female Lead’ and ‘Creative Jealousy’.

Through Hayden, Ness Speaks – and it’s quite unlike anything else you’ll hear all year.

Here, he isn’t playing a role – it’s fun, vibrant, and deeply trippy songwriting, well worthy of praise on its own lofty terms.

As is often the case with such acts, the anarchic energy doesn’t quite translate to their debut, ‘Hot Shock’, but it nevertheless serves as a largely enjoyable opening statement. The most interesting moments arrive at the back end of the record.

This is a debut that is hard to describe and that works in its favour, it is a fascinating listen that defies categorisation but never derails.

‘Lust For Life, Or: ‘How To Thread The Needle And Come Out The Other Side To Tell The Story’ is infectious, driven by passion and fun, yet built with clear intentions.

‘The Universe Will Take Care of You’ is a delightful album – the melodies are strong, the tones are great and the overall feeling of togetherness and optimism carries on after the album finishes.

‘Loner’ is an accessible and creative collection of colour-splattered dance music whose myriad delights feels all the more impressive for the fact that, like all the best parties, it doesn’t even seem to be trying to be as fun as it is.

It’s a wild explosion of ideas, to the point where it could be argued that, when taken as a whole album, it lacks a bit of shape or finesse. Regardless, the fascinating production work by its skilled creator and a frankly ridiculous selection of guest features makes ‘Beside Myself’ a singular descent into vantablack-coloured dystopian club-tronica.

With the album being centred around the concept of time, ‘Carving The Stone’ feels like it will stand the test of it.

A comforting, cathartic playground for disco, funk and cross-genre collabs, Sophie Ellis-Bextor comes into her own on ‘Perimenopop’.

It’s a good effort in their catalogue with some shining moments, but it’s unlikely to invite those in who aren’t already fans of the band.

‘Juniper’ is a playful, exploratory and incredibly clever record – dealing with themes ranging from falling in love, mental health, music industry critique, politics, and self-love.

Never a band to shy away from making their songs as huge as possible, their fourth record features some of their most monumental tracks to date.

Two years on from the initial release of ‘Norwegian Wood’ – cue an onslaught of media attention, baseless industry plant allegations and Courtney Love’s stamp of approval – Picture Parlour have honed a sound that feels admirably self-assured and truly authentic.

‘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.

A refreshing and undeniably strong record.

Closing on a magnificent note, it pulls together the threads on this incredible tapestry of work, a complex but warming achievement, one that feels just right to pull around your shoulders on these cold winter days.

‘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.

Blending elements of footwork, noise, broken beat, neo-classical and experimental, the Indiana artist has crafted the sound of a far out utopia, inhabited with fear, euphoria, bliss and anxiety.

It is captivating. What is more, we’re listening to every note and hanging on every word.

It’s one of the most disturbing, hilarious, and unexpectedly touching records of the year.

It's brutally honest, yet comforting and displays the freedom and catharsis she felt via making it. A compelling new chapter for old fans and a thrilling set for fresh ones.

It’s an essential purchase for anyone vaguely interested in music with a soulful pulse.

Trend and time can’t touch them, and with ‘Senjutsu’ they’ve produced one of their best albums of the past 20 years.

Neō Wax Bloom begs for multiple listens and, once you’ve digested every morsel, you’ll be wanting to visit Mamu more often.

A project driven by a focussed, finessed sense of purpose, ‘The Tipping Point’ is an excellent song cycle, one that touches on their innermost feelings.

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 strange, shimmering spirit of his songwriting and production style still pushes its way to the surface, delivering yet another record for fans to leave on repeat.

‘LOGGERHEAD’ makes for an unmistakably compelling debut, held aloft by the principle that sometimes you have to just scream it out.

Ultimately, ‘COSPLAY’ is Sorry at their most innovative and impressive, with their strongest songwriting to date. The album has everything the band is loved for, but it’s augmented and heightened.

A welcome reminder that Lambchop are just as vital as they’ve ever been.

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.