A collection of pulsing synths, bouncing beats and empowering vocals, X-Communicate may have seen Kristin Kontrol strip away her former image, but it’s left the singer’s sonic presence stronger than ever.

Tthese songs are as focussed, refined and honed as anything Spencer has ever done, yielding some of his most infectious guitar lines and arguably some of the finest tracks of his lengthy career.

An energetic and vibrant project, that is exactly what the music scene needed in such an uncertain time. One of J Balvin’s strongest projects to date.

Polished production all around allows the band to really bring a twist to their previous music. Simple bass lines and drum beats are easily forgotten about, but the band use this to their advantage throughout the seven track production.

Although Lousy With Sylvianbriar lacks the violent eclecticism of their 2007 classic ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?’, it’s a genre-morphing triumph that reveals new surprises with each listen.

It's a band comfortable with the idea of growing up but like kids trying on their parent's clothes, the ideas behind Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen are a little oversized but not by much.

Turn Blue is pure searing sexiness, hotter than a Nashville afternoon. Their best yet.

Enjoyable, but some’ll always believe in it more than others.

Pity Sex may have taken few risks to make a breakthrough album and they’re hardly re-inventing the wheel, but White Hot Moon is a solid effort and a worthy follow-up to debut ‘Feast Of Love’.

O’Connell colours firmly between the lines. His ideas do not stray beyond the conventions you’d expect for each singer-songwriter outfit he puts on from song to song.

The only problem here is that the genre is taken to the extreme, and can blend together to the point where the album seems like one massive track.

While there’s nothing that will diminish their legacy or standing in rock music, there’s very little material that pushes the band forward either.

While there are moments that lack substance, ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ also provides some of the best music of Cench’s career thus far. Central Cee went into this project carrying the belt of a UK Rap mainstream heavyweight, with ‘Can’t Rush Greatness’ he’s managed to retain that title.

If perhaps lacking something as standout as ‘Mess Around’ or ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked’, it is a welcome return for the Kentucky rockers showing after nearly 20 years together they still know how to groove.

Sleigh Bells must be applauded for their experimentation on Jessica Rabbit, and it has provided riches, but as with earlier releases, the main weakness is a lack of emotional scope and pace over a course of an entire album.

First Serve holds no fear for newcomers, consolidates their legacy, and deserves at least one encore.

This record feels like the perfect summation of Childish Gambino’s always-on, internet-driven data-overload experimentation. It’s a work of maturity and vision, out-pacing his peers to deliver something vital, and true to himself.

The Godfather of cool retains his title!

The ’80s sci-fi pastiche meets early-’00s girl power wears thin over 11 tracks, but there are still moments for the dancefloor.

Get some eggnog inside you and give this enduring pair a little respect.

It’s one that sees TOY testing the water for the future blueprint of their music, which seems only to be building on its successes.

This is an absolute treat for fans of rootsy vintage soul and a remarkable statement of intent for a debut release.

It's a captivating mix of material, yet hangs together well and has a surprisingly easy flow.

This album is going to seriously divide opinions across the spectrum, from the trvest of metal sugariest of pop stans. But Poppy remains a daring and divisive artist making daring and divisive art, and ‘I Disagree’ is the perfect shot of adrenaline to kick start a new decade with.

One of the best things about ‘Time Bend And Break The Bower’ is how every song feels new.

A record packed with solitary voices, the New Yorkers seem to amplify their ability to capture the beauty in melancholy, stripping back the paint of the everyday to reveal the extraordinary underneath.

Madison has taken all the strengths of 2023’s Grammy nominated ‘Silence Between Songs’ to craft an impressive album full of vulnerability and powerhouse vocals.

In terms of consistency, ‘Venus’ doesn’t quite match her previous work. Sure, it’s heaps of fun at times and packed with plenty of euro pop bangers to satisfy the faithful, but this time around, otherworldly, celestial highs compensate for moments when Larsson surrenders to commercial viability during its unfortunately frequent lows.