While these musicians have no problem coming together to craft a solid, emotional record, the sound is far from being their own.

The net result, a tapestry through dark alleys and along river banks, makes for an entertaining listening journey.

The instrumentation and guitar playing in particular can sometimes feel like a serenade, to encapsulate such place and time easily lends credit to the talent of this songwriter and all of a sudden, you are a sundowner too.

A record with a message that is so authentically her that almost has no other way but to convey a bright but somewhat melancholic future.

For the most of Friends, though, this is White Lies doing what they do best. There are huge choruses, soaring, ethereal melodies and that distinctively glistening ‘80s production. However, you suspect their formula may need to be tweaked substantially if the band are to avoid self-parody or burning out in the future.

Jeez, it’s long, and there are some missteps, some ill-advised detours, along his peregrinations, but all in all, it’s worth coming along for the ride.

‘GLORIOUS’ is a trim 15 tracks, offering 42 minutes of music. Chopping away the excess, what’s left is bold, colourful, and attention-seeking – brash, but not subtle.

Dan Carey – Speedy Wunderground head honcho and producer of Fontaines D.C. amongst many others – helms the boards for this record, and sonically it feels richer, with more depth than its predecessors. .... That said, some of the cartoonish aspects of Kneecap’s past remain firmly fixed in place.

A refined 10 song document that cycles through moods and tones, ‘This Is Really Going To Hurt’ is perhaps the finest example yet of Flyte’s undoubted artistry, and offers yet more proof that they remain one of the country’s most underrated groups.

The Godfather of cool retains his title!

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.

If 2022 album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’ represented a clearing of the decks, a shake-up from top to the bottom, then ‘Happenings’ continues this process. As times, it feels as though you’re caught in a snow-globe, being shaken up and down, from side to side – watching the pieces fall is a thrilling experience.

There are layers upon layers of glorious melodies and hooks here; you just need to spend the time to find the ones that work for you.

The sonic palette may be familiar, but the strength of songwriting indicates that September Girls might, just might, be capable of pushing past this.

It's a win for the bedroom door-locking crew.

African Giant is a cohesive piece of work. The tracks have a subtle dancehall theme which threads through them. 19 tracks may have been too ambitious in this case but Burna Boy is an example of why African music is gaining popularity and becoming more mainstream.

With 22 tracks it’s self-evident that not everything lands – skits have always been a subject of debate to rap fans, and while some of the miniatures on ‘Supreme Clientele 2’ are fun, there’s a tad too many.

Refining rather than challenging their boundaries, Fucked Up reconnect with the sounds that first set their pulses racing. Glass Boys is a gloriously savage return.

It’s a fine collection of intimate, slow-burning, understated songs.

Egypt Station feels like Paul McCartney having a blast being Macca, grasping his own identity, and relishing it--a fun, at times downright bold, return it’s something fans will cherish.

For the first time, it's Bleeker's most mature output yet and solid terra firma for fully realizing the group as a band in its own right rather than a mere side hobby.

Featuring a host of Daptone Records talent (Lee Fields & The Expressions, Menahan Street Band) the album’s eleven numbers are a confident walk through the finest examples of soul instrumentals and stands a great homage to the best releases of Cadet, Stax or Hi.

It’s undeniably interesting, but here’s hoping the clever USP doesn’t lessen the record’s staying power.

There's enough promise and originality within the current scene to merit considerable credibility.

Recorded in Reykjavík with Sigur Rós collaborator Alex Somers and Múm’s Samuli Kosminen, the frosty twinkles and skittery beats complement Rhode Island-based Thibadeau’s alt-folk leanings.

The diverse range of music on offer is second to none, but in certain ways acts as an Achilles heel of the record, the competing genres feel cluttered, never quite firmly settling on a succinct sound. That said, this body of work is strictly feel-good and reinforces the promise behind Duckwrth’s major label debut.

Quick on the draw, Beans bosses a bite-sized blitz of syllable practice.

It’s studied, sure--these guys are superbly technically proficient--but never is the fun obscured by fretwork pyrotechnics.