The Irish act’s short, sharp songs are frenetic and faithfully redolent of the staunch ’60s UK R&B boom that bore The Yardbirds and the Stones.

An ostentatiously operatic tour de force.

Useful, thrown-back fun, comfortable off the cutting edge.

Regional Surrealism is an antidote to a busy life, and the arresting portal into a strange man's mind.

No, No, No is as sweet but as filling as an after dinner mint, and sadly it's probably dinner this album should accompany.

Longevity is often characterised by reinvention in music, yet The Ride stalls in its attempted inventiveness, instead finding success in its most pared down and familiar moments.

Human is an impressive, life-affirming record chock-full of hooks and classy, grown-up production. Praise be.

Like following a serial killer's trail of devastation, you're gripped until the end, no matter how grisly the conclusion. Bewitching.

Come Around Sundown is the remarkable product of an ambitious supergroup expanding their horizons, and is absolutely worth persevering with.

In ‘Love Goes’ Sam Smith has produced a flawed but decent return that mirrors the introspection of this strange, difficult year.

Yes, there are 'Did she really do that?' moments... But'MDNA' is mostly filled with moments when listening to Madonna still feels like the most thrilling thing any pop fan could possibly hope to experience.

Ultimately, Graveyard Of Good Times is too much of a mixed bag to be considered a great record.

It hardly moves mountains as a standalone effort, but is moderately impactful and somewhat befitting of its lofty pandemic-era presentation.

On the whole this is clever, electronically-infused rock that showcases Ounsworth’s songwriting chops.

With this project he shows that age is just a number, defying any expectations that have been set by the rap scene.

Hemmed in by their own ambitions, ‘The Battle At Heaven’s Gate’ is an oddly contradictory experience, one that finds Greta Van Fleet truckin’ on up a one way street.

Nearly twenty years on from Suede's debut and he sounds pretty much unchanged.

‘SPARK’ reinvents Whitney as a contemporary syndicate of classic pop and their third album is an impressive, bold and contagious body of work that is more candid, emotional and contemplative than ever before.

Everyone loves to reminisce, and we're suckers for well-crafted songs, but we also need to be challenged a little more than this boys.

Overall 'Dross Glop' may please and frustrate in equal measures.

At its best, The Saga Continues captures some of the old Wu magic but unfortunately these moments are few and far between.

This album demonstrates that the desire disappeared long ago and that they were simply prolonging their career to delay the inevitable. For Hot Hot Heat, the fire has definitely gone out.

The Road is at once the antithesis of quick-fire culture and the very embodiment of it: a mixtape, picking and choosing the best bits and distilling them into one heady brew. Bring on Part III.

While songs 'Bondage Of Fate', 'If You Want It' and 'Sometimes' present a classic vibe, standalone track 'Pulse' is equally akin to the electronic sound of today. Nice touch.

Presenting a portfolio of some of the best ‘rawk’ songs 2017 has to offer, The Amazons have remained consistent and have begun to embed themselves into the rich tapestry of rock ‘n’ roll with a bolshy stadium sound. If it ain’t broke...

More tightly structured and confident than 2011’s ‘Crazy Clown Time in terms of narrative, there’s further clarity in the unmistakable voice, which though heavily filtered feels much closer to his own.

Everything about the record restores the belief that Stereophonics can remain relevant in a world of troubadours and try-hard indie bands.

The punchy ‘Drink N Dance’ utilises ominous 80s synths, while ‘This Sunday’ is potent, and atmospheric. ‘Gracious’ is carefully finessed, more evidence of the duo’s world-building techniques. That said, though, there’s a huge amount here that simply passes you by. ‘Always Be My Fault’ is meandering, lacking structure, while songs like ‘Luv Bad Bitches’ and ‘Mile High Memories’ lack substance.