The ruthlessly cohesive ‘Dark Superstition’ succeeding in nudging death metal’s borders open by a couple of inches. It’s as likely as any pure death metal album in recent memory to pull a ‘Sunbather’ and convert non-metal fans to its cause.

Shorn of its visuals, ‘Shadow Kingdom’ remains a fascinating listen. .... Facing down his past, he comes close to eclipsing it, and offers magnificent proof of his continued vitality as a performing artist.

It’s an album embracing difference, accepting highs and lows: just what we need right now.

Except for two electronic led numbers that become more of a slog than a celebration, Gwenno has once again married the otherworldly with the primal with supreme effect. Another contemporary Cornish treat.

Western Stars is an understated triumph, righting the wrongs of his last few releases and more than emphasises the fact that Springsteen is still brilliant enough to be invested in.

This is West’s most polarizing record to date, yet the discussion surrounding it gives a healthy charge to a rap game saturated with the same ol’ same ol’. So no, Yeezus isn’t a great record, but it doesn’t have to be.

The jury's out on whether Miguel's offerings as a whole are indeed superior to Ocean's, for now he should be content that they share a space at the pinnacle of genre-defining pop music.

In an age of hostile austerity manufactured by moral panic-inducing powers, Ezra Collective’s debut effort is a polyrhythmic balm for disillusioned youth seeking a dose of musical dopamine.

A record of sustained power, ‘Re-Animator’ manages to pull together many of the band’s finest elements, offering something complex yet accessible.

It’s a road record to soundtrack a hazy journey across the outback in search of a lost love, contemplating the world whilst swigging on a beer. Hope Downs is far from perfect, but it has charm in abundance.

It’s a quietly self-assured and immersive album that should mark out and reaffirm Pratt’s singularity.

It is a beautiful, enigmatic, joyous, sultry, utterly fabulous and insanely-inventive album that delivers above and beyond its expectations, quite a feat for a record conceived by one of the best British artists around at the moment.

It’s a delightful, towering debut that will indeed leave you ecstatic.

Punchier, prettier, and more playfully perverse, ‘Moisturizer’ will undoubtedly help Wet Leg retain their place as one of Britain’s most unique bands. Expectations be damned.

“The power of conceptualising who you are has really informed this album,” Owens states about Inner Song‘s essence, and her second album executes it perfectly. This album is an eye-opening discovery of self, laid bare for all to see.

The album is Kelly Moran’s finest work to date and really shows why she is in a league of her own. She is moving in her own field.

Rossen redefines the boundaries of musical imagination with his long-awaited, wholly confident debut LP 'You Belong There'.

When she leans into vocal layering and harmony, the record comes alive. And while the production is minimal, the clarity it affords her words makes every lyric land with intention.

That a band with this much already behind them could still arrive here, sounding like they have only just begun, is its own form of mastery. Lend yourself forward. Be with it.

What ‘The Line Is A Curve’ teaches us is that Tempest is still capable of tremendous feats of lyricism and dynamic storytelling; if its inconsistency feels a little frustrating at times, it’s perhaps testament to the flow that bound together previous records with such success.

A dazzling display of technical and emotional virtuosity, ‘Busy Guy’ is an incredible experience, a work of true intimacy from a songwriter whose return is long overdue. Magical.

Solidifies the Salem, Massachusetts four-piece’s continued brilliance. These 10 tracks, which clock in at a tight 31 minutes, waste not a milli-second of that sharp runtime. Every moment is calculated with ruthless precision and designed for maximum emotional impact.

‘C O S M’ is the first dramatic reduction in pace, but proves to be only temporary respite, as the album’s second half builds to a glorious finale. Hopkins remains in ascension, and no one is on his level right now.

The process seemingly thrived on capturing ideas when they were half-finished, and this ruptured, fragmented approach gives ANIMA its character--tearing down productions, reigniting processes, this is a wild, careering feast of sound.

‘Bike Lane’ doesn’t quite strike the balance, and as such isn’t a highlight, nor is ‘Shiggy’. But they’re done so wryly, so knowingly, that it’s not a big deal and they don’t detract much from what is an assuredly sparkly album.

It doesn’t feel like as much of an instant classic as 'Your Queen Is A Reptile', but it has all the makings of a slower, more thought-provoking, ultimately more accomplished project, the likes of which will remain relevant for decades to come.

Not everything on All Nerve works. But then, perfection was never the aim for Breeders; instead, they’ve provided something vital, visceral, completely modern. In never once looking back they’ve re-captured the incessant energy that drove ‘Last Splash’, and given us something to take its place.

‘Sometimes, Forever’ takes risks, embodies the freeing, ephemeral nature of life, and the joy of following your inner monologue as you follow hers.