‘Escape Room’ reverberates with cinematic flair and curatorial focus, but its true strength lies in Taylor’s understanding of the RnB rhapsody through time; the love song that is most effective when it’s spare and submerged. For this reason, ‘Escape Room’ is as necessary as anything Teyana Taylor has ever recorded.

The first 11 tracks are an exhilarating dip into some of J. Cole’s core tropes, a finessed exploration of where US rap is situated in 2024. .... Stylistically the production [on"7 Minute Drill"] is slightly out-of-step with the tape as a whole, but it taps into some of the project’s over-arching themes – self-worth, separating talent from hype – and feels more ingrained, really, than Kendrick’s own bars on the hit ‘n’ miss Metro Boomin and Future tape.

Marrying a bewildering array of influences, Shaker Notes presents a probing, unified voice on what could well be White’s finest album to date.

A hodgepodge LP bound skillfully by the starry-eyed aestheticism he's become so fond of lately.

Taking his time, as much of the album does, is no bad thing when the melodies are this compelling.

‘Where’s My Utopia?’ is a musically diverse step forward for Yard Act, who refuse to be intimidated by their debut.

Driven by demons and fired by fury, 'Blunderbuss' is a turbulent insight into one man's wrath - but it rocks. Hard.

An album that's completely beguiling.

Unfailingly imaginative, her return offers another vital chapter in her unfailingly riveting career.

IDLES' fourth record in just as many years is their most ambitious, most introspective, and most powerful to date.

For this, Fruit Bats' fifth outing, the Chicagoan took inspiration from a decade-old train ride.

Sonic Citadel towers over its surroundings as one of the best albums of Lightning Bolt’s career to date.

The future, past and present is Enter Shikari’s, restructuring the sheer meaning of creativity with another commanding album.

The oscillation between moods is deafening, but effortless as Scott’s come-ons and teardowns are a poetic masterclass.

Beach Slang play with the kind of heartfelt abandon that you could imagine translating to wider audiences in a similar vein to The Gaslight Anthem or, going back even further, The Goo Goo Dolls. For now, the no-hopers have a voice, but you get the feeling that it won't be theirs alone for much longer.

What Peck provides on Pony is music framed in that mould, and in doing so offers a brilliant palate cleanser to the vast majority of overblown, raucous and vapid compositions that have taken over the genre over the course of the last three decades or so.

It goes in constantly engaging directions and challenges what we expect from her as an artist and writer. It should please long-term fans and offer a fine jumping-on point for those who’ve not explored her work before.

‘Good Lies’ displays the strength of brotherhood, solidifying their position within the scene by cherishing childhood’s sweetness.

Peppering the underground with some of its most influential cuts, each new project has taken him closer to his goals – hell, he’s even nailed a Grammy nomination. ‘$oul $old $eperately’ works emphatically to bring these elements together and push them to a new level.

‘Kitchen Sink’, is once again political, but is about women’s place in the world, the infinite different lives they lead, and the difficulties of being a strong female. While it goes to some dark places, Shah is able to have a lot more fun as she embodies all these different female experiences.

Ultimately, Salad Days is an aural testament to the old adage that there’s a fine line between genius and insanity.

Returning from a six-year long wilderness of soundtrack work and greatest hits, ‘Heligoland’ sees the duo back at the top of their game.

While it aims to push boundaries, CLPPNG does so in a way that demonstrates a love for the music and culture that forms its source material.

While ‘Model’ might just be the fourth installment for them, it’s clear that growing up together has allowed the members to fully play in on each other’s best qualities, resulting in a no-skips record.

‘Everybody Needs A Hero ’continues Gartland’s signature storytelling style but pushes her artistry in new intriguing directions, one that is sure to leave fans satisfied.

What first seems impenetrable and maybe even pretentious reveals itself to be a rich and detailed tapestry, full of colour and emotion.

Whilst still channelling her pop song writing tendencies, there is a distinct sense of emotional depth at the heart of ‘Bouquet’, which feels as though it finds Gwen Stefani at the peak of her songwriting craft.

Back To Land won’t immediately blow you away, but that warm, overdriven sound makes the latest LP from this San Francisco quartet another compelling one.