The Yard Work Simulator may not be everybody’s cup of tea to listen through from beginning to end, but as a piece of work it is more unique, exploratory and interesting than many others that will be released this year.

["Night and Day" and "Flutes"] are glimmers of liveliness on an otherwise decedent record.

A special album from a special artist, Nepenthe is, indeed, an album that leaves thoughts of others absent as it plays out its otherworldly dance.

A shift away from the sampling of his debut, Underneath The Pine keeps things sweet and traditional, leaving you lazily grinning from ear to ear.

Raw Money Raps is an exciting audible adventure into progressive hip-hop.

‘Things Take Time, Take Time’ sees her breaching into a new territory while still residing in the safe net of her previous sound, making it an album to introduce her to a new audience and a pleasing one to entertain her already exciting fanbase.

A debut that is full of depth and one that exposes the scope of electronic music beyond just the club.

I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone sees the Seattle group recede deeper into their comfort zone with a batch of tracks that are lukewarm at best.

This is savvy, intelligent music.

The result is a solid summer rock album to play from your portable speaker on a day at the beach that sees the promising young band evolve and develop an already appealing sound.

The band’s approach to music-making has always been as eclectic as their references, but generally they’ve stuck to one approach per album. Unfortunately this is where Home Counties comes a bit unstuck. There’s quite a lot going on.

While a fun and energetic record, much of the songwriting falls into the somewhat forgettable. Everyone is bringing their A-game, and they're having a blast while doing so, but nothing entirely sticks to the ribs.

‘The Loneliest Time’ feels a far cry from the saccharine star that launched Jepsen’s career but proves her musical pliability.

Freed from self-imposed musical constraints, ‘Field Music (Measure)’ is big, bold and beautiful.

A fantastically uniformed piece, Dark Days + Canapés boasts a rare sense of unity, the aural palette bringing together hugely disparate elements to conjure something of real impact.

Ultimately, the album’s highlights are those songs where the voice and sentiment we hear is truly her own, the enthralling, stirring, emotion- manipulating voice that’s threaded its way through every album since her 2006 debut, not the voice that leans too close to what the pop music machine demands.

The majority of its songs clock in under two minutes, but Earl is able to pack so much into the short amount of time that most tracks warrant multiple listens.

After the swelling synths of the album’s intro track, ‘Adulter8’ opens with a chip-tune alarm sound, and you kick your feet out of bed only to find the floor fall from under you, as shards of a euphoric bassdrum take over and fragments of haunted vocals dislocate you from any sense of direction.

This is written by someone who’s a kid right now, about what it is to be young right now. Consequently, this isn’t a “you” and “I” album. It’s a “we”, “us” and “them” album.

Haines’ singular vocals have always been the band’s not-so-secret weapon, and it’s here [on ‘Enemies Of The Ocean’] where they shine greatest, jumping from hauntingly beautiful to full-on rock goddess mode. However, much of the rest of the album just goes to highlight how it’s a game of two halves. You could literally compile a list of the numbers that are over five minutes as the standouts and ones under as pedestrian.

Cerulean Salt isn’t boundary breaking, but it possesses qualities enough to leave one charmed, if not consistently captivated.

Big, bold, invigorating stuff.

In a way an ideal sequel, but it’s a missed opportunity to find out more about the man.

On Ignorance Is Bliss, Skepta is back with a renewed hunger and sense of purpose, overcoming a new set of challenges and proving once again why he is a grime mainstay.

Bouncing from indie to alternative R&B to hip-hop, ‘Ivory’ is a culmination of his interests, all mushed together to create his own sense of authenticity. It is a commanding start, clearly marking out his career ambitions as he continues his journey of success. For him, this is only but the beginning.

A vital, thrilling affair, it ranks amongst the best of his solo work.

Sad, contemplative and euphoric in equal measure, The Most Lamentable Tragedy is a true triumph.

Hopefully the addition of vocals, and modular synths heard best on the ‘Naga Ghost’ outro, signals more experimentation in the future.