Neil Young is also isn’t accompanied by anyone. He’s just has his guitar between himself and the audience. Its wonderful to hear. And this is why ‘Royce Hall 1971’ is a remarkable album. Yes, we’ve heard all the songs before, but not quite like this.

The interplay between Young and Promise of the Real is great and dare I say, they somehow manage to out ‘Crazy Horse’ the actual Crazy Horse. This is a greatest hits selection worthy of Elliot Roberts’ 50-year friendship with Neil Young.

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.

Lashed with swathes of distant bittersweet nostalgia, the record dabbles with elements of funk, electronic, indie and pop to form beautiful airy vocals and infectious guitar melodies, punctuated by rolling drums, through to delicate folk tracks which demonstrate the breath of Constance’s lyrical prowess.

An artist who continually confronts his own emotions, ‘Permanent Damage’ finds Joesef heightening his intentions, and magnifying his aspirations. He’s manifesting pop greatness, and few would bet against him.

On occasion, the record feels quite lazy in its lyrical direction and yet too direct, falling into moments of cringe rather than what could have been perceived as powerful and fun.

Soon to be household names, Coach Party refused to be pencilled in to one genre, but still managed to retain consistency, coherency and identity on their debut record, a feat rarely seen – so keep an eye on them.

The thematic string throughout ‘WEEDKILLER’ is extremely present, the messages bold whilst never sacrificing the integrity and quality of the tracks.

Atmospherically broad, it moves from quiet sounding to the creation of something big and epic sounding. The emotional setting of each track changes a bit throughout, but it’s a record that is deeply connected.

Finely sculpted and perfectly executed, ‘The Auditorium Vol. 1’ finds Common and Pete Rock utilising experience to their advantage. Creating a storm on its release, the perfectly executed roll-out trod the line between fan-service and expertly distilled creativity.

The album title ‘Transparent Things’ proves cohesive with its contents; storytelling lyrics that on their surface level fixate the listener before drawing them to see through Ford’s fictional-narrative muses and reflect on their compatibilities with them, all against the back drop of a strong indie-rock soundtrack.

This is an album that if you don’t engage with straight away, give it some time and try again. I’m not sure how often I’ll play ‘Through Other Reflections’ going forward but there is something wonderful going on under the surface that is captivating.

A work of maturity and quiet meaning, ‘Morayo’ stands alongside some of the defining moments in Wizkid’s work. Staying true to himself, this may be his most honest full length yet, driven forwards by a higher power.

The Amazons have taken all the best elements of their previous records to create the album it feels they’ve always been striving towards. A whirlwind of polished, widescreen anthems, it’s a full throttle rollercoaster that you’ll want to ride again and again.

UNIVERSITY have given us themselves on their debut album, and we thank them for the glorious noise, chaos, mayhem and moments of calm which takes us to another world completely.

Despite the promise of impending doom, ‘Who Wants to Talk About Love?’ is a free-flowing, acoustic dream – a true testament to Bird’s dedication to her craft.

Older, wiser and more seasoned, ‘Selling A Vibe’ finds the brothers refreshingly thoughtful and assured. All achieved while sounding as rough, ready and brilliant as ever.

They know how to tackle them [cover songs], so they still sound as vibrant and exciting as the original but add that something extra so they sound, and feel, like a Xiu Xiu song.

At times the lyrical component can leave you cold.

The Portland-based psych-rock outfit’s second album is an absolute triumph.

Now, they’ve unveiled their eighth collection of poetically punky musical works which carries their fresh momentum to expansive heights.

The album’s lacking that one standout moment to make it a truly transformative experience. Still, the scope and ambition are to be applauded, and it’s a treat to take a voyage around his mind and beyond.

This is an album that deserves big headphones and large sweeping views of grey coastal days.

Employing a dense rack of synths, the opening tracks establish a slightly chaotic fug that the record gradually emerges from. And, once its found its feet, the album treads a pretty glorious path.

M.I.A.’s most consistent work since her debut. ... Yes, her myriad ideas are still tumultuous, but there’s precious few other musicians out there attempting such an ambitious and impassioned collage of words, rhythms and concepts.

It's an optimistic, romantic and frequently lovely record.

That this is both Beirut's deepest and most instantly enjoyable album is obvious.

She continues to rise above our expectations. Producing a sound that would comfortably fit alongside the greats she once listened to on her Walkman.