There’s a spirit of continuity that makes ‘Harmony Avenue’ feel like a cohesive collection rather than a joined-up sonic pathway; a sense of purpose that somehow makes these disparate sounds all work together.

‘Welcome to Bobby’s Motel’ is a superb, lovingly crafted set from a band who have clearly done their homework.

Mosquito is a much-needed return to the days of ‘Fever To Tell’ and ‘Machine’--it embraces the band’s early, reverb-heavy sound but also tips its hat to the dance feel they’ve been honing in recent years.

Although both ‘Monument’ and ‘Terrain’ were made in the space of six months, the albums are as different as night and day. If 'Terrain' is the stream of consciousness after three glasses of wine, 'Monument' is the sharp energy welcomed after a detox.

Vivid, compelling and unafraid of delving into new territory, Mogwai have found the ideal combination of progression and familiarity.

With many tipping these Birmingham indie sorts for success, a debut album as accomplished and hit-laden as this makes it hard to see the band faltering.

‘New Long Leg’ feels a world apart from the staleness of so many groups tagged with the term ‘post punk’. Indeed, as a complete aesthetic statement, the debut album from Dry Cleaning hardly merits contemporaries at all – suffocating, surreal, and exploratory, it takes chances other groups could scarcely envisage.

We’re graced with upbeat music, the antidote for the negativity that surrounds us. They speak out and speak up about the wrongs that surround them, like the patriarchal limitations placed on them ('Man In The Magazine'), but also explore the joy of the everyday ('Hallelujah').

Nestled amongst some of her most nuanced and carefully placed moments of Americana and joined by a host of backing singers and musicians from Connor Oberst to Hand Habits‘ Meg Duffy, Segarra manages to take solace in the fact that while we are victims of our formative years, there is always scope to heal.

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.

It's glittering and electronic, its lyrics and title inspired by Owain Owain's dystopian science fiction novel, and its melodies underpinned with discordant notes and bric-à-brac sonic oddities--but it shares a similarly subversive edge to that record.

Collector is clever, catchy and addictive, and gets better with repeat plays. You can only imagine he and Disq know exactly what they’re doing.

Refusing to surrender the emotional core of his songwriting against the dazzling array of studio fireworks, this is Dijon at his strongest – an artist stretching his discipline into evocative new shapes.

With the cool-o-meter currently set at all things synthy and coldwave-y, Austra look set for big things.

Villains is the kind of album that sits at the back of class openly smoking a cigarette but still manages to ace its exams at the end of the year.

Gallagher remains an excellent interpreter of others’ lyrics, but he takes the skill further here and it results in a collection of classic songs drenched in melody, accompanied by clearly expressed, noticeable lyrics.

Can any record match up to a 20 year wait? Perhaps not, but when the dust settles fans will have one of Nas’ best rap performances, fuelled by one of the all-time great producers.

‘GOLD’ is an album that offers a homely atmosphere whilst questioning the interior of that home. It is wise in its approach – urging the need to face internal dilemmas that have been ignored for far too long.

Here, he isn’t playing a role – it’s fun, vibrant, and deeply trippy songwriting, well worthy of praise on its own lofty terms.

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

A straight-talking delight, ‘Gaslighter’ refuses to radically overhaul The Chicks’ sound, and that’s ultimately why it’s so successful. Retaining that fine balance between country and pop, it allows the three-piece space to be true to themselves, ably building on their storied catalogue.

The result is their lushest sounding project yet.

This isn’t a project for newcomers. ‘Springtime In New York’ – taken as a five disc whole – requires patience, and a degree of love for the core texts.

HDWGSD is so DTF it's practically humping the furniture, making it one of the most genuine works of rock 'n' roll since Elvis weaponised his pelvis.

In returning to the project that best suits his sense of adventure, James Murphy has done nothing to tarnish what has gone before. American Dream is a darker, more diverse record than its predecessors and a more human one too.

A return-to-roots record that works most successfully when it rebels against itself, Jamie T's vision of revelation isn't something to be easily shrugged off.

It all combines to create a record that asserts Horn as an incredible and innovative talent both within the folds of folk and also at the forefront of the genre.

British music fans should gaze upon King Krule with great pride. Under immense expectation, he has managed to become the product of his far-flung influences, rather than a pastiche of any.