Ethel Cain is the most important artist in the world right now, and finally she has the album to prove it.

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

This a confident debut album, one fuelled by a palpable sense of intentionality. If this is the next wave of shoegaze, then the legacy of my bloody valentine, Slowdive et al is in creative hands.

While stepping away from the intimate vulnerability of ‘Snow Angel’, Rapp embraces a bolder pop-star persona, showcasing her Broadway-trained vocals with confident flair.

A record of curious indulgence, ‘The New Is Rising’ stands out through its bloody-minded singularities.

Thoughtfully constructed and bristling with quiet self-belief, ‘Dog Eared’ sounds both fresh and warm. Billie Marten shimmers with a chill confidence, offering clear-eyed portraits of her personal relationships that resonate with universal desires to love and be loved.

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.

A record of incredible depth, ‘Alfredo 2’ is a celebration of the art, a platform of excellence.

Succinct yet packed with information, ‘Now Would Be A Good Time’ finds three musicians who are bold enough to let the pieces fall where they may. Folk Bitch Trio refuse to over-think the arrangements, and this lends their music an understated intensity.

The entire musical palette lacks any intrigue or seductiveness. Everything feels like it’s cranked up too loud in the mix and pasted with a synthetic and unappealing gloss. However, Raekwon himself is on solid form.

She’s brought herself to the very edge creatively, and the resulting album is stunning. She has earned this moment of glorious reflection.

Far from a filler project, ‘Find El Dorado’ stands as a fully formed artistic statement, reaffirming Weller’s place as a restlessly creative interpreter of song (yet again).

As palate cleansers go, ‘DON’T TAP THE GLASS’ does its job: a mash-up of shrewd and slinky dancefloor capers that dials back the conceptual overload and hits the reset button.

A sonic patchwork of disparate influences over a nucleus of Black London musicality, and imbuing each thread with an undeniable protagonist energy.

Ultimately, for those who find Travis Scott’s work to be style over substance, ‘JackBoys 2’ isn’t going to win them over. For those in thrall to the style, however, there’s much to chew on.

It’s a wild explosion of ideas, to the point where it could be argued that, when taken as a whole album, it lacks a bit of shape or finesse. Regardless, the fascinating production work by its skilled creator and a frankly ridiculous selection of guest features makes ‘Beside Myself’ a singular descent into vantablack-coloured dystopian club-tronica.

Vital, assured and moving, ‘I Beat Loneliness’ is full of magnetism and has an indomitable spirit that is full of fire that refuses to burn out, its intensity smoldering through every note and riff, relentless and alive with raw energy.

The strange, shimmering spirit of his songwriting and production style still pushes its way to the surface, delivering yet another record for fans to leave on repeat.

An impressive development of their sound, KOKOROKO further utilise their talent, alongside a slew of collaborators, to hit on something a little deeper than their previous work.

‘Utopia’ has its limitations. The retro/out-of-time musical architecture feels a bit familiar, although magical closer ‘Hireth’ is a singular highlight. Nonetheless, there’s heady magic to be found herein, if a touch less so than on its creator’s truly otherworldly previous works.

A jungle of genres, which includes an impressive throng of featured artists, from the moody and sultry ‘Ta Ta Ta’ which sees the somewhat controversial Travis Scott dip into focus, and infectious country bop ‘Change Your Mind’ which ushers in the likes of Shaboozey, to Rolling Stones rock icon Mick Jagger.

The album’s potential top-shelf contenders form a tight three-way tie between ‘Mike Tyson Blow to the Face’, ‘Chains & Whips’ with Kendrick Lamar, and ‘F.I.C.O.’ alongside Stove God Cooks. Clever use of a cappella negative space and boom-bap-style drums (‘M.T.B.T.T.F.’), lyrical density (‘Chains & Whips’) and boots-on-the-ground storytelling (‘F.I.C.O.’) make this trilogy stand as not only as some of Clipse’s strongest material, but also as some of Pharrell’s finest production in years.

‘My First Album’ is bold, fascinating, and addictive. A dark pleasure for summer season.

‘Loner’ is an accessible and creative collection of colour-splattered dance music whose myriad delights feels all the more impressive for the fact that, like all the best parties, it doesn’t even seem to be trying to be as fun as it is.

In the end, its sheer creativity and daring means that ‘SWAG’ (just about) justifies its breadth. 21-tracks of frequent daring, this Justin Bieber’s testimony, for better or worse.

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.

There’s obviously going to be more in here for die-hard devotees than the passing generalist, and the sheer size of the release makes it far from the ideal jumping off point for a newcomer. However, it is an undertaking of rare unfiltered insight that allows those willing to stay the course to get under the skin of a true genius in a way that, had the 1990s gone a different way, may never have been possible.

‘Self-Titled’ makes up for its musical instability with Tempest’s sharp penmanship, and it is difficult not to be raptured on their next word.