A dystopian masterpiece.

Album stand-outs ‘Heavy, California’ and ‘Happy Man’ would have slotted into the last LP seamlessly and, considered as a whole, For Ever feels like an opportunity missed.

Something that immediately grabs you about this record is the production, which easily elevates it above its more naive sounding predecessor; the sound of new label Wichita making good on their investment.

It’s a lengthy, beautiful work, and undoubtedly a late career high from one of the most important, courageous songwriters in the country.

Egypt Station feels like Paul McCartney having a blast being Macca, grasping his own identity, and relishing it--a fun, at times downright bold, return it’s something fans will cherish.

MNEK absolutely knows his way around a pop banger, and it’s his expansive, polished production on more upbeat moments that saves Language from falling flat with cliché lyrics and the dreary lament of slower tracks.

Bouncing with tastefully witty track titles, fizzing synths and mechanic beats, Family Of Aliens perfectly encapsulates the sound of 2018.

Deaths is punchy and economical, written under the pressure of looming deadlines. But even then, it doesn’t abandon the literary and experimental sensibilities developed on the band’s previous records.

Initial cuts from French duo The Blaze showcased their electronic influences, however with this new album they’ve gone above and beyond with their sizzling percussions, mournful vocals and trance-like sounds.

This is the album we've been waiting for, whether we knew it or not.

Black Rainbow Sound is an album that shows a band in flux. The songs sounds bigger and more articulated. Menace Beach are using a larger musical palate and it mostly works.

If this is Spiritualized’s last – and Pierce hasn’t fully rowed-back on that threat, given his lucubrations drove him “crazy”--it’s a very satisfying denouement. If not, it’s still a stellar addition to the Spiritualized® catalogue, matching the vitality of ‘Songs in A&E’ or the richness of ‘that famous one from 1997’, even if it doesn’t say anything especially new.

TERRY are over the hype and romance of being a new band and their music is richer for it, veering off in all directions.

While Indigo is no groundbreaker, it’s exciting for an album with so much nostalgia to sound as fresh and pristine as this.

Despite the visceral joy and catchy melodies of the music; it's Joseph Talbot’s lyrics that are the main event. Part social commentary, stand-up routine and motivational quotes lyrics.

Say what you like about the album, it’s impossible to deny it is blazing with confidence and a witty, abrasive humour. What we loved about Slaves when they emerged into the DIY punk scene has returned into the mainstream, and about time too.

A Better Life is an entirely different beast, expanding on their debut’s vigorous garage-pop sound to create something darker, meatier and much heavier on all fronts.

Whilst sonically Fixed Ideals can vary in its impact, Lande Hekt’s lyrics tell a relatable story in a crafty way, carrying the record all the way through.

Mogwai have come a long way since ‘Angels vs. Aliens’ in 1996. Gone are the walls of raging guitar and searing feedback. In its place is understated quiet and contemplation. This underpins KIN and really adds a grandiose dollop cinematic majesty.

Let’s Go Sunshine is a solid album, though not groundbreaking. It is clear that The Kooks have tried to deviate from their established sound in a way that doesn’t completely alienate older fans, and rightly so.

Instantly familiar while still feeling fresh; nostalgic while clearly the product of a band who’ve carved a niche rather than rest on their laurels, Is This Thing Cursed? is the album long-term fans have been clamouring for since Skiba shaved his hair.

The album is littered with exquisite collaborations.

This might not be as immediate and catchy as previous Animal Collective releases, possibly due to Panda Bear’s absence, but its one of their most transfixing and beguiling.

For a four-piece rock band from Texas, they still remain pretty difficult to classify and almost impossible to ignore. Play loud and enjoy.

A record that lands with such hazy panache, transporting its listener into a nocturnal wilderness where dreams are limitless. The record is undoubtedly a strong return to form for the folktronica vanguards and potentially the signalling of a second coming for the band.

Raw but refined, familiar but resolutely strange, Marauder seizes that fine balance of retaining the old while introducing the new; the sound of a band at ease with themselves, it could well be Interpol’s finest album in a decade.

Go To School is a highly ambitious album and some may be wary of the concept, however, if you unpack it, there’s a touching tale within that can resonate with all.

Rather than crumbling under the pressure of acclaim, Mitski embraces it and is all better for it. These trials and tribulations that birthed Be The Cowboy have not only developed Mitski as a musician, but also act as another sign that she has the potential to be considered one of the best singer-songwriters of our generation.