Essentially, what each track on At Hope’s Ravine has in common, is the blistering intensity with which it’s delivered, culminating in the ever-intensifying title track and the cathartic sonic explosion with which it bows out. A staggering debut album.

Unusually consistent while still admirably varied, Chaosmosis is one of the early delights of the year.

Joanna Gruesome have adapted, honed and stretched their sound on Peanut Butter, and though nothing here sticks in the brain quite like ‘Sugarcrush’ or ‘Secret Surprise’, their tip as one of Britain’s brightest new hopes is more than backed up on this showing.

No doubt some old fans will continue to decry this latest chapter in Rolo Tomassi’s seemingly endless search to scratch their inner itch, but make no mistake; this is a confident return to form.

Among its mix of roistering anthems and melodramatic balladry, ‘9’ exudes a supple confidence throughout, engaging in some of the most enthralling Australian psychedelia to emerge from 2021 (of which there is plenty).

Although previous work has never shied away from her individual experience, here Laura elevates her lyricism to new heights.

'The Tarnished Gold' is a tighter, more familiar album from a band that have always done their own thing, and it's a very well-worked compromise – this is fantastic stuff.

It won’t be quite as divisive as its predecessor - not least because this iteration of Black Country, New Road has ceased to exist before it’s even been heard - but ‘Ants From Up There’ might yet win over those stifled by hype first time around.

Despite the luxurious, audible excess, Dying is a masterclass of refrain.

The Dots is an outright success. It combines forward-thinking sound design with complex songwriting, and an astute taste for pop hooks with rich, intelligent lyrical content. It’s a joy to experience.

Whether it be these jacked-up moments or those hazy, sinking flurries such as the freakish downer ‘Merry Nightmare’, everything Scott has written on Sunshine Redux encapsulates all of his best qualities. This time though, those qualities are amplified, pristinely-recorded and have even caught the sun a bit.

‘Bright Magic’ flourishes at its most calm and erupts at its most fervent, lending itself neatly to a state of anxious tension, sonically chronicling the faded walk back from the club, when dawn and dusk blur into irrelevance.

It’s immediate and hard-hitting in the same way as blues rock.

Trevor Powers has crafted an album full of malice and aggression that it lives up to its title, but it is peppered with themes of hope and optimism.

With short tracks, skits and interludes admittedly Yes Lawd! does feel a bit more like a mixtape than an album at times but that’s simply the NxWorries way. In a pairing with this much chemistry, they can be forgiven for getting a little carried away.

Packed full of bright ideas and moreish hooks, ‘Dead Hand Control’ is a hopeful document about finding peace in your relationships and immediate surroundings, even when the world is on fire.

Colourful, brilliantly messy, and a fully committed hodge-podge of psych and spacecake croons, ‘Awaken, My Love!’ is unlikely to shed further light on exactly what Childish Gambino is at heart, but by now, Glover’s erratic approach is surely part of his central appeal.

Life Without Sound feels more confident, the songs themselves coming from a more positive position.

Sneaking under the half-hour mark, Time & Space is a comprehensive thrash that places Turnstile as the most inventive, forward-thinking band in hardcore.

Bold, experimental, and an absolute delight, Bombay Bicycle Club cycle the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

By taking the time to delve back into his rap upbringing, he’s progressed further, gleefully throwing a ton of ideas at the wall and finding that nearly all of them stick.

The Shape Of Things is another compelling collection of clever electronic pop.

For some, this might be too tame. An album full of ‘Bluish’ rather than ‘Fireworks’. But for others, that means it’s the most accessible.

MAGDALENE is an album of ideas bristling against one another. Sometimes, there is the feeling that less could have been more, but when everything aligns, there are true moments of wonder to be found.

Nestled in these adrenalised, highly evolved songs are bright pop hooks, showing that other artists could compete with Doldrums, but they wouldn’t be able to keep up.

This solitary endeavour - which she describes as sitting in front of a mirror and staring at herself - results in near-complete reinvention, all while retaining melodic guts and expanding the malleability of her misfit artistry.

It makes for a quiet reinvention in the face of adversity, with Le Bon as stylistically light on her feet as ever.

Mazes confirm themselves as one of the most exciting British bands currently around. This is the result of what happens when three unique and brilliant minds are given the right facilities they need to make their vision happen.

Ultimately, on ‘Leon’, Bridges crafts an album that is at once deeply personal, and yet expansive and shared.

Soaring arrangements and long tracks create a journey, as engaging as it is dramatic.

Deal demonstrates an appetite for sonic adventure and an ability to disarm and surprise us on ‘Nobody Loves You More’, even after all these years.

Ghostpoet has created a record that feels timeless in a way his scratchy bedroom productions could never have dreamed of.

This is a messy, disorderly but beautifully blissful and idiosyncratic record--and that seems like the statement he’d like to make.

With an astute sense of mischief and a knack for snazzy hooks, Best Friends’ debut full-length offering is as endearing as they come.

They have created another cohesive body of work that’s unhurried, considered and produces all the classic components of a timeless record that embodies the very moment.

The result is a fun collection of melodically versatile songs which celebrate the power that can be found in dwelling on the fringes.

It’s older, wiser and more reflective. A wonderful surprise album whose existence in 2023 actually makes perfect sense.

Engaging and draining, Parquet Courts have once again pushed their capabilities to the max, and as ever, the results are like nothing you’ll find elsewhere.

There’s an abundance of over-excited jitters that keep you bouncing to each wildly mercurial moment. ‘demon time’ is an undeniable rush to your systems, and a deliciously futuristic one at that.

The fact that Efterklang have managed to cultivate such an effortless sounding exercise in sonic geographies is sheer testament to their skill as master artisans.

‘i’ve seen a way’ sees the band marching down their own path, and it’s one worth following.

His distinctive voice, ranging from guttural lows to a glittering falsetto, is the tool he uses to sculpt out his vast sonic vision.

Having made records with Johnny Marr and added all manner of elements to their sound, the band’s latest is a brilliant reminder that Ryan, Gary and Ross are at their most powerful when they strip back their sound to its scrappy core.

With such a joyous energy across the record, it’s easy to get lost in its layers.

This is the work of two guys simply expressing their love of music for the rest of us to enjoy--swooping from ‘60s pop to ‘00s rock while appreciating everything in between--and what a loveable collection of work it is.

Tender without being twee, this debut LP ultimately captures a moment that is both genuine and touching.

The record makes no attempt to shroud emotional reactions to the modern world, and it results in a thematically poignant, lyrically sharp and sonically surprising statement piece that redeems what was once used as a dismissive label.

‘The Love Invention’ runs the gamut of immediate, dancefloor-ready electro-pop with style.

It’s a record bound in frustration and release, exacerbated by the band’s continuing reliance on repetition, and as it comes to roost with the tense ‘Bite Mark’ and its tumbling conclusion TRAAMS’ return shows itself to be one that’s all the better for its slow build.

They’ve crafted a terrific out-and-out rock record.

Here, she explores the hardships that queer relationships face and the intricate balance between friendships and romance in her own way, exploring love through a tentative, poignantly relatable lens.

Sonically sprawling (‘80s guitar sounds are referenced on the title track; a glitchy beat flickers through ‘Another Day’; ‘Power To Undo’ brims with pop-funk chaos) yet also unafraid to find joy in simple pleasures (the most immediate moment comes courtesy of ‘Prove It To You’, a club-ready stomp), ‘WHAT NOW’ is a gem.

Though it may come across as an innocuous affair to some, Lucid Dreaming simultaneously triumphs as both a cohesive, introspective body of work and a bona fide pop record.

A beautiful and moving chart of a year in his life, Dan’s latest ‘Grand Plan’ has clearly paid off.

It’s in the less expected that ‘Lagos Paris London’ offers most; the sheer softness of ‘Under The Strikes’ displays a vocal turn that in other contexts may prove completely unrecognisable; and in particular the introspective, sparse yet groove-laden ‘Night Green, Heavy Love’, on which a staccato bassline contrasts with Yannis’ high-pitched vocal to create a wholly disorienting mood.

Across its 11 tracks, ‘Raving Ghost’ finds impressive variety and fun: less a haunted relic of the past, and more a Halloweeny romp through it.

It moves away from what many a critic will lazily refer to as Burial-esque, but still retains the throbbing heart that's always sat at the centre of his music.

For such an introspective record, it sure sounds like community - a portrait of an artist ready to lean into her fears.

Multi-faceted in both personality and musical style, ‘Access Denied’ has proven itself every bit worth the wait.

A vital, woozy summer repose, nine tracks in the perfect sequence for drifting off on a lazy, languorous May afternoon.

It’s lusciously written, produced, and arranged.

An album that works to intertwine large scale issues with some deeply personal admissions from frontwoman Sadie Dupuis - all via her intoxicating and bewildering brand of lyricism - the record, instead, grapples with the anger at its core and transforms. it into something more worthwhile.

A record that feels dynamic and vital - while still respecting the band’s legacy so far - ‘The Million Masks of God’ is astonishing.

More power, more fury, more energy--it’s certainly a promising tone to set.

While ‘Take it to the Max’ sounds like Battles and Gold Panda had, well... a battle. These elements only enhance rather than inhibit, proving Deacon’s ability to find the best ingredients for his eclectic recipe.

Eternal Forward Motion pushes onward with a clear mission and unrivalled force, and much like their two previous albums, it places Employed To Serve firmly at the forefront of innovation in British hardcore.

An LP which brightly but undramatically shines with a fresh confidence - a proficient collection of songs, elevated by myriad guest musicians and a seemingly freed spirit.

‘OUI, LSF’ is a storming return that suggests that, far from having run out of steam, the possibilities for Les Savy Fav are again endless.

Unexpected, indulgent, and an absolute joy, ‘Metronomy Forever’ is a prophecy to get behind.

Backed up by lyrical content that has never been more potent and relevant, this album is proof that A Tribe Called Quest never really left.

The music is genuinely rich, and creates a strong nostalgia for a musical era gone by.

With its clean, bright production, Frankie Cosmos have found a fitting sound on ‘Different Talking’, via their new era of lush, happier pop-rock.

A record that’s a hundred times more cohesive than Born to Die.

II is their finest work yet and cements the fact that Moderat have developed into a dance act whose existence should never have even been questioned in the first place.

Its clarity, confidence, and cohesion set it apart from their debut which had room for improvement on those fronts.

Where Wildness Grows is an ode to patience, determination and second chances. Given theirs, Gengahr have smashed it.

This debut album is very much the culmination of Faker's disparate influences, showcasing his broken, downtempo soul at its finest.

A brilliant and unexpected ride from start to finish.

she’s written a brilliantly fun pop record in the process.

It's a swaggering victory lap for two artists at the peak of their creativity; it's a record that sees their talents fused in the most cohesive way; it's a coming together of immense talents.

Justice’s sound is still huge, still bludgeoningly and pleasingly direct.

‘Bronco’ flits between theatricality and poignancy, almost every song sounding like it could score a Western’s pivotal moment with ease. Helmed by the singer’s powerhouse vocals, it’s impossible not to be drawn in throughout the album’s 15 country-rock-song run.

This stripped-back, honest approach exposes the inconsistencies and vulnerabilities of the man, while also bringing to the exterior the charisma and charm of a laissez-faire psych icon.

‘Soberish’ sounds more like her early work, with its lo-fi stylings and ramshackle guitars. Lyrically, this record teases her more sentimental side, but even then, she openly admits to not wanting to reveal her true self to the listener.

It’s not all perfect: the previously-released title track clocks in as a fairly innocuous hoe-down, while the slightly uncomfortable spoken word midpoint of ‘Florida’ makes for a jarring addition. Still, when ‘Homegrown’ soars, it acts as further proof that few in history can reach the emotional peaks that Neil Young can.

An elegant, engrossing return, that marries its creators’ love of both industrial and ecclesiastical aesthetics while remaining accessible and emotionally easy to grasp. Welcome back.

With ‘Worldwide’, Snõõper continue to capture their bizarro universe, at the core of which is the same erratic intensity that many fell in love with two years ago.


This is a record made for the cavernous expanse of Brixton Academy, fancy light show in tow, chant-a-long choruses guaranteed.

An excellent collection of soul-bearing Americana.

Ultimately, as beautiful as it is in its more subdued moments, the album feels fully realised when her alternative and mainstream instincts find each other.

An album that manages to be both delicate and thunderous at once, ‘I Slept On The Floor’ is a potent and empowering statement of intent.

Nick Cave’s lyrics have always dealt with love and grief, so while the themes seem more poignant because of his loss, in truth the content isn’t so different. It’s the raw nature of the tracks themselves that hit harder than usual.

The trio deliver at once their heaviest, catchiest, most decipherable and least predictable album.

An early contender for one of 2015’s most welcome returns.

It serves us like a well-bound photo album which we can flick through and see snapshots of the band at certain moments in their short, yet successful, life so far.

Clashing, cluttered, chaotic, challenging, ‘McCartney, It’ll Be OK’ is a venture beyond the conventional consideration of ‘progressive’, one to simultaneously blow eardrums and provoke minds.

Featuring minimal hooks, guttural yelps and harrowing production, Government Plates sounds like nothing else this year--so in other words, it sounds a whole lot like Death Grips.

[Anxiety] retains all the best things about her debut while expanding on both her sound and style.