Ultimately, ‘Man Alive!’ feels like the work of an artist in transition: a handful of stunning tracks surrounded by some backfiring experiments. It’s frustrating but there are still gems to be found amid the soul-searching.

It’s very much designed in their own image - as debuts go, this is an impressive mission statement.

Frontwoman Lili Trifilio describes ‘Honeymoon’ as an ode to spontaneity, and it’s in certain abundance on an album that finds the Chicagoan outfit entering a state of pent-up rapture. The band roam without a care, sporadic laid-back moments gelled with raucous vitality - a sensitive chemistry which Beach Bunny absolutely nail.

Written throughout their teenage years, they deliver an unfiltered journey of self-discovery.

M uch of ‘Stray’ could do with heeding its own advice; instead Bambara stay firmly on a strong but fairly predictable path.

Beneath the familiarity, Tame’s fourth is operating in a subtly different world. Where ‘Currents’ doffed its cap heavily to R&B within its pop smarts, creating his most commercial work yet, ‘The Slow Rush’’s ingredients feel slightly more disparate.

Gone the mangled Nuggets riffs and LSD infected yelps, replaced instead by slide guitars and deranged yee-haws. It shouldn’t really work, but it does.

While stuffing itself with enough insight to force its listeners to acknowledge contemporary issues, also present is enough charm and wit to remind us of the importance to having a little fun along the way.

Whether viewed as empowered statement from a newly-free artist, or simply as a great record from pop’s new princess of darkness, ‘I Disagree’ is in fact, extremely agreeable indeed.

The band have expanded their sound with mixed results.

‘All or Nothing’ is a grand refinement of their previous work, rather than a reinvention. Still retained is that amazing sense of propulsion and momentum the group have made their own; ‘Initiative’ and ‘Body Clock’ are impossibly fast, constantly threatening to overbalance themselves, yet always remaining resolute and gloriously intact.

With ‘West Of Eden’ HMLTD have fought off the suffocating grip of overhype to deliver a debut album that is a cut above the rest, even if it is a little overdue.

It’s all largely inoffensive and wholly listenable. Which is fine, but we’ve come to expect more from La Roux.

Granted, it doesn’t always quite connect, and it probably won’t enter the Green Day canon, but it’s a bit of fun all the same.

Patrick is found confronting familiar ideas of inner contentment alongside upbeat surface shine on this bittersweet work - full of charm and integrity

‘Sorry For The Late Reply’ is an album that’s taken the playful spark of their debut and refined it into a bolder beast.

It’s all effortlessly pulled together by Frances’ distinctive and enthralling vocals.

There’s a real sense of space, Squirrel Flower already showing herself to be an artist comfortable in her own skin. They aren’t all hushed ballads though, the instrumentation even verges on grungy at times, but make no mistake, there’s an absolute flow here. An accomplished first full-length.

‘Feel Life’ and ‘Steady’ resolve this darkness, both euphoric and knowing - and beautiful sonically - while ‘Blood Moon’ addresses feeling disappointed in yourself, and what you need to do to push through and make things right. ‘When We Stay Alive’ is emotionally raw, elegantly presented and at many parts a real tear-jerker. Wonderful stuff.

Overall, ’High Road’ is an overwhelmingly triumphant pop offering that sees Kesha back at her best and having shit tons of fun while doing it.

Re-emerging with off the grid mystique, Torres retains the grit of past efforts while doubling down on off-kilter charisma, securing a slick slice of alt-pop; her most complete and consistent yet.

His outlook on the world is no happier than it was before, but the lack of a bigger band brings out a fresher sound in the Destroyer canon. It loses some energy in that regard, especially compared to the magnificent ‘Kaputt’, but it does show that, with 13 albums under his belt, Bejar still has plenty to say and even more fantastical ways to say it.

He’s decided to take things a little slower, in the process creating his best, and perhaps most coherent, album to date.

While never the strongest lyricist, ‘Power’ sees vocalist/guitarist Sam McTrusty roll out an unending series of lines that are overt to the point of self-suffocation. ... ‘Messiah’ and closer ‘Praise Me’ are stronger cuts, though as with much of ‘Power’, they’re unfortunately lost amongst the plethora of untidy songwriting on show.

Wire have proven that it’s possible to stretch possibilities through the introduction of outside influence. Youngsters take note, the past can be your friend.

Gone are the house influences that underpinned his 2016 debut, and in are scratchy demo-sounding guitars, crisp production and gorgeous flourishes of string arrangements. House still lives on in some of the beat arrangements, although it’s presented through more natural-sounding drums which, when stacked against the lo-fi instrumentals, births something fresh and inspired.

The album blossoms when his delivery matches the tone of the music.

Deleter successfully blurs boundaries between time and space while gifting the listener with the unexpected opportunity for a total sonic catharsis.

‘Children of the Sky’ and ‘Gravity’ both prove that its possible for the duo to summon up genuine atmosphere without bogging down the songs with overcooked compositions. There’s still the odd experimental misstep - the meandering ‘Eyes of the Overworld’ in particular - but for the most part, ‘X…’ is endearingly light on its feet in a manner that suggests a real rejuvenation in Conrad and Jason’s creative partnership.

A very subtle progression from what has come before, it remains to be seen whether 2020-era BBC will capture the hearts and minds of a new generation. But for those who’ve held on in hope of their return, the rewards are fruitful.

Aside from a few great moments like the warm and accessible track ‘Beyond That Of Courtesy’, this listen does feel slightly hard to grasp due to its disjointed nature. There are enough ideas in the tank here, but ultimately it's not one to rush out and buy.

Seeking Thrills sees Georgia lean in much more eagerly on the late-night grooves that have been supporting her breakthrough. ’Started Out’ and ‘About Work The Dancefloor’ make for solid, established openers, but there’s no shortage of other ideas that make complete sense in the soundtrack of modern lives.

Walking Like We Do is expansive lyrically, thematically and sonically, touching on social inequality and frustration with the current political and societal climate.

The labyrinthine complexities of human nature are explored here in all their grit and glory, but it’s the combination of Stormzy’s charm and his knack for storytelling that allows ‘H.I.T.H’ to glimmer with a universal appeal that will please both his mainstream audience and grime fans of old; an almost impossible task that he’s amazingly pulled off.

Fine Line is a compelling document of an artist coming to life.

By the time we reach ‘Swept To The Sky’, his transformation from indie-pop upstart to artistic troubadour is complete.

A pristine collection that’s at once the past’s idea of the future as it is the here and now.

At the end of the day, what Matt Maltese does best is conjure kitchen sink dramedies. And with ‘Krystal’, his ability to do that is as strong as ever. The melodies feel more like accompaniments to the stories; a canvas on which to paint. But the wry yet heartbreaking lyrics that accompany it shows an artist who has grown. As enviably funny as ever, but this time a little more self-aware.

2019 has a pleasing feel no doubt, there are some gems nestled in the 7-track run that are well worth a look, but it feels like a release that is there to keep the wheels turning ahead of a new album.

Corridor evidently have ambitious eyes set on the grand and cinematic. The beautifully eerie closing ambient moments to ‘Goldie’, or the theatrical prettiness of ‘Milan’ convey a band of sophisticated vision, but certain reaches for the epic, such as the stodgy closer, ‘Bang’, suffer for their principals, sounding like half-baked version of Grizzly Bear. Often, it’s hard not to think that there’s something missing.

Having watched countless American artists demonstrate through their music that Black Lives Do Indeed Matter, Kele Okereke has finally achieved his own Black-British take in ‘2042’, capturing all the fears and foibles of our current political system through a sonic palette that recalls some of the earliest of Bloc Party’s work.

Only rarely can the listener form more than an ephemeral bond. ’Keep It Tight’ and ‘Friend Like That’ have an all-for-one gang mentality akin to chats with old friends. Unfortunately, it otherwise feels like watching strangers from across a dance floor.

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.

William Doyle is unafraid to bring intellectualism into pop while never letting it feel like an exercise. And ‘Your Wilderness Revisited’ shows that he's kept his knack for mixing the two into a heady blend that’s easy to get lost in.

A laid-back album Altogether may be, it still leaves a sense of anticipation as to where the group will head next.

While in small increments ‘Sexorcism’ feels incredibly empowering and progressive, when you go 12 rounds on the trot, it fast becomes a law of diminishing returns, clumsy in its own damp puddle.

Vols. 11 & 12 yield nothing but successes. The eight tracks here are scrappy, sure, and have the understandable feel of demos rather than fully formed final products. But the bones of the beast? Well, they’re kind of brilliant.

A beautiful new offering, ‘Pony’ is equal parts heart wrenching and hopeful, and shows Rex back at his very finest.

Much like Lorde’s ‘Pure Heroine’ before it, ‘Cheap Queen’ possesses the perfect amount of devil-may-care attitude to counter the heaviness with which it feels its emotions.

It’s a frankly overwhelming listen first time around, with everything tearing along at a hundred miles an hour, but it’s all fizzing and crackling so exhilaratingly that you’re happy to let her sweep you along.

Full marks for exploration, but in this case the simplest tricks work the best.

An invigorating listen that flirts with the eclecticism of their 1998 album, ‘War Music’ continues to set Refused apart from the pack.

Self-produced and largely self-performed, Vagabon celebrates her heritage and her community, but most of all her creative freedom to challenge musical boundaries and to break away from the norm.

The ideal meeting of brains and brawn over a journey that manages to feel both concise and exploratory.

Channeling everyone from Talking Heads to ESG, BODEGA remain as giddy and funked-up as ever. And on this highly danceable new addition they barely make a mis-step.

As you’d expect, there are bleeps and bloops aplenty, but underneath it all is a sexy, if slightly bizarre, groove.

ENSWBL, Part 2 picks up the baton of its predecessor and sends it surging to the finish line, leaving Foals legions ahead of their competitors.

It’s all hips, handclaps and riffs, lots and lots of riffs. It isn’t perfect, but you’d be hard pressed to find a record as fun as Devour You.

It’s a strange, industrial trip that’s full of experimentation. Kim’s signature vocal style - a kind of husky, gasping whisper - is as recognisable as ever, though. And like with the best moments of her career, here she is uncompromising in her artistic vision.

A restrained pace imbues the album with a feeling of deep sedation. It’s a blissful listen from start to finish.

Doubling as perhaps his most creative and experimental sound so far – swapping the more organic instrumentation of previous records for warm, electronic soundscapes - it stands an album which feels distinctly profound in both its lyrics and musicianship.

With their sixth studio album they bolster an already impressive catalogue with intricate explorations of the self in an ever-shifting world, accepting the inevitability of change and offering the solace of a shared community to an always-growing fan base.

At times, you yearn for a little more grit among all the blissed-out euphoria, but ultimately the hooks are big enough to sink in and take hold.

Beneath the slightly grating kookiness, FEET's songwriting is genuinely exciting.

Deceiver is his first truly clear-eyed artistic statement - it’s also his most mature.

In a world of diminishing attention spans, he keeps it moving - most tracks don’t linger longer than 3 minutes, giving the whole thing an inherently vital quality, a record you can let wash over you just as well as getting the party lit.

Hey, I’m Just Like You is a record underpinned by raw emotion, melancholy, and a quiet but clear sense of hope, making for one of the group’s most vital efforts yet.

Hot Motion’s only pitfall comes from frankly how safe it feels. Sure, it’s bigger and brighter than anything Temples have done before, but its whole aesthetic is still nestled deep in their sepia-tinted comfort zone. ... Nevertheless, it’s a solid statement that Temples are alive and kicking, drawing fresh inspo from the past without fading into it themselves.

It’s testament to their skill and commitment that it all hangs together so well. What could brush off as mere novelty instead thrives as an almost unique ability to mix anything and everything within arms reach. By being almost completely unrestrained and unmoderated ‘The Talkies’ can exist in its rawest and most vital form.

What makes ‘A Picture of Good Health’ so vital is the unshakable sense that the gestation of LIFE’s firebrand formula has run parallel to the country’s political spiral. Now, they’re hitting their stride just as the Brexit void looms. Accordingly, this record is indispensable.

The guitars are still awash in reverb, the percussion remains propulsive, and the deceptively complex vocal harmonisation is the axis around which everything else revolves. What’s new is a feeling of genuine exhilaration - on the freewheeling standout ‘Something to Do’, the infuriatingly catchy ‘I’m Far Away’, and on the gentle breeze of ‘At It Again’ especially. ‘Memory’, is music for the love of it, and unabashedly so.

Sure, single ‘Shockwave’ and ‘Be Still’ plod slightly, but Liam’s second is a whole lot more sentimental. ... Elsewhere, love song ‘Halo’ jams like the ‘Stones’ ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’, the title track hints at later Weller, and - of course - there’s an unmistakeable Beatles-esque guitar solo on ‘Meadow’. All of which are references welcome to anyone who’s stuck around for Liam’s new stuff.

It’s an album which documents a fierce imagination at play; a truly invigorating piece of work that pushes her songwriting forward.

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

While it occasionally feels lacking in the kind of explosive energy that made the band such an impact in the late ‘80s, it still captures the spirit of Pixies in a way that’s extremely satisfying.

It’s still a worthwhile successor to them, of course. It’s just not the world-beater she’s surely capable of.

Fans might see this as a boon - Bainbridge picking up from where they left off before their self-imposed hiatus. To others, it may sound like a missed opportunity to establish themselves as a more cutting-edge artist.

It’s the uniquely sombre and contemplative Iggy Pop album we didn’t realise we needed.

For the rest of us, Natasha’s first real pop effort since ‘Fur and Gold’ is an impressively lean and infectiously hook-laden romp; doomy disco for dark times.

Adam’s still the pied piper of indie, with a skip in his step and charm for days.

Saves The World carries the same weight as its predecessor, but breaks the dark-pop boundaries the band themselves created with their debut. It’s an exhilarating ode to self-preservation and to being your own number one fan.

Their most mature and concise work to date.

His sixth LP employs a rich palate in its production seamlessly blending trap beats with soul samples and orchestral flourishes.

Whether it’s a modern California of wildfires and livestreams, or a nostalgic glance at a James Dean, Marilyn Monroe make-believe - it’s Lana Del Rey’s world, we’re just living it.

They’ve still yet to find that album that feels complete. While their eighth album, Wallop, isn’t quite it, it’s the closest they’ve been for quite a while.

We’re not asking Whitney to soundtrack a raging rebellion, we just want them to make us feel things. Forever Turned Around only partly succeeds.

Playful, weird and genuinely experimental, The S.L.P. is a ride worth getting on.

Painting a tranquil image of friendship and family, at times bordering on escapist, Black Belt Eagle Scout finds both the tenderness in companionship and its fragility.

There are songs here that will stand with some of Ezra Furman’s best work (“I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend” and “Calm Down”) but sometimes its rapid-fire pace makes you wish for that little bit more space.

An album which proves a bit of time off can make a huge difference, Powers sees The Futureheads fight fiercely once again.

The vocal interplay meshes with the restless instrumentation and some of the most layered and considered storytelling that anyone could ask for. For an agitated, hyper collection of weird songs about made up or distorted topics TFS come achingly close to the total package.

Jack Cooper’s soft vocals are so understated that for long sections it feels like an instrumental record, but this only adds to the album’s blissful allure. It’s a delicate piece of work that somehow it manages to feel fully-formed at the same time. And it’s this contradiction that makes it such a compelling piece of work.

Call it chill wave, call it dream pop, call her a bedroom producer - this album’s full of enough variety and adventure to make such generalisations moot. A real triumph.

The Center Won’t Hold is by far their most stylised, radio-friendly work to date; produced by St Vincent, Annie Clark’s icy sheen and dark seduction is all over the record.

It’s early to say, and its bold for sure, but there are a fair few legendary bands out there that were never quite as good as The Murder Capital are right now.

All in all, a confident second album that showcases why Shura should be on everyone’s radar.

The album is most interesting when it eschews from the guidelines.

The Hold Steady are very much a band for their existing fans. There’s not anything here, whether the bar-room blues of ‘Blackout Sam’ or the jazz hands-aloft ’T-Shirt Tux’ that’s likely to win outsiders over.