A journey of self-discovery, confidence abounding like limits simply don’t exist.

This is a captivating record; a studied, precise and explorative showcase of songwriting, equal parts accessible and experimental.

Their magic remains as strong as ever.

After eleven songs of depth, colour and excitement--songs that grow more vivid with every listen--it’s always a shame to reach the slow decompression of ‘The End, Again’, but as the title suggests, it won’t be the first time, nor the last.

For listeners craving substance served side-by-side with flash, Lower Dens’ world is one worth exploring. The band may be at their most accessible, but they’re not about to make it easy.

With Primrose Green, Walker has created a mystical record, balancing idyllic sonics with moving sensibility.

Kintsugi sees their eighteen-year-in-the-making intentions fully realised, and--eight albums in--Death Cab For Cutie are born again; a little cracked, but all the more golden for it.

But by going through it all, by exposing all the pain, he’s created something beautiful and vital.

The uncompromising rave punk spirit that has driven them for over 25 years seems stronger than ever on a record that will delight old fans and capture a whole new era of angry youth.

Hessler has returned a man, sounding free of obstacles and matured by the events in his life. This doesn’t just come across in his lyricism, but sonically also.

It’s got moments of music that sound like life. And when the songwriting is interesting and the melodies evocative, what you need is something to keep up what they’ve built.

The clear direction and production of the album means that while those who enjoyed The Staves’ debut will not be disappointed, there is arguably less of a initial folk sound that was more apparent on their first record.

Consistently, Short Movie is wonderfully unlike anything she has ever attempted before.

It’s ambition that’s realised in every form that it takes, offering enough distinctive moments of euphoria to win you over first time round, and enough in each new listen to have you coming back for more.

This is a debut like few others. In fact, the only way we’ll ever get another record like Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit is if Barnett hits Groundhog Day. It’s beyond bonzer, mate.

While the form may feel familiar (think: a glitch-pop kissing cousin to Rufus Wainwright’s days as a balladeer, or a soft-shoe version of Patrick Wolf’s orchestral manoeuvres) a promising left-of-centre choice sets Fyfe apart from the pack of crooners.

On the evidence of To Pimp A Butterfly, Lamar’s work continues to place itself among the best.

Maze Of Woods occupies a different plain, a more embryonic one that finds its stand out moments in a subtler way.

Goon is gluttonously full of rich sounds, but it’s the running thread that counts: That voice, and its ability to sing about experiences like they’re universal stories, not a means of self-indulgence.

FROOT finds her at her most accomplished and intriguing.

It’s bruised and brilliant, idiosyncratic and anthemic, sloppy and heartfelt. It’s an album only Modest Mouse could make.

While mellow and downbeat at times, the subtle happiness could have been made more evident from the inclusion of ‘Paint A Smile On Me’.

Echo Lake have managed to take a slew of barely-original touch points and make something genuinely intriguing about them.

For the majority of tracks, they succeed in their goals. It’s only when looking back at the whole picture, somehow the pieces don’t quite appear to fit.

Fresh Blood is the kind of album that harks back to music’s glorious history but does so in a way that remains fresh and compelling. It’s an album of revelatory qualities.

For an album which features a list of impressive producers, it feels though one of them should have worked on the album as a whole to give Soft Control cohesion and the platform for Welsh to jump from.

Every song has its own character, with each one further clarifying Will as a great musician and songwriter in his own right, as though there were any doubts.

Expect Delays chugs along at a pleasant pace – ‘Bad Year’ is particularly cheerful, considering its title. If there’s a delay to be had, it’s probably the fact that it takes a few listens to warm to the album as a whole.