He filters these gifts of poetry and keen observation through his bruised, romantic outlook, into a fully-formed album that sounds as if it was always in there, waiting to see the light of day. Or the darkness.

You’re listening to Jordan grow on Lush at the same time as you’re wondering how much room she’s left herself to develop creatively; she’s already sounding polished and bracingly mature.

It remains to be seen if Music Go Music can succeed in a world where platinum selling artists align themselves with paganism and performance art; perhaps they are just too relentlessly chipper. However, it would be a crying shame if people didn’t let Expressions light the dark corners of their heart at least once.

These are ultimately, however, personal stories that are elevated by their universal nature.

The heart of the album lies in the unparalleled excellence of Oldham’s songwriting – simple yet complex, understated and profound at the same time.

There is a classic aesthetic that underpins every facet of these recordings. Everything is calculated and nothing has been left to chance. So sit back, and fully immerse yourself in a sonic experience unlike anything else released this year.

All things considered, this is a record of high quality, and a vehicle for a storyteller of uncommon faculty.

When this album is good it’s superb--probably the Jicks’ finest yet; and when it’s less so--less focused, more haphazard and wilfully out-there--it’s still pretty damn great as well.

Eels may not tread any new ground musically (aside from being generally less noisy), but never before have we seen such raw emotion on show.

Whether or not it is as defining a release as OK Cowboy even feels somewhat incidental in the end, as Flashmob is easily the most enjoyable, addictive, air-keyboard-inducing electronic record that the year is likely to produce.

There is an effortless vibe to Astronaut Meets Appleman can only be gained from a career doing your own thing and not caring about chat places and record advances. Anderson appears to be happy in his skin and has crafted nine songs that reference his past, but also hint to his future.

This is easily Beirut's most accessible-sounding effort yet.

It's probably the most engagingly brilliant heavy metal album that'll be released on a major label all year.

Pantha du Prince has gone one further and created a piece of music that soothes and entices even the most impatient of modern ears.

Trouble is--in more ways than one--a far more mature album than their debut, and it’s also a far better one.

While Smith uses this album as an outlet to explore a variety of different styles, importantly he never loses sight of the source material. Even so, in paying tribute to a great artist, Jamie XX has laid significant claims to being deserving of that title himself.

An album which traverses exhilaration, desire, despair and loss and sees a songwriter finally completely on top of his game.

It’s little over 20 minutes long, and has incredibly sparse, softly organic arrangements, but Hard Rubbish succeeds in achieving a density which makes the LP feel twice its length, conveying the slowness of time spent in sorrowful solitude perfectly, and--most amazingly of all--succeeding in turning the absence of feeling into something intensely affecting.

If The Epic was a very large and rich meal then Harmony of Difference is a palate-cleansing sorbet or digestif. On the surface there is nothing unyielding or dense about it and everything flows together wonderfully, but once you start to scratch the surface you discover an EP that is full of hidden melodies and motifs and has enough to charm to make up for its brevity.

Given the gestation period and polish, the humanity that manages to shine through this tight, crafted record is a triumph; the sound of a band having a whole lot of fun in the hope that ultimately you will do too.

This record shows that they have the unerring ability to craft a record that sounds exactly like its influences but remains exciting and thrilling.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have made a soundtrack that is haunting, mechanical and beautiful.

Shapeless moments aside, Sleep Games emerges as a strong enough entry point in either Pye Corner Audio's discography or the murky world of Ghost Box.

All in all, Chiaroscuro is an engaging record that brings new flavours to the palette with every subsequent listen. Prepare to swoon...

Ultimately, Sex & Food is a very impressive record from not only Nielsen but also just to possess during these troubling times. There’s a lot to be scared about right now, but there’s also a lot out there to love, and thanks to UMO, we now have a soundtrack for that.

Their songwriting here, then, betrays not just a love for interesting sonics but hooks and harmonies too. Contrary to popular belief, they aren't just about obscuring their melody behind tape hiss and grungy no-wave like a lot of their similar sounding peers.

Setting out its tracklisting in almost chronological order of release makes Another Splash Of Colour an even more engaging listen.

Their songcraft proves singularly remarkable once more.