The Chats say they don't try too hard while writing lyrics, but in this case, the simpler and less ambiguous the better. High Risk Behaviour is a slam to the skull with each stomp of the kick drum.

Despite the abundance of compositional ideas, they are all executed with attention to clarity, cohesion and detail. Thackray's auteurist approach in the studio combined with her peerless precision and control feel like a whole new genre unto itself.

Blais' playing suits very well the pristine and glossy production Silver employed for those recordings, injecting it with a real sense of purpose here.

A daring and decadent series of witch rituals, The Eldritch Dark is one of the finest examples of the doomy occult-rock resurgence.

Think Burial operating on a slower, divergence-filled soundscape.

Short on hooks and obviously memorable moments, Songs You Make At Night is an album that excels in texture and dynamics instead, each thoughtfully composed song an intricate clockwork of whirring percussion and interlocking guitar and synth work.

KICK ii manages symmetry and catchiness despite its descents into the bizarre. ... But for all her experimentation and chaotic tangents, it is clear in KICK ii that she is acutely aware of the balance necessary to build a bop.

At its best, Relatives in Descent makes guitar music feel radical again, capturing both timely and timeless anxieties.

To the Happy Few doesn't feature many standout songs, but as a whole, it's a remarkably cohesive, often unpredictable piece of work.

With this EP, Krug demonstrates that less is more, but that it also doesn't hurt to go big, even if "big" in this case is an expertly timed digital synth here and there.

This is eclectic, bold, inventive, masterfully played music conceived with a refreshing sense of curiosity and wonder at the potential of sound to invigorate the spirit. Fans of BADBADNOTGOOD should cue up to have their minds blown by this profoundly deep fusion of jazz, world music and hip-hop sensibilities.

Rajan successfully bridges vintage influences into the best of modern psychedelia, resulting in the most precise and mature Night Beats album to date. Perhaps the secret ingredient is just a little hot ghee.

Moaning establish their sound while dodging redundancy on their debut.

Unlike some of Will Oldham's previous collaborative albums, this one really works.

The payoffs on Kveikur aren't immediate, but they're no less orchestrated than previous work, coming across like a more focused and fleshed out Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra with sweeter vocals.

Wild Peace is a transcendental album that shows a band reaching for new heights, and achieving blissful music that many of their peers can only dream of making.

KicK iii practically dares listeners to come closer. The opener "Bruja" makes it clear from the get-go: Arca will not cater to those easily spooked out of her turbulent cyborgian utopia.

This is the fifth album in nine years from the still-young Saskatchewan folk duo, and it continues their sustained level of excellence.

Wolf sounds like she's having the time of her life showcasing her range as a vocalist and songwriter.

On The Love Invention, Alison Goldfrapp shows that she's more than just the face of Goldfrapp. In fact, she might still be the face of modern UK sophisti-pop.

What emerges through this permeable landscape is an ecosystem all its own.

With the skilful assistance of his longtime comrades the Dukes and able production from R.S. Field (Webb Wilder, Buddy Guy, John Mayall), he concentrates on the genre here, with impressive results.

Tinged with vintage Afrobeat instrumentation, Fashawn hangs admirably with his label boss, assertively vowing he's in it for the long haul, issuing a forthright missive that confirms The Ecology was definitely worth the wait

They've aged into something more pensive, monumental and vital. The party is over, and we need these empathetic folktales much more than any of us need to dance.

Oshin is remarkably consistent, both in terms of style and quality, and there isn't a dud amongst these 13 tracks.

We then enter the eye of the storm. kick iiii swaps cacophony for the serene comfort of atmospheric subtlety. Songs like "Esuna" grace us with raw orchestral elements which are seldom found in Arca's work.

While the majority of Harmonics was written solely by Goddard himself, he allows his songwriting to be elastic, bending and shaping around these guest vocalists, resulting in one of the most personality-filled albums of the year.

Fresh, crisp drums, creamy keys, luxuriant strings and timely flute and horn flourishes, each held together by a series of mood-defining bass lines, work to soundtrack this production, an inspiring foil that the record's MCs make certain not to waste on this grand testament to Souls' skill and staying power.