There is just enough difference in the two voices to keep things interesting, while producer Teddy Thompson corrals an A-list of session players, including Benmont Tench, Davey Faragher and Doug Pettibone to add empathetic instrumental accompaniment.

Overall this is a meditative collection that eloquently expresses a great deal of uncomfortable feelings few other songwriters are capable of addressing.

Vocals, samples and soundscapes are all treated as equals, resulting in a slurry of sound that remarkably works both as a mixtape comedown and as a salient whole.

It's a smothering, enveloping textural experience, alternately threatening to cocoon or drown the listener.

On Vermont II, Plessow and Worgull have crafted an experimental piece founded upon its creators' departure from their respective comfort zones.

Instrumentally, this record doesn't do anything revelatory that distinguishes it from their other releases. However, in maintaining their usual glitchy post-punk instrumentals with this clearer lyrical concept, the duo emphasize the emptiness of the automated economy.

While these haunting mood-pieces aren't exactly uplifting, they have a melancholic beauty that's comforting in this troubling times. Even if we're lonely, we're in it together.

Too often, supergroup side-projects come across as ego-building exercises, yet Banks has managed to avoid this with both his collaboration with Wu Tang Clan's RZA (on Banks & Steelz) and now with Muzz.

Serving as an exercise in humility, Black Friday is a testament to the value of tenderness in a world steeped in trepidation. For new listeners, the album should function as a cohesive introduction to a band on the rise — and a great point of entry to an already impressive discography.

The smooth way in which Alexander's voice blends between shifting country and soul backgrounds demonstrates versatility, and his clear and accessible vocal delivery helps tie together these different strands like a good leader.

There's nothing mild about Emotional Mugger; it has an overwhelming sense of madness, but it's addictive nonetheless.

If you need an entry point into an incredibly potent piece, Gibbons and company offer a take on Symphony of Sorrowful Songs that lingers.

12 is arguably the most well-rounded album they've made since 1999's underrated Between the Bridges.

Okkyung Lee has delivered an album so achingly tender that it is bound to stand as one of this year's best neoclassical releases.

It contains more successful experiments than usual, and a few moments of genuine splendour.

On Days of Abandon, the Pains continue to demonstrate why they've been able to find this sweet spot that so many bands strive for.

Gogol Bordello have created music that feels revolutionary and well-timed on Seekers and Finders, an album on which the veteran, self-described Gypsy-punk group channel the power and immediacy of their fantastic live show into a tight 38 minutes.

Creativity is what keeps Ill Times pretty damn fun despite its darkness. While soul-meets-rock can easily slide into awkward pastiche, the synergy behind this collaboration keeps its collage of free-floating ideas tight, yet effortlessly unrestricted.

In the wake of the recent bass explosion, there's no shortage of artists making similar music, but few of them are anywhere near as compelling.

Lyrically, all three mine traditionally sombre territory in their solo work, tying into broader cultural conversations regarding gender and mental health, and the words of boygenius maintain the same power and urgency.

Whether you came of age in the '90s or were just born then, the History of Apple Pie have what you need.

In constructing such an ornate snarl of emotion and eloquence, Le Bon has effectively created in Michelangelo Dying a bummer album that doesn't actually require any wallowing to digest.

A fully realized album filled with beautiful soundscapes and dreamy vocals. It already seems permeated by a certain nostalgia, making it a perfect record to make memories to.

For the most part, Home on Native Land is filled with Gibb's signature breaths of melodic fresh air, healthy for a Canadian folk scene that could use some idiosyncrasy and a dark sense of humour, even if Gibb is only a passing visitor.

Coming across as a viscera-churning blast of pure sub-bass propulsion, Borders demonstrates that while Emptyset's methods may have morphed, their madness is still intact.

They've elevated their music from songs you listened to at your job in a coffee shop or in your parents basement, to music you want to play in the car or in your grown up apartment. You can find a sense of nostalgia without losing some of the comfort that age has brought you.

Lyrically, the songs are often about longing and seemingly missed connections, but by creating such a rich and textured album, NZCA Lines connect strongly, expanding their sound and blossoming accordingly.

It's an expertly recorded, dynamically performed and totally fun celebration of some of his best work, especially for those who cherish his earlier material.