At their best, they’re untouchably brilliant but on this outing they haven’t quite been able to maintain the elevated standard established early on over the course of the full album. Still, for fans of melodically charged guitar-pop there’s much to enjoy here.

There may not be a track that grabs you by the scruff of the neck like 7/4 (Shoreline), but Remember The Humans reminds us that on the rare occasions that Broken Social Scene release a record, it remains a moment to be treasured.

Venus In The Zinnia is an engaging duet with Welsh musician and kindred spirit H. Hawkline. A lot of the other songs may be less immediate but still have their strengths.

There are flashes of those ’90s rave glory days, but at its core this is a record built for a very different kind of dancefloor. More than anything, it’s a celebration of resilience, and the sound of Mel C continuing to carve out her own identity.

It’s certainly not a record to dip in and out of – this is, without a doubt, an album to listen to in the dark with your finest pair of headphones – but those who devote the time to it will be richly rewarded.

There’s some filler – If You Only Knew and Window come across as a bit anonymous compared to the more ferocious tracks such as the title track or the almost feral-sounding Spit Shine. Yet, for the most part, Your Favorite Toy sounds like a band with a renewed sense of purpose, and one that is ready to use the pain of the last few years as an inspiration.

A record which is dense, musically adventurous and arguably one of the more important albums to be released this year. It’s also a record that proves that there’s more to the trio than tabloid outrage and overblown headlines.

Throughout, there are salient reminders that Metric, despite never quite breaking big commercially, are experts in writing a memorable tune.

The strutting No Consequences and the triumphant closing number of Mon Amour end the album on a high, and surely ensure Superbloom’s status as one of the albums of the year.

It’s the sort of album that can provide a soothing balm to a bruised soul – by the time the theatrical, fuzz-drenched melodies of Werewolf Ending bring Life Slime to a close, you may well be converted to the healing properties of goo and gunge yourself.

It succeeds by flirting with polished pop sheen while also remaining grounded in bedroom pop roots. It may be a cruel world, but Humberstone’s songs make living in it far more enjoyable.

the result is a formal yet brilliantly informal album from the pair.

Birding is a well-crafted album that draws you into a world you’re more than happy to get lost in. That this is deary’s debut is genuinely impressive; few bands arrive with such a clear aesthetic and sense of control.

There’s a lot to enjoy in Ambiguous Desire, an undeniably a splendidly crafted and blissfully atmospheric album. You just sometimes wish that Parks had leaned a bit further into the grit and chaos of the US club scene that inspired her.

This Thing We Call Love aims for groovy but ends up sounding like Kaytranada’s leftovers, while Great Americans is too kooky for its own good, but on the whole we have a vibrant, energetic album with generous helpings of soul, funk and technical skill.

Sunn O))) may just be the band’s most accessible work to date. There are moments where actual riffs are discernible amongst the thunderous drones. The closing section of XXANN is genuinely terrifying, the guitars swelling and diving like an incoming squadron of bombers.

Although she’s been around for over a decade, Whole World As Vigil can serve as an introduction to one of the most exciting voices in contemporary experimental pop music.

This Music May Contain Hope will easily be a certain contender for many people’s end of the year lists. This is an album of rare scale and energy, and one that’s been designed to come back to time and time again.

An album that may not have the hooks of the New Pornographers’ earlier material, but one that is a welcome return from a band who deserve to be at the forefront of any Canadian indie music revival.

Honora stands apart as a fascinating, if sometimes flawed, labour of love.

Sexistential is everything you want from a good electronic pop album – sexy, catchy, modern, chic and – crucially in this case – believable. To Robyn’s credit, none of her boasts sound cheesy or arrogant.

While there may not be as many instant hooks as in her earlier days, there’s a case to be made that Creature Of Habit may well be Courtney Barnett’s best album since her debut.

An album that should find favour with listeners from across the broader musical spectrum.

It’s a record that definitely holds rewards for the patient listener, but it’s also one that cries out for a judicious pair of editing scissors.

An album of satisfying wholeness, its range of moods power Taylor’s most successful solo outing to date. Anyone who had him pigeonholed will have to think again.

Play Me is an album that never stops subverting expectations.

While his charisma and star power remain undimmed, too much of this record is – pun intended – style over substance.

Best listened to in one sitting, the story draws you in with its characterisation and humour, at times outdated but always tuneful. As is the way with Squeeze, there are fistfuls of memorable lyrical vignettes.