This might well be American Football’s finest moment to date. It’s certainly not an easy listen; at times it’s harrowing, emotionally ambiguous and petulant. But sometimes you need to reach hell in order to create something truly significant.

As the last dance at The Afterparty it’s a pretty effective one. If this is to be Lykke Li’s final album, she’s going out on her own terms – a masterful, if rather short, distillation of late night sadness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This integration of sounds and styles confirms Irreparable Parables to be a quietly powerful statement from an artist who has proved he can broaden his sound with confidence and conviction.

We Are Together Again is the latest instalment of his slow musical evolution, a balancing of longstanding tropes of hardship and sorrow with the new human connection.

Highway To Heavenly is a triumphant return for a band whose values of tolerance, empathy and quiet determination, in the uncertain political landscape of 2026, seem more important and vital than ever.

The Mountain is by some distance the most ambitious Gorillaz album yet, a multilayered musical tour de force that brings meaningful strands of hope to the deaths, chaos and delirium.

Another Iron & Wine album that consolidates Beam’s reputation as a songwriter of distinction.

An album that really only Mitski could make: strange, otherworldly and yet immediately accessible and addictive.

Callahan emerges from the album with his reputation further enhanced, his artistic trajectory unbroken.

One of the finest French songsmiths around has done it again.

Underneath all the references to rampant sex and general debauchery, there’s very often a beating heart at the centre of Merrill Nisker’s work. No Lube So Rude is yet another exhilarating, essential entry into her canon of work.

Just occasionally the music gets over-produced, with the beefed-up strings on Retreat smothering the Bach-like arpeggios of its piano, but mostly we breathe the outdoor air in a meditative state. For this is Moby at his most effective, with no need to play to his audience, simply offering private musical ambience to soothe and console.

It’s a strange and often beautiful record, proving that Charli XCX is indeed the perfect artist to soundtrack this new twist on Brontë.

The Howling Bells sound packs a punch as before, though there is a maturity to their interaction, a familiarity in each other’s presence that has been easily resurrected while stopping short of being the musical equivalent of comfy slippers.

A fine reintroduction to Jill Scott. It may not be as instantly genre-defining as that debut album proved to be, but it’s a record by an artist who sounds totally refreshed by her hiatus.

Move On With The Year is an album that manages to be both intensely personal and also universally relatable.

It’s an album that needs to be immersed in fully, and played loud, preferably on headphones to appreciate its many depths. Some may also find the relentless discordance a bit too intense to fully concentrate on. But for those unafraid to dive in, Mandy, Indiana’s second album is an exhilarating, almighty jab to the senses.

His invention for beats and riffs is remarkably fertile throughout, and he applies careful and often striking shading.

It’s not depressing in the slightest – in fact, these beautifully austere, tender songs are life-affirming if anything – but like the final albums by Glenn Campbell and Warren Zevon, the knowledge that mortality is drawing close gives the album an extra weight.

Whitelands has created an immersive work that explores complex human experiences and proves that it is possible to come through challenges and grow from them. That they can do so whilst sounding so positive is testament to the band’s approach to even the harshest of life’s pitfalls.

With My Ghosts Go Ghost they show real creative verve and re-affirm their position within the scene.

It’s true, the constant drone can prove a bit wearying over the course of an album. But Can I Get A Pack Of Camel Lights is an album that will reveal its charms to anyone willing to make the effort.

An album for repeated plays, this is an exhilarating, bittersweet addition to the Joyce Manor canon that easily stands alongside their best work.

For anyone who still thinks Cast are nothing more than a band specialising in meat-and-potatoes jangly indie pop, Yeah Yeah Yeah demonstrates why they’ve endured so long over the years.

World’s Gone Wrong is a protest album, almost seething with rage about what’s happening in America. She may be 72 years old and a survivor of a stroke which has left her with mobility issues, but that unmistakable voice remains as powerful as ever.

This self-titled final album, as you might well expect, sounds exactly like Megadeth.

As ever with Robbie Williams, there are moments of pop brilliance, and moments where it all falls a bit flat. But, as his first ‘proper’ album in almost a decade, it’s a pretty good re-introduction to one of pop music’s more creative individuals.

The Demise Of Planet X feels like the most refined statement Sleaford Mods have made so far. Its production is tighter, its ideas clearer, and its impact sharper – it’s an album that gleams technically while documenting a world that very clearly does not.

Songs like Joy and Cruise Ship Designer and Hit My Head All Day offer enough immediate pleasures to ensure the replays keep happening. It adds up to an incredible record from one of the very best bands in the world.

It doesn’t quite compete with their very best albums (Ignore The Ignorant and Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever) but it’s at least as good as the next tier (The New Fellas and For All My Sisters). More than anything else, Selling A Vibe is a fantastic entry point for new fans to get on board.

An album that sounds both cosily intimate and impressively ambitious at the same time, and presents as one hell of a calling card for Dove Ellis. This looks to be the beginning of an incredibly exciting journey.

Cabin In The Sky is a rollercoaster of an album that reveals its depth over repeated listens. Yes, at heart it is a eulogy for fallen loved ones, but it is also an existential crisis wrapped up in phenomenal guest appearances and carefully selected samples.

In the streaming age many records are front-loaded to cater to short attention spans, so Tranquilizer deserves kudos for placing two of its most interesting tracks at the end.

Henson has subtly evolved rather than reinvented his sound, and it’s resulted in one of his finest albums to date.

It may not be quite up there with the band’s classic ’90s releases, but there’s enough quality on display to reassess Dando’s ‘poster boy of grunge turned heroin casualty’ reputation.

If there’s a weakness that prevents this record from reaching the heights of his previous works, it’s that Danny doesn’t always know what to do over these pumping, otherworldly productions (particularly the lesser underscores collaboration Baby) but it’s hugely encouraging to see the rapper engaging with younger generations, sounding lively and charismatic 15 years in.

Is it a rewarding listen? Most definitely. It will take time to fully get to grips with everything that the album has to offer, such is the breadth and depth of Iconoclasts. Its importance lies in its central message, which is (possibly) that healing is possible, even when it doesn’t seem to be. It’s a stunning achievement and quite possibly the album of the year.

While it may lack the instant hooks of her earlier work, and take a bit more time to sink in, once it has its emotional hooks in you, you’ll be hard pressed to stop listening to it.

A Bridge To Far shows them to be masters of their craft, comfortable in their own mini-world while incrementally improving their sound and consolidating their legacy.

While Lux is certainly accessible, it’s also a challenging listen. The fact that it sounds like nothing else may put some people off straight away. Yet for those willing to fully immerse themselves in its overwhelming sweep, the reward is likely to be a dizzying, unmatchable experience which cements Rosalía as one of the most visionary artists working today.

Welch is often unfairly accused of being too bombastic, but on Everybody Scream she channels that energy into something truly epic.

On songs such as this [Fairchild] and Chapter 16 Dave sounds focused, engaging: ingredients of a great album are here, but he’s yet to stick the landing.

West End Girl is an extraordinary album, one that not only belongs in the long list of great break-up albums, but also in the best pop albums of the year list. It’s often an uncomfortable listen, but it’s also one you can’t stop yourself listening to.

It’s an album full of quiet confidence, and of an artist having the courage to move out of her comfort zone. It may not prove to be Hannah Jadagu’s big commercial breakthrough just yet, but by the sound of much of Describe, that can’t be too far away.

Some long-term fans may miss the studied cool of the band’s earlier material, and there’s a definite sense that, as good as they can be, Bar Italia are still a work in progress. Yet it’s a work in progress that can, when they hit the right notes, sound utterly thrilling.

Mixing hardcore punk with pop rock is a tricky proposition, and it’s definitely a dog who’s had his day, but Militarie Gun play with such sincerity and passion that it becomes infectious.

The whole record is exhilarating, a bustling house party where the aux is only ever passed judiciously.

Silver Bleeds The Black Sun… is not just the next entry in their incredible evolutionary cycle, it genuinely feels like the culmination of what the band have been trying to do for over a decade.

It’s an album rich in ideas and confidence, and will only cement The Last Dinner Party’s status as one of Britain’s most exciting new bands.

After almost 20 years together, they’ve produced a record which is both an essential addition to their back catalogue and a hugely rewarding starting point for anyone who has yet to become familiar with their work.

It’s an emotionally exhausting listen at times, but it’s also a frequently stunning one.

It’s an album where time invested is rewarded, a cohesive collection where all constituent parts interlock in satisfying style.

Uh Oh may not be an album filled with instantly catchy pop hooks, but instead is heavy on atmosphere and feeling. It’s an album to live inside, and although the general tone is muted, it becomes an affirmation that even the worst thing that can happen can be channelled into something inspiring.

While Am I The Drama? isn’t perfect, it certainly has enough bangers to keep her relevant for a few more years.

These songs have a level of depth, detail and ambition that show how Case does things emphatically on her own terms. This album reveals her to be at the peak of her powers, extending her already strong legacy in hugely satisfying fashion.

Heartbreak is rarely as raw or bittersweet as it is on Michelangelo Dying. It is a brave piece of work, Cate Le Bon surrendering to her feelings in a costly emotional investment but delivering a piece of work whose release must be immensely cathartic. Such inner strength proves ultimately uplifting.

Saving Grace is just a testament to the joy of making music – a true ensemble piece where every voice and every instrument serves the songs.

In a parallel universe, Getting Killed would be the album that catapults Geese into superstardom. .... This is Geese’s finest album to date, and one that will no doubt find its way on to many people’s best of the year list.

Despite Tim’s absence, LSD is awash with his presence. LSD is a masterpiece and evidence of what can be done in the face of adversity. It’s a record whose importance is more than its music.

The wit and the orchestral touches that have always been part of The Divine Comedy are still present, but Hannon’s personal touch elevates this collection of songs to something even greater than he’s produced before.

Possibly Lekman’s best work to date here. The Swede’s unlikely side-hustle has inspired an album that looks at love in all its myriad forms, and does so quite brilliantly.

While there may not be anything startingly original on the album, as a collection of cool, stylish floor-fillers, you can’t go far wrong with Perimenopop.

Dim Probs feels more personal, confidential, and ultimately vulnerable. It reaffirms Rhys as a generous author, celebrating his first language but taking in rich influences and instrumentation from countries far and wide.

Some of the songs have one too many musical ideas being thrown around, and the album is arguably too long, but the fact it doesn’t tail off in the second half shows the consistency of its inspiration, the excesses illustrating the raw creativity within. Jade understands what works in pop music

A fine return for an artist who seems as vibrant as ever, even in his eighth decade. Newcomers who have yet to discover the genius of David Byrne are possibly better directed to the Talking Heads back catalogue but long-term fans will find this to be an invigorating and often joyous addition to his discography.

Essex Honey is essentially a series of sketches, put out into the world before they could be framed. Yet therein lies its beauty, stemming from the bravery of Dev Hynes in sharing such bare thoughts and sadness with the world.

Hitting the mark unerringly, Antidepressants is a musical tour de force from a band at the very height of their powers.

International is the trio’s ideal signing off point. It is both uplifting and reflective, leaving the contrasting emotions of a lump in the throat and a smile on the face. Everything they’ve ever done, in a nutshell.

Jehnny Beth and Johnny Hostile have crafted a great record, which is more than capable of carrying the Savages legacy on its shoulders.

For in spite of the occasional loss of focus this is a sonic melting pot, welcoming all styles and colours that interact with the legendary producer’s instincts. If only life itself were so inclusive.

If this is the type of work Kaytranada can produce with no lyrical contributors, then this reviewer would happily have three more albums in this format.

Flux is a qualified success, then – an ultra-cool album of moody music to listen to in ultra-cool places. Even if you might not be emotionally heated by the end, it subtly makes its mark.

On the surface, The New Eve Is Rising may seem simplistic and derivative. Yet spend some time with it, and its complexity and originality soon surface.

Over the past eight years a strong case has been made for Tyler being the most interesting figure in modern rap music, and despite the low-stakes presentation Don’t Tap The Glass furthers this case with its inventive arrangements, fiery verses and club-ready production.