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.

Even at this early stage of the year, it’s fair to say that Power Trip might just have written one of this year’s most exciting and important albums.

Final track aside, this is as close to blissful shoegaze perfection as is possible.

While not quite as immediate as its predecessor, All The Time is an enjoyable collection of bops and ditties for those who like their tunes retro and mischievous.

On the whole Start And Complete is a singular and fearless album that conveys significant emotion, rewards repeat listens, and shows what can be achieved when a band's approach to music is defined by bravery and vision.

Some tracks may dip into generic mid-tempo dancefloor fodder, such as Why Does The Wind, but overall this is up there with some of Thorn's best work since Everything But The Girl.

Apart from a short reprise of the McNally-penned title track this, then, is how the album closes, and the lasting image that it leaves you with. It is a fitting summary of all that is great, and troubling about this unique, uncompromising band.

Songs come and go, often built on little more than O’s voice and the brushed strum of an acoustic guitar, seemingly competing to see which can retreat furthest into the shadows.

Lost In The Glare is a wonderfully cohesive album of instrumental-avant-Americana.

The world doesn't need another Elton John album, but it's heartwarming to hear an old-timer knock out such an emotional, pathos-filled document of lost loves and ageing friendships.

Generally though, World Wide Pop is full of inventive, bold pop music – sometimes sugary sweet like the acoustic led Crushed.zip, and sometimes big and anthemic such as the CHAI and Pi Ja Ma collaboration Teenager. And, as ever with Superorganism, it’s never, ever boring.

Each song is so comforting, peaceful and downright beautiful that it’s like being lost in a wonderful auditory dream.

With songs that are inspiringly teeming with originality and ideas, Courtcase 2000 is as exciting and mind expanding a record as any this year.

Those who were endeared by Rose’s debut may be surprised, hopefully pleasantly, by the change in tone and attitude shown on The Stand-In. Nevertheless, it is a delightful record.

It is a near masterpiece, elastic, eccentric and eclectic.

This is a highly accomplished and deeply felt third album to add to an already auspicious Gaz Coombes canon. He is on fine form at the moment, undoubtedly one of Britpop’s Strongest Men.

This is an antidote to both Plessow and Worgull’s respective day jobs and the way they craft their soundscapes is admirable.

V is laced more richly with sunshine: it’s the mellowest and brightest album Wooden Shjips have released to date.

This is not your average industrial metal album folks – this is a slab of repugnant, malignant noise made with evil intent. For all the hype and bluster surrounding the most popular metal acts, Uniform deserve recognition as one of finest purveyors of heavy metal (of any kind) anywhere in the world. They’re now six albums into their career, and they’ve never been stronger.

One of the best Pet Shop Boys albums in years.

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.

Wonderfully morose lyrics (and funny!), a pitch-perfect retro sound design that alternates between deadly serious and utterly comical, and a cohesive vision that represents the very best of their craft. Lovely stuff.

Some people may find the pace of Bow To Love a bit too pedestrian, but most of the time, Campbell’s music feels like a soothing balm for a troubled world.

Little Dragon clearly weren't broken, so they haven't tried to fix themselves; they have instead filed their art into an incisive point, and with Ritual Union stand at the top of their trade. This is far more than instantly-forgotten ad fodder.

The ultimate result of that process remains to be seen, but in the meantime, it has left us with a beautifully rendered, intimately personal collection of very fine songs indeed.

Horace Andy is clearly an artist not content to rest on his laurels, and with this album he strengthens his position as a bona fide reggae legend.

Keep You certainly succeeds in lyrical and atmospheric effect; there are just a couple compositional pitfalls that will likely work themselves out at live shows.

Lupe Fiasco's intelligent lyrics and strong beats keep him a comfortable arms-length away from hip-pop, without displaying any signs of the arrogance of a Kanye West, just an intelligent social awareness.

The whole sonic approach on Abolition Of The Royal Familia is at once a lot more coherent than The Orb’s previous record, the transitions between different genres and moods more methodical and well-paced.

Restarter is not the sound of a band starting with a blank slate it is more akin to an artist simply darkening their palette briefly.

Despite a couple of forgettable tracks near the end (the bland Tony The Tiger, and the overlong Everything To Nothing) then, this is an album that wears its befuddled, het-up, over-emotional heart on its sleeve, and is all the better, less slick and more interesting for it.

Cerulean Salt was a tough album to top but, with this bleak yet beautiful follow-up, Crutchfield might have done just that.

With fewer studio effects and electronic twiddles, Crash Love is a simpler rock record than its US number one predecessor "Decemberunderground." If anything, it's better however, and shows that while fusing goth, punk and pop doesn't need to be rocket science, when AFI are involved it's very definitely an artform.

It’s a pleasing touch that, even with a megastar like Buck present, Haines never dilutes his vision – this concluding part of the Haines/Buck trilogy is as satisfyingly off-kilter as its predecessors.

As the ever revolving wheel of influence spins to bring each individual ingredient to the fore, The Computers are not afraid to wear these influences unashamedly on their sleeves and in doing so have managed to produce a highly infectious piece of rock ‘n’ roll.

The grace is still there, but something far more engrossing has now been added to the mix.

Although it is only nine tracks long, Goat manage to get a lot in there in a tireless pursuit to keep creating.

It’s an album that will make your heart swell with joy in a club or will make your lip quiver with emotion on headphones in your bedroom. There are few dance producers who possess the skills to harness both these feelings and John Maclean has managed this masterfully here.

In their second album Confidence Man provide us with the feel good music we desperately need right now, taking the weight from our shoulders and offering more than a semblance of hope in difficult times.

A continually evolving amalgam of influences and sonic oddities, it slowly creeps into the subconscious, unsettling and calming as it works its magic.

It’s the sort of album which flows naturally along, with not a song, or even a lyric out of place. She’s been flying under the radar pretty consistently for a decade now, but if there’s more records of the quality of The Spur, more people will inevitably fall in love with Joan Shelley’s music.

At just eight tracks and clocking in at 40 minutes, Former Things is never in any danger of outstaying its welcome. There’s an argument to be had that some variety could improve the record, as there’s a definite template being stuck to. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though – LoneLady’s third album is the sound of an artist expanding her musical horizons and reaping the rewards.

It’s a supremely impressive and affecting album that is certain to propel him to an even greater echelon.

It's great to hear this timeless artist so relaxed and enjoying herself. Perhaps if she continues her collaborative relationship with The Siss Boom Bang, future recordings could be even more special.

There may not be too many surprises on Get Up Sequences Part 2 (and it works perfectly well as a double album with its predecessor), but there doesn’t really need to be with The Go! Team. It’s the usual shot of audio adrenaline, and they still sound as life-affirming as they did nearly 20 years ago.

Small Changes may not be as accessible or immediate as Kiwanuka’s previous albums, but it’s another wonderful record from one of our most talented singer-songwriters.

Thanks, in no small part to Spank Rock producer Armani XXXchange, Midnight Boom also possesses of this air of modernity and experimentation which is never less than startling.

In the unlikely event you needed any more demonstration of the woman's talent, this is it.

It's just impossible to hate something so glorious.

A fairly straight-up radio friendly rock album.

Grace/Wastelands is Doherty scrubbed up, older and wiser and showing signs of regret for the past. It is a great album but then, so have they all been.

For a debut album, there are precious few mis-steps, apart from perhaps a little too much instrumental noodling. But, aside from that, it is remarkably consistent.

Listening to the album as a whole, it's satisfyingly compact, a neatly produced record with stand-out tracks and growers.

When you have the knack, as this band most clearly have, of infusing your music with such full and rich emotion, then it makes sense to use that as your primary method of conveying meaning.

As a debut album it goes over well, with a convincing display of versatility and quality songwriting that firmly establishes Mabel as a force to be reckoned with in UK pop.

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.

It is, all in, a fantastic first effort.

Fans of the old soundtrack will find much to love in the new interpretations, and coming from such iconic source material, Carpenter couldn’t really fail. With any luck, the new movie will measure up to the soundtrack and the high expectations that fans of the original movie have for it.

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.

It’s a typically resourceful, subtle and mesmeric addendum--and one that underlines just how consistently excellent an artist Harris has been.

Overall, Migration represents another step forward in Bonobo’s musical development, keeping what was already strong in his music but adding more colour and depth.

It may not always work, but when it does, M.I.A. can still sound like the most exciting pop star on the planet.

One of the most eagerly awaited soundtrack albums for years is a laudable success, provided you approach it in the right way. It might not give up its treasures immediately, but if you provide widescreen sound or a pair of expensive headphones, the sonic treats are considerable and mighty.

The whole thing whizzes by in just over half an hour, making it perfect for repeat listens. Reatard may not be for everyone's taste, and some tracks do find him coasting along, but it's an album bursting with confidence and energy.

The Collective may have broken up, reformed and been on the comeback trail for the last 18 months or so, but it is heartening to see that they are still putting out material as strong as this, and are still capable of being an off-centre, welcome and relevant voice in 21st century hip-hop

This is a joyous artistic rebirth, its creator shaking her tail feathers, pushing her own boundaries and immersed in emotion and whim brought out from within.

There’s nothing particularly new on Stream Of Life, but that’s not an insult – in fact, listening to the jerky, frantic pop of I Knew That You’d Say That, you’re almost transported back to those heady A Certain Trigger days. Maxïmo Park have steadily become a reliable, consistent band – this is another example of their quiet excellence.

Unflesh is at times a disturbing and upsetting listen, but it is also a triumph of will over circumstance.

With strong tunes, great vocals and a spring in their step, The Big Moon are not struggling for a creative spark – far from it.

Forced to do something different out of circumstances, Owens searched deep within her musical soul and tapped into her deepest creative touchstones to record a remarkable record, one that’s a product of a distinct time and place in history.

Overall, from the Hail To The Thief-like guitar line and giddy chorus of Ferocisimo to the undeniable Eras, Wed 21 is an album that might not change any lives but is full of surprises nonetheless.

thank u, next is a very accomplished album which showcases Grande’s inner strength and emotional maturity in the face of the undeniably harrowing trauma she has suffered in the past couple of years. Forget Grande: This album is a Venti, with an extra shot.

At just eight tracks long and with a half-hour running time, I Want To Start A Garden is more an introduction to Haley Heynderickx than a fully formed declaration. It’s enough to make you very excited about what’s yet to come, though--this particular garden is ready to bloom into some very special greenery.

It makes for an excellent reintroduction to an artist who proves that her music knows no boundaries, be that linguistic or otherwise.

These are very much Shakira songs, not merely songs produced by The Neptunes.

Queens Of The Summer Hotel sees her consolidate her position as an adept songwriter capable of addressing difficult subjects with empathy and beauty.

There is a strong sense of enjoyment in the nooks and crannies of these tracks.

By the end of Sparks, there is really nothing else left to do but marvel at the brilliance of Imogen Heap.

It is personal without actually being personal.

There’s just enough experimentation and intrigue within the 10 songs to make Chorusgirl’s debut one to explore.

Dry Food approaches the subject from a different angle to the tried-and-killed solo artist template of acoustic guitar plus deserted cabin with nothing but a glove puppet for company.

Somerset may be a little detached and introverted, but Waves Of Fury certainly are not and on this evidence, they can stand proudly with the county’s finest exports.

It may not contain anything as seismic as 'First Wave Intact,' from their debut "Now Here Is Nowhere," but the band's self-titled third album reasserts the Secret Machines identity whilst revealing a fragile underbelly.

The Shape Of Things is an incredibly assured piece of work, machine like in its execution but revealing a soulful, tender exterior that we do not often see from the former Ultravox man.

Laura Mvula has proved emphatically that her debut was no one-off and this highly accomplished return establishes her further as a unique, captivating talent.

Dancing is certainly Nancy Elizabeth’s best work to date.

There may come a time where repeated fine-tuning becomes progressively more difficult, but in the meantime Remember Remember have released an album that consolidates their position and shows off their abilities in impressive style.

Crimes Of Passion finds Crocodiles in scintillating form and is full of the kind of carefree rock that should make them more popular than they are.

Privateering is arguably Knopfler's strongest solo effort and one which shows off his ability as a guitarist, a vocalist and a songwriter.

Like the recent offerings from the aforementioned pair, Rapprocher is properly cinematic.

It's a rare thing to find an album that is a real, unexpected pleasure to listen to all the way through.

Weedkiller is the sound of an artist actually excelling in multiple fields with apparent ease. In a landscape where rap is diversifying and artists like Ice Spice and Sexyy Red are achieving notoriety, Ashnikko is a leftfield force to be reckoned with.

Not without fault, the album is a solid, cohesive work--and sign of The Cave Singers’ electrifying potential.

It's a joyful sound when she cuts loose, and wedded to an attitude you wouldn't mess with, works a treat.

The delights of Home Again is that Hayman sings about emotions that are easy to identify with but sometimes hard to articulate.

S Carey’s work may not have the same iconic impact of Bon Iver but through it he has created an album which rewards repeated visits.

Gunn’s perfectly snarling vocals amplified in intensity by the punchy production, it is a electric opener which sounds unmistakably PVRIS, just with a fresh energy.

It will be intriguing to see where he heads next on his musical tour, adapting as he does to different styles, though time and again the music of True Meanings feels like the most naturally sourced for him as an artist now. It is very much a case of a little less being a whole lot more.