UGLY certainly isn’t a pleasant listen, and at various points it’s too extreme to be categorised as rap or rock, but many of these tracks are brilliantly executed and their emotional power and impact put Slowthai in a unique position.

In lesser hands, the sheer number of collaborations on I Remember could have spelled trouble, but AlunaGeorge are no ordinary band. They are so much better than that.

Long-term Rilo Kiley fans may take their time to warm to Under The Blacklight.... This sees them develop their sound and mature with it.

This is an album that exceeds expectations and is unlikely to disappoint those who do bother to listen to it.

A record that marks a wholly welcome return to form.

This being Roots Manuva there's a lyrical gem in pretty much each song - and this being Roots Manuva, a lot of them are intensely personal observations.

Quaranta is not nearly as explosive as XXX – released around the time Danny Brown turned 30 – but we have engaging lyrics, head-nodding beats, and another quality record from one of Detroit’s best musical exports.

The resulting album, jubilant and enthralling, is really a three way collaboration between the two artists and Kenis.

Closing in on his sixth decade as a recording artist, it is heartening to see one of our national treasures still pushing the boundaries. Long may he continue.

When the feedback and distortion doesn’t obscure the words, it’s clear that Twelve Nudes contains some of Furman’s finest lyrics yet.

It’s not the sort of album you can ever relax while listening to, as you’re not entirely sure what’s coming next at any given point. It’s an album full of invention and creativity that never rests on its laurels – maybe not one for everybody, but those who delve into Shook will find so much to explore.

Waxahatchee’s second album is one to immerse yourself in, to lose yourself in and generally marvel at the raw emotion that’s so beautifully expressed.

Like Something Is, Coles Corner or Run For Me may have done in the past, Hollow Meadows is yet another impossibly accomplished record from one of our national treasures.

Easily HIM's most accessible album to date.

More bare structurally, musically and emotionally than its predecessor, yet by the same token, fuller and more alive, it is an amazing work that showcases a phenomenal talent and a unique voice.

Compared to the admittedly prodigious vocals of Duffy and Adele, this feels like the real deal.

The album is certainly imaginative, if not entirely coherent, and this is perhaps what makes the band a unique presence.

Iit feels like there’s so much more music and ideas for them to explore, so many other potential directions for them to head in. For now however, this remarkably mature and accomplished album will do just fine.

Her debut promised much; Freedom Of Speech sees Speech Debelle delivering on that promise.

Like many of their peers and contemporaries from Bill Callahan to Superchunk, the thrill with a new Mountain Goats record is just how similar it’ll be to your favourite thing they’ve done in the past. And this is, well, pretty close to your favourite (whatever that may be…).

At times, Spectre does feel very much like a serious album, but the tone occasionally seems inconsistent.

The resulting amalgam never seems forced or affected, and with Curt Kirkwood’s mastery of the guitar the band can skip effortlessly across styles.

It's an album that is truly surprising. It's clever enough with the homages to properly capture the spirit of the period they are referencing, but smart enough to not ever just pastiche it.

This is Vernon leaving the seclusion of the forests and, as many of the track titles suggest, moving through towns, cities and open spaces.

Despite the distinct swerve in direction, there are still numerous killer blows to be found on ...Like Clockwork.

In their own, low key, understated way, Elbow continue to beguile and impress.

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

This is a more coherent collection of songs than their debut.

The upshot is a record freewheeling in scope which unfolds tastefully, never once losing sight of the forest for the trees.

If Young’s Archives were tiered by quality (with Homegrown and Way Down in the Rust Bucket at the top), then Oceanside Countryside is at least a B+. It’s a very enjoyable, consistent and relaxing listen that doesn’t come with any of the baggage of many of Young’s heavier releases. Just splendid.

As with many posthumous albums, Anxious is a deeply bittersweet listen – the knowledge of what might have been casts a poignant hue over the whole experience. However, as a tribute to Smith’s talent, it works beautifully: a fitting memorial to a woman who would have, no doubt, gone onto even better and brighter things.

Anyone already in love with tracks such as 'Good Arms Vs Bad Arms,' 'Backwards Walk' and 'Poke' will probably enjoy hearing these live versions, and for others this will serve as a good primer and incentive to go back and discover the original recorded versions.

These Four Walls is rousing, pop-like in its immediacy and pretty damn enjoyable.

Proclamations of his greatness may be slightly exaggerated, but Cosmogramma certainly adds to a deservedly growing reputation.

At just eight tracks, The Sister never outstays its welcome, and by the time it's finished, you're likely to want to go straight back to the start. And if this is your first introduction to Nadler, you'll want to explore her back catalogue straight away.

His dance credentials already assured, this feels like Cutler reasserting his artistry; an exercise in expressive revivalism, where myriad influences are sketched from memory; an album whose headline proposition is new, despite the ageing origins of its component parts.

By the time Making Sense Of It All’s wobbly notes dissolve into reverb it’s clear that Overflow, while not entirely justifying its runtime, is a serious work from an intriguing producer.

This is deeply satisfying and enjoyable--perfect for those who prefer their summer soundtrack to have a bit of firepower.

This is a brilliantly ambitious, exploratory recording that captures the pure, powerful vibe of a great ensemble.

The use of electronics, violins, trumpets and a whole litany of instruments at times is difficult to take in, and may indeed be too far a revolution for some.

It all adds up to one of Jeffrey Lewis’ finest albums – which, considering the size of his back catalogue, is some achievement.

To say it works well is an understatement.

Loops, beats and synths unite to create a beautiful and serene experience on Ambitions, one worth returning to again and again for fans of instrumental electronica.

If this is their worst album, and you might believe that it is, then they very well may be the best band in the world. If quality is more important that quantity, then they must simply be the worst band in the world. It’s all about perspective, and at 80 minutes and 22 songs, you’d expect some measure of clarity to emerge from Notes On A Conditional Form. What you do get is a Taylor Swift album in the midst of five great songs, five decent tracks and 12 give-or-takes. And that, in today’s artistic climate, is tantamount to excellence.

It's lo-fi at its finest and a contender for one of the more impressive debuts of the year so far. Fans of the genre will lap it up and with very good reason: it's short, sharp and straight to the point.

The influences are obvious, but where WRM succeed is in breathing new life into a tired template, adding attitude and intent on top of an effortlessly stylish base.

Those for whom Enya remains a musical taboo are unlikely to be tempted by Dark Sky Island. More open-minded listeners might, however, find themselves surprisingly captivated.

They still have plenty to give, plenty to say – and Bauhaus Staircase stands up there with the cream of their electronically harvested crop.

While not perfect, The Fool is a very promising début that grows in stature on every listen. If you're willing to put the time in, this could easily live up to the hype.

A short and not a little peculiar gem of an album then and one that proves that on his day Hegarty is full of great ideas.

Deeper Well is an album to wallow in, one for those rainy days inside where you just want to sit and find comfort in music. For anybody undergoing some large life changes, this is an album that will be able to gently guide you through those times.

The record is a captivating and challenging insight into the mindset of an intelligent artist who is pushing himself further than ever before, taking his music in new and fascinating directions.

The message of the record is as faultless and as invigorating as the field recordings of raindrops and tributaries that gush over it. Ana Roxanne won’t be hampered by other people’s definition of her; her musical genius will encapsulate multiplicities and blossom of its own accord.

It[']s by no means an album for all times, and can get too repetitive for its own good, but in the right place, at the right moment not much tops it.

It's bigger, brighter and braver than what went before, and should elevate Florence even higher, with her Machine shoulder to shoulder.

This new musical approach has left Van Etten sounding refreshed. Whether this album marks the start of The Attachment Theory’s career or just a one-off, it’s a demonstration just how the camaraderie of a band can revitalize your sound.

Contentment for Cosey Fanni Tutti also means restless exploration – and there is plenty of that in evidence, creating an album to savour.

Television is an essential purchase for fans of West African artists, but should also be investigated by anyone who loves heartfelt, impeccably performed music.

In revealing some of their insecurities, Hot Chip have reminded both themselves and us of their importance and relevance, and have made a record of both sense and sensibility.

There are some spine-tingling moments here.

While the debut was clouded in hazy and understated dreamy melodies, Confess is far more direct and intense.

A record unlike anything else you will hear this year.

Throwing a light on the minutiae of his fraying psyche doesn’t always make for the easiest of listens. No longer buoyed by adolescent concerns, Alec Ounsworth may not be in the happiest of states. But if you heed closely you’ll hear the sound of one man’s combing for moral redemption amidst societal and individual collapse. And that deserves applause.

Sure, like much of the album, Rihanna is mining her past glories all over again, but she does it with such swagger, such enthusiasm, that the end result is a definitive thrill-ride of a success.

Exploring increasingly adventurous songwriting terrains and expanding their studio capabilities whilst managing to retain some of the fire that once sparked up their engines, Iceage have delivered another tour de force.

Which brings us to the nub of what makes Death Magnetic such a resounding success. Death Magnetic could have dropped 15 years ago and been a logical conclusion to the "Black" album. Today, it emphatically brings Metallica full circle to an intriguing afterthought: what next?

It is, in fact, an intoxicating must-have album worth a place in any collection.

For the time being it's very hard not to fall under Exitmusic's intoxicating spell. Best not to try.

These songs, penned by such as Ennio Morricone, Mina and Fred Bongusto, have been treated with the utmost respect. Patton has ensured that they are as authentic as possible by employing a 15-strong band together with a 40-piece orchestra.

Trouble is an album of bewitching treasures, equally at home in the bedroom or in the throes of the most intense club dance floor--an extremely impressive debut that introduces TEED as one of the UK's premier electronic artists.

This is a confident, vital and highly uplifting record.

At The Down-Turned Jagged Rim Of The Sky is a startling album full of nuance, menace and wonder.

Until the release of this album, Shepherd’s output might have proved hard to follow for the casual listener, comprising as it did sundry white label releases, one-offs and remixes. Fortunately, Elaenia acts as a brilliant encapsulation of a huge talent.

The Meanest of Times is a lyrically dense album, but in spite of it all Dropkick Murphys know how to turn a wake in to a party.

The barefaced Daft Punk-like sampling culture is really ephemeral, now that DJ Food has upped the calibre of practical electronica and aesthetic trip-hop.

It seems a return to first principles has done Calexico good, and returned their music to a raw emotional state.

Domesticated is a blissful trip, managing the enviable feat of being inventive and comforting at the same time, and is highly recommended for all electronic music fans.

This works as both a confident and assured introduction as well as an ideal record for the long, hot days ahead.

Overall, Phrazes For The Young is a successful departure from The Strokes' straightforward brawn, but it's not as different as it's been billed.

What elevates this album beyond the simply cerebral is the simultaneous pop sensibility that pervades through it.

As an album that is both outward an inward looking the balance of the two is well measured.

It’s quite something for an artist of Bragg’s age and standing to still remain important and vital but, most of the time on this album, that’s exactly how he sounds.

A quintessential collection of the kind of subtle contrasts and ambiguity that makes her such a fascinating songwriter.

There's nothing complicated on this album, but then when did things ever need to be complicated?

It continues a run of quality that stretches all the way back to her debut.

A little joy goes a long way--a long way towards one of the more carefree albums you'll enjoy this autumn.

Lightburn is on fine form throughout – vocally, he’s been compared to Morrissey for most of his career, but on Lovers Rock he’s more like a downbeat Damon Albarn.

This is musical execution at its most lavish.

The Weather is packed with ambitious moments, and many of them go over really well.

This is a truly astonishing effort; a crowdpleaser and a call to arms--now let's go and change the world.

While it’s accessible, it’s never flat-out commercial pop thankfully--but it’s certainly the sound of a band recharged and ready to recapture what made them so special in the first place.

Anderson has wrapped all these songs up in a beautifully warm, enveloping sound.

Another fine release.

Fifteen or so albums in, Bamboo Diner In The Rain is not much more, but crucially nothing less, than another reliably solid album from one of our most consistent acts. A resounding success, then.

For anyone yet to be acquainted with the music of the Jazz Age, this is the perfect introduction to the sound of the era. That Ferry's music can be so interpreted, and carried off so convincingly, suggests strength in depth to his canon of work.

A warm, quiet and graceful listen, Watch The Fireworks is definitely reminiscent of Pollock's former creations in its beguiling melodies, beautiful harmonies, soothing vocals and soaring choruses which seemingly seep out of nowhere.

While Polari might not be destined for as many accolades as the all-conquering Brat, it establishes Olly as a solo artist to be reckoned with.

Little Death is indie for the fanzine generation, 12 blazing little fires of warmth that'll connect stylishly with the masses too.