The idea that synthetic beats only serve to sterilise is ridiculous and passé – but while they show potential for something really interesting here, they do have the effect of cooling and sterilising an otherwise warm and welcoming record.

Its cumulative impact is immense, the singer giving everything she has to the music. Limbs may not be an easy listen, but Keeley Forsyth makes it an essential one, singing from the depths of her very bones.

Yet for all these noisier moments, tracks like Desperately and IWR sit at the other end of the spectrum, striking a more consonant, conciliatory tone. It’s this ability to seamlessly blend opposing sounds and balance beauty with tension that makes for such an intriguing album, and very much confirms the old adage that good things are worth waiting for.

This seventh album blows all those preconceptions out the water, leaving a record that is finally pure distilled Avril that will connect with long time fans and the Gen Z kids who recognise her iconic status.

The Tipping Point manages to straddle the band’s past (the very early days aside) and stride on into present times, and that in itself should be enough to please more than one generation of Tears For Fears fans.

In swapping fiddles, banjo and slide guitar for synths, piano and dynamic guitars, Life On Earth invokes a true sense of step change, capturing Segarra moving into the spotlight with purpose and confirming herself to be an artist ready to embrace newfound opportunities.

Memoria is a substantial listen, and could probably be broken down into two shorter LPs of different styles, but its creative verve provides quality as well as quantity.

As it is Small World is melodious and twee in a good way.

Island Of Noise is set to be a sustainable release, with some intoxicating visual art, thoughtfully sourced and sensitively delivered. This attention to detail runs through the pores of the music, giving the repeat listener something new to discover with each visit but, like the peacock butterfly, making a strong first impression too.

Final track Modern Love Stories plays out with acoustic guitar and strings in tandem, emphasising the new textures that Once Twice Melody has introduced, perhaps not with universal success, but nevertheless there are moments here that rank alongside Beach House’s finest work.

It’s their strongest record in years. ... A group working at the height of their considerable powers.

It might not be as immediate in places as some of his previous albums but given time these songs grow and blossom in similar fashion to the flower that adorns the album cover.

With The Dream, we see a maturing band dip deep into their emotions, immersing us not only in art and culture but in their dreams, and it is utterly brilliant.

In short, it’s another set of beautifully crafted sound portraits, rich in detail, in which to both decompress and luxuriate.

Heterosexuality is in many ways bold, both stylistically and in terms of message, but what goes missing in its weaker moments is akin to the ghost in the machine: that compositional spark which would elevate the record beyond the sum of its parts.

You can’t help but feel that See Through You is also an evolution – for all the right reasons. “Crazy-noise-rock” is at its core, but with some interesting curveballs peeking through the onslaught, perhaps the band are approaching their greatest adventure yet.

At its best, Motordrome serves as a reminder of why she deserved that success, and why she still deserves attention today.

There’s everything from glitchy pop, dance tracks and emo rock on this album, but a key message, Smith’s unique vocals, and a tendency towards electronic earworms, make it a sonically cohesive work that has just the perfect touch of modern life to make us feel something, but with enough escapism that we don’t burn out from it.

Time Skiffs is a vibrant album, suggesting Animal Collective have well and truly rekindled their collective fire – and because of that, the pleasure is all ours. Gather round and enjoy its heartening warmth.

This is a record you can dance to, even if it’s also a record you can cry to. The sum is an inspiring record both for the creator and the listener.

Glitch Princess certainly isn’t an easy record to listen to, yet neither is it wilfully difficult or unwelcoming. It’s perfectly emblematic of the pop period we’re living in, with a new generation of artists changing the meaning of what it is to make pop music on their own terms.

Three Dimensions Deep is a winner, as diverse production allows for a collection of tunes that are never boring.

As a study of a man starting to slowly regain his feet after a major relationship break-up during a pandemic, Extreme Witchcraft has plenty to say. As a collection of Eels songs though, it unfortunately falls some way short of the band’s best work.

Throughout Ants From Up There, they seem to revel in the creation of different atmospheres rather than the laying down of hooks or choruses.

The addition of electronic elements to her sound here suggests Godmother to almost be like a set of vintage photographs that have been digitally restored. It might not be enough to move her out of the musical shadows (a place she may well feel content to stay) but it shows her capable of pursuing idiosyncratic alternative paths while consolidating her position as a distinctive, singular artist.

The music is fun and easygoing, whether it’s the title track’s blissful 80s-style chords, or Make It Out Alive’s sparkling synth line, or the dizzying strings of Sweet Talker (a far better Galantis collaboration than Heartbreak Anthem with Little Mix). When the pace drops the results become more mixed, as Intimacy sports a clumsy riff under melodies that don’t gel while 20 Minutes is nice but forgettable.

There’s very little here to dislike, so stick it on loud, turn off the lights and sit back and enjoy.

These songs are her most heartfelt to date, reaching into the depths of her character. The influence of Björk is occasionally audible, but so are inflections from as far afield as Enya and composer Karl Jenkins. Yet Aurora is very much herself, one of the most exciting female singers around – and The Gods We Can’t Touch adds another set of strings to her generously filled bow.

Yard Act’s influences never overwhelm their own personality. ... It may be early to start taking notes on the Album Of The Year, but the smart money says The Overload will be there or thereabouts.

It’s probably not the sort of album to cosy up with – there’s so much emotion pouring out of Cummings’ vocals that it may all become a bit much for some listeners. Yet it’s astonishing that this is just her second album – there’s more poise and talent on display on Storm Queen than in artists with twice her career.

This is, without cliché, a life affirming record. It is easy to share in the wonderment at such a young life when Weeks phrases his vocals as he does.

None of this will come as any surprise to seasoned Costello watchers – indeed, it could be argued he’s been on a creative purple patch since 2018’s Look Now. For those who thought that age may have dimmed the fire that’s always been Costello’s trademark, A Boy Named If is proof positive that the opposite is true.

When they’re on the game, The Wombats are well capable of turning heads and catching ears (People Don’t Change People, Time Does) and they have a pleasing habit of writing songs that sound remarkably cheerful despite sporting bleak subject matter (Everything I Love Is Going To Die). They’re not always successful.

As ever with Marshall’s covers project, it’s a mixed bag, but there’s more than enough here to keep Cat Power fans satisfied until her next album of original material comes along.

Fragments does not outstay its welcome, but only because it isn’t distinctive enough to be consciously welcomed in the first place. Recommended for owners of trendy cafes and companies in need of hold music.

With Dawn FM The Weeknd has demonstrated a vision that the vast majority of his peers would be incapable of, and has executed it with finesse and a slippery, enigmatic charm.

Transparency is the sound of a band restlessly searching for a new direction and pulling it off very well.

Now Or Whenever doesn’t feel like natural progression when held up against Moth Boys and earlier debut Enjoy It While It Lasts from 2012, but its ability to have you singing along in very little time at all is an impressive quality.

This album works best at moments like this, sweet and soothing – not exactly ambient, but soft and comforting like a nest of scatter cushions.

Thousands of artists will have spent the last 18 months writing music about being stuck at home, but very few will have realised said music by banging bits of their actual house. In doing so, Herbert may have produced the quintessential lockdown project.

Tenderly questioning at every turn and predominantly joyous in its approach, these subtly provocative tracks are a defiant call to arms in an ever more uncertain age, underlining Bottum’s impeccable songwriting chops following his tenure in the disparate groups Faith No More and Imperial Teen and gleefully showcases Holman’s innate charm.

If you’re a fan, you’ll still be a fan and if you’re not, you still won’t be.

MONSTA X, formed through a reality TV programme, display versatility, emotion and style on their second English-language album. If their third is a tad more ambitious they’ll really be onto a winner.

It’s a concept that really shouldn’t work, but somehow does. Cave’s songs, usually so full of menace, mystique and melancholy, are given new light under Smith’s light, airy voice, and the fact that she was unfamiliar with the source material means that no tracks are treated with any over-reverence.

By the time the melancholic Schoenberg soprano has drifted into the ether at the end of The Abandoned Colony Collapsed My World, you’ll be ready for a repeat listen – although you’ll hear so many different elements the second time round, you’ll wonder whether the album isn’t secretly mutating whilst your back’s turned.

It seems to capture their essence better than its predecessors. Whilst the effect is rather eclectic, covering several of their bases, and with its existence being a little surprising after recent years’ events that pointed to their departure as a collective, it’s a welcome return.

Aside from several unwanted bumps in the road that fail to impress at all, he has at least managed to produce something that resembles an echo of past glories in a few places.

The Myth Of The Happily Ever After doesn’t just stand out, it soars, inadvertently becoming not only Biffy Clyro’s best album to date but one that will undoubtedly stun their critics.

Old Friends New Friends sees the artist settle his legacy thus far and clear the way before he gets stuck into another project.

These are earthy songs to be played on the road, to be enjoyed around a roaring fire. These are new songs that sound well-worn and well-loved – much like Crazy Horse themselves. If not that surprising a listen, it’s nearly always an enjoyable one.

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.

Quite comfortably the duo’s best album to date, Unity is – literally – like all your favourite bands rolled up into one.

We have already seen Ladyhawke’s penchant for writing the perfect pop song and hitting the highs, but now we know a lot more about the voice behind that craft. Because of that, Time Flies is her best album yet.

Seventeen Going Under is powerful, essential stuff, a coming of age album that speaks to the human experience in the here and now. Its creator is absolutely the real deal.

Sometimes the music is too comfortable for such strife, but there is more than enough here to satisfy. The voice still sounds great, too.

At times Fleuves De l’Âme feels like the audio equivalent of unearthing a sunken chest of treasure and feeling the glow on your face of the iridescent colours that project from the precious stones inside. It’s also a reminder of music’s ability to transcend cultural boundaries and open up new worlds and Hedfi deserves credit for providing these positive experiences.

Despite her albums being snapshots, sometimes a little more diversity in subject matter would be a good thing. Ultimately, while some intriguing risks have been taken, 30 is probably the weakest, as well as conversely the most intimate and in many ways bravest, Adele album to date.

With Pilgrimage Of The Soul, MONO have given us an album that can confidently stand alongside As The Love Continues and G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!

Flying Dream 1 is, in many respects, a typical Elbow album – warm, comforting and sincere. It’s also a record that many of us need after the last two years.

Dave Gahan’s emotional input is never in doubt, but despite some excellent production – and fine backing vocals – it is kept at a distance at times. Seen live, however, this set should be quite an experience.

On first listen, it seems unfocused, rambling and at times impenetrable, but given time, it unfurls into something utterly compelling and all encompassing. ... It’s a difficult and traumatic journey at times, but it is worth taking.

Monument is another addition to what’s becoming one of the most quietly consistent back catalogues in UK instrumental music, and proof that while others may begin to run out of ideas at this stage of their careers, Portico Quartet are sounding as fresh as ever.

The Solution Is Restless, by its title alone, does not have all the answers – but its musical debates are gripping. The spectacle of three creative identities finding common ground in a divisive world is both priceless and inspiring.

Things Take Time, Take Time is a tender, comforting salve of a listen, and will be one of those albums that you keep returning to when life seems a bit too much.

The dark, introspective nature of Idles’ latest release may well disappoint those who love the band for their rabble-rousing, tongue-in-cheek headbangers. But for those who’ve been waiting some time for the beloved Bristolians to take a left turn with their sound, Crawler is an absolute thrill.

Music For Psychedelic Therapy is a real accomplishment, otherwordly escapism that’s irresistible for the mind, body and soul.

The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows is a lovely album, and a big step forward from Albarn’s previous solo effort, Everyday Robots.

There may be no one track that could be a crossover commercial hit for the Wolter siblings, but this is an album full of signs of longterm progress. This is the sound of a band in it for the long haul, and by the sounds of it, it’s going to be quite the journey for them.

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

Although Voyage is mostly geared towards giving audiences the vintage time capsule they desire, we are still being invited to imagine other possibilities.

It is clear from her latest opus that Marissa Nadler is at the peak of her powers, giving us a work whose intensity burns brightly. Here is a set of songs that keep their head while all around are losing theirs. The more you listen, the more you fall under their spell, just as you would want from your next box set craze.

Nobody is trying to do anything too contemporary here, and the slight remove these musicians bring to creating contemporary Ross music means we often get a pastiche of her earlier material. It’s effective, but the danger is that it veers tantalisingly close to sounding like an ironic tribute. And so, the album perhaps fares best in its simplest, and most sincerely constructed moments.

Actually You Can probably isn’t the best album to introduce the uninitiated to the delights of Deerhoof. By now, you very much know what you’re getting with them, and Actually You Can is another example of why they have such a strong cult following.

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.

Overall, I Don’t Live Here Anymore is a solid addition to The War On Drugs canon, and the full-on embrace of heartland rock means they may well find a whole new audience with this album.

As it stands Water is a transition record, signalling a direction of travel but inconsistent and frustrating.

An album that could have easily come off as a millionaire’s vanity project with his rich mates is actually a surprising, creatively rich endeavour.

Always Inside Your Head strikes a good balance between continuity and change, and re-establishes Lone as one to watch in the electronic scene.

The days of Silent All These Years or songs about Cornflake Girls are long gone – but Ocean To Ocean is a moving, poignant and inspiring document of a journey most of us have had to take over the past 18 months.

They find Harris stepping away from the choral ambiance and glacial minimalism of the Nivhek era and retreating back to the nocturnal ebbs and crackling timbres of earlier albums such as Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill and The Man Who Died In His Boat.

It’s different and at times more uplifting than most Parquet Courts albums, but it’s an album for the band, not for the fans.

his album is a playfully flawed triumph. There are more than enough highs to satisfy both fans and casual admirers, while the lows are not quite low enough to founder the project.

The whole album is a treat, and a fun way to pass a half hour or so. Hopefully the movie it’s attached to is just as fun, just as playful, and just as silly. Wonderful stuff – purchase with confidence.

With -io she has made a work that is both devastatingly personal and beautifully generous. Around the time of Reaching For Indigo’s release, she described that record as her magnum opus and no doubt it will remain a high water mark in a remarkable career. But -io is likely to sit by its side, in cosmic grandeur.

Fantasy Island is arguably the peak of their output to date, which is a strong statement to make about a band who are well into their third decade.

Prioritise Pleasure is a richly compelling album. It’s also a big, glorious pop record, the sort that Taylor hinted at back in the days of her former band Slow Club’s Complete Surrender. ... It’s the album of Rebecca Taylor’s career, and surely quite comfortably the best record that will be released in 2021.

Moondust For My Diamond makes a great late night listen – and at the same time offers plenty of evidence that Hayden Thorpe is growing apace. He has without doubt made one of the albums of the year.

Certainly there are some interesting moments on Music From The Spheres. But overall it’s the sound of Coldplay treading water. More alarmingly, it begins to sound like they’re trying not to drown.

Throughout Friends That Break Your Heart, Blake is trying on different sounds, different styles, and producing some good music along the way, but he ends the record still unsure of where he should be.

Half of the album’s 12 tracks are under three minutes, leaving no time to get bored, and there’s little to dislike.

The truth of The Sound Of Yourself is that it is a sometimes confused collection of songs, almost as though it were two albums co-existing in one space. ... However, the quality across the board in these compositions is consistent and the sound of McCaughan in this kind of form is always a delight.

Too many of the songs fail to deliver the mind blowing moments that the band have been capable of in the past.

If a devil-may-care attitude is the album’s strength, it also can be a weakness. Songs hit or miss by chance, the product of unmoderated experimentation which can so easily become indulgence.

And Then Life Was Beautiful shimmers in the heat of the summer just gone, and strikes a good balance between exhortation and introspection.

Protest Songs is not likely to prove as much as a career renaissance as their last album Encore did, but it’s an interesting and moderately successful little detour from a band who are probably well overdue their ‘national treasure’ title.

The music throughout MONTERO suggests that Nas X has a very bright future ahead of him.

The combination of strict process and softer emotion makes for a fascinating album. The Hill, The Light, The Ghost is clearly the result of years of tender loving care, and its ink appears to be only just drying thanks to the instinctive, organic approach.