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 music emphasises an unhurried, thoughtful approach to life that is beautifully at odds with the noise of a bustling metropolis in a General Election year.

The record dazzles with its detail, beguiles with its lyrical performances and leaves a lasting impression with powerful songwriting.

It’s fun, but accomplished too, and shows how Hesketh has taken her knocks, used them and come back bolder, brighter and better.

This is, essentially, a folk album, taking the chance to dip in to Peel's Irish connections. And yet the aspect of folk music that wins through is the one that connects directly with the listener, on their level, with few airs and graces.

This might be blues, it might be doom, but the return of Goatsnake can be nothing other than a good thing.

Nelson's voice is the shining star on this album, and that feels like the only thing that matters.

For those with open minds and without unfair expectations of artists, it will be another fascinating addition to a long and exceptional career.

Are they a country band playing alt.rock or an alt.rock band playing country? These questions are pointless. They are simply and sublimely Lambchop, and we are lucky to have them.

Even when they're singing about a relatively maudlin subject, the group sound positive and energetic, their brand of pop given a healthy, summery twist.

On the whole this is a significant artistic leap, a progressive album of dazzling stylistic pluralities that demands attention.

Noveller is music not only for the open-minded, but for the inquisitive. It’s a joyous, enthralling sound that she makes, and it seems to be getting more enticing with each release.

Eagulls have not just expanded their sonic palette, they also explore far weightier questions about life through their lyrics. As a result, the record instantly comes across as a more advanced and mature proposition compared to its predecessor, which was more interested in instant thrills.

The Jezabels take you through a range, giving you a story rather than simply one snapshot.

The production of this album in so short a time is nothing short of miraculous, and listening to it is an experience to savour.

Rick Rubin has shaped their songs, smoothing down some of their rougher edges, but the end result is as rich and diverse as ever, helping them fulfill their musical mission with more focus, yet without compromising their eccentricity or their trusted formula.

It’s become a rather saturated market and, with the ability to craft stunningly effective vocal harmonies and melodies still intact from their early guise, Hegarty’s music is so much more.

Quite a varied collection.

If the point of a debut album is to capture a moment, to provide a snapshot of a new, hungry band bursting at the seams with hope and abandon, then this must already be one of the debut albums of the year.

Island isn’t an album that provides any easy hits – it’s more of a record to luxuriate in and discover its charms gradually. Lockdown conditions mean that it’s easier than ever to immerse yourself in this grandiose music, and those that do will find much to lose themselves in.

It is a hugely exciting album that forges new ground for its maker to stride forth over.

Enjoy The View will undoubtably please the army of existing Jetpacks fans, yet tracks like Fat Chance could well bring in some new fans. Few bands can still sound on top of their game after 18 years or so, but We Were Promised Jetpacks do, and sound like they’re more than ready for the next 18 years too.

Come Down With Me marries synth-prog stuff with guitar-driven indie rock in a way that comes across as equally smart and approachable. The achieved effect is something to behold.

Deeper in the tracklist more variety emerges, featuring emotions and sounds that most listeners will have never heard from Dua.

There’s still a distinct Penguin Cafe magic to Handfuls Of Night. The music here won’t come as a surprise to people familiar with their increasingly tightly managed aesthetic but it still provides a wonderfully calming sanctuary to temporarily get lost in.

It’s funny, thoughtful and catchy as hell.

This is a fun record. Sometimes that really is enough.

There may not be anything hugely original to be found on Raving Ghost, but Olivia Jean has charisma by the bucketload, which makes this album such an enjoyable listen.