This is an intriguing record whose rewards come slowly but which leave a lasting impression. There is a restless quality to Sam Eastgate’s songwriting that feels very much of the times in which we live, but there is a warmly soulful side to balance it.

All this amounts to, in the nicest possible way, is an album that sounds sleek, professional and (say it quietly) a little safe.

So the debut album is done, and it’s a good one.

With all the horror and terror of living in 2020 showing no signs of abating, we must turn to art for relief, to offer ourselves a steady stream of cathartic pleasures. This new Hinds album is just the thing you might be looking for, and it might offer you 30 of the most engaging minutes you’ve had in the past god knows how long.

Even though Falco, Haliechuk and their Hairpins cohorts appear to be cramming in influences from almost everywhere (acid house, new wave, funk, punk, psychedelia and more), the whole album is incredibly coherent, lucid, and most importantly it’s the of thing that might just define a summer spent outside. Assuming that’s ever going to be possible this year.

It’s nice enough. That’s the problem with Snake Oil, though: the highest bar the music reaches is being decent, and the loftiest ambition of these songs is to be simply tolerated, packed in amongst other unremarkable tunes on an Apple Music playlist called ‘Tuesday Vibes’ or something similar.

Heartbreaker Please, like much of Thompson’s output, is unshowy yet quietly effective. ... The album can sound a little too cosy, where you’re often yearning for something a bit more raw and less polished. Yet if you’re looking for some timeless, classic-sounding pop, then Thompson does a very good job.

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.

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.

At 16 songs and a mere 43 minutes, Chromatica can feel a tad frenzied, but in the round marks a deft return to Lady Gaga’s club-pop roots, resplendent with much ’90s influence. There may not be anything really new here, but why mess with this formula when it can produce such engaging slaps and dancefloor empowerment? Gaga is back, with her bangers intact.

All in all Suga is a very promising work, an enjoyable snapshot of a rapper becoming a bona fide star.

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’s never an easy listen, sure, but there’s method to the madness.

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.

While a few of the songs could do with a harder edge, that’s not Salvat’s style. What he has delivered is a record that is heartfelt and tender, direct and emotionally challenging, while still sporting enough tricks and flourishes to fill the dancefloor with bangers to spare.

On one level I Love The New Sky is simply a collection of engaging songs but on another it’s a call for togetherness, an appeal to stay strong and embrace life. Whichever view you take it’s very much a record for these times.

The term ‘easy listening’ is a little taboo these days, often replaced with the more benign label ‘ambient’, but these ditties represent the former in every meaningful sense.

A great deal of thought has gone into these covers, now transferred to her own private collection. That does mean not everyone will buy into some very individual takes on well-known songs, but with soul and body laid completely bare, no emotional stone is left unturned.

Working with producer Chris Coady, I Break Horses embrace the power of slowing things down considerably. Many of the songs rarely get as speedy as a trot, and indeed, the opening track Turn, takes a good nine minutes to slowly detail a dissolving relationship. This, then, is music to get lost in, even when the content is at times worrying and dark.

There are a couple of songs that feel a bit like half-sketched filler, means that Williamson’s fourth album may not come across many people’s radar. Yet for those who do chance upon it, there’s much to enjoy.

For the most part, it’s an album of solid indie pop songs that, thanks to Harkin’s habit of writing great guitar hooks and vocal melodies, manage easily to worm their way into your ears.

It’s as good an introduction as any to Sleaford Mods’ peculiar charms.

When it hits the spot, Moby’s writing is still subtly powerful, but when it doesn’t a curious and lasting emptiness remains. This may accurately reflect the imbalances of the world, but as a musical work it ultimately feels off-kilter.

The result is immersive, experimental, bubble-gum, intense and deep with stunning layers – and echoes the lockdown zeitgeist.

The good news is that while it’s not better than Hippopotamus, their latest work is just as hilarious, and just as focused.

Stephen Merritt and his many collaborators have made a wildly varied and highly entertaining album that reads like a book of poetry and plays like a soundtrack to a particularly fun (barely remembered) summer.

What Perfume Genius started with Too Bright was strengthened and solidified on No Shape and has been brought into full focus here, and nurtured to full bloom.

A record that doesn’t always astound but has a fair few enjoyable moments, and some very effective vocal performances.