There’s no doubt that Pile have made a bruising record, but it’s also one that is rich with off-kilter melodies, roaring guitars and moments of variety.

This is the best and most complete set of songs Spiritualized have made since Ladies And Gentlemen.

It shows more strings to his bow, with full on reckless hedonism mixing freely with cool electro. It's a heady, intoxicating brew.

He’s lived it long and hard, and with this album Bradley continues to lay out all the goodness and badness of life and love, with soul to spare.

No matter how many times you listen to Nightmare Ending, you will probably never figure out why it was given its title: sad or happy, deaths and endings are not treated on the album as nightmarish, but as natural to humanity as is emotion.

It’s compelling stuff; we need more musicians who are prepared to go nuts in this delightfully joyous way.

Tthe Icelandic trio has now adopted darker musical stylings to create a record that’s every bit as transcendental as their best work.

With A Vengeance maintains its intensity throughout, and by the time Thru The Nite’s hammering rimshots have died down we’re left with a promising collection of songs from this genre-bending artist.

In the streaming age many records are front-loaded to cater to short attention spans, so Tranquilizer deserves kudos for placing two of its most interesting tracks at the end.

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

The Bravest Man In The Universe is a success. It doesn't re-invent Womack as some sort of lost beacon of soul, nor is it an ersatz look at the career trajectory of a legendary figure. Instead the album posits Womack as a restless spirit, ever expository, invigorated and emboldened by age and experience.

With The Age Of Adz, Stevens may simply be trying too hard.

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

Although the majority of the songs only hang around for a minute, Dead In The Dirt are quite adept at changing tack mid song, no matter how ridiculous it might be.

Master is perhaps less dense than their previous offering, but still possesses the ability to invoke terror and occasionally, irritate. Despite these occasional forays, Master is a powerful album.

As a standalone album From Scotland With Love is good, but found wanting in areas of length and substance. As a soundtrack to a film, it’s wonderful. The context to choose is the listener’s.

Diablo is a sonically powerful record with a clear sense of identity, and this helps to push past any shortcomings as Gurnsey remains a great producer and one to watch in the alternative electronic milieu.

It shows him to be a musically omnivorous artist, should any proof beyond Field Music’s albums be required.

It does lack the melodic hooks of some of Field Music’s previous albums – there’s certainly nothing as instantly accessible as Them That Do Nothing or The Noisy Days Are Over, and some may find the somewhat ‘busy’ atmosphere of the album a bit overwhelming. However, it’s always good to hear the Brewis brothers back together, and Limits Of Language is a fine way to celebrate their 20th anniversary as a band.

By now, you know what you’re getting with Tunng – this may be an album with few surprises, but it’s one that seems to greet you like an old friend.

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.

On the surface, The New Eve Is Rising may seem simplistic and derivative. Yet spend some time with it, and its complexity and originality soon surface.

Uh Oh may not be an album filled with instantly catchy pop hooks, but instead is heavy on atmosphere and feeling. It’s an album to live inside, and although the general tone is muted, it becomes an affirmation that even the worst thing that can happen can be channelled into something inspiring.

A little patience pays dividends which, for the first time with an Andrew Bird release, are as emotional as they are cerebral.

Part of Lopatin's considerable appeal is his apparent refusal to settle.

It is the sharpness, leanness, and absorption in detail found on Howl that combine to make it a success. It’s not impossible that it could ultimately out-shine a lot of the bigger names it has been pushed up against this year.

The wilderness and going off the map might seem like a frightening concept, but after a little exploration, there’s beauty to be found everywhere.

It's fun while it lasts, but it's easily forgotten once over.