Circa Waves do what they do very well. And ultimately both volumes of Death & Love do a decent job at documenting an undoubtably traumatic time in Circa Waves’ lives.

If there’s a fault to We Are Love, it’s probably that the immediate hooks that define The Charlatans’ best moments are missing. It’s an album more built on atmosphere and feel, and you do sometimes miss that exhilarating rush that tracks like One To Another, Love Is The Key or Weirdo had in spades.

On songs such as this [Fairchild] and Chapter 16 Dave sounds focused, engaging: ingredients of a great album are here, but he’s yet to stick the landing.

West End Girl is an extraordinary album, one that not only belongs in the long list of great break-up albums, but also in the best pop albums of the year list. It’s often an uncomfortable listen, but it’s also one you can’t stop yourself listening to.

It’s an album full of quiet confidence, and of an artist having the courage to move out of her comfort zone. It may not prove to be Hannah Jadagu’s big commercial breakthrough just yet, but by the sound of much of Describe, that can’t be too far away.

For an artist who’s capable of making genre and generation defining records, Deadbeat just simply isn’t good enough. Too much fluff, too many unfinished ideas, too ponderous, too flabby.

Some long-term fans may miss the studied cool of the band’s earlier material, and there’s a definite sense that, as good as they can be, Bar Italia are still a work in progress. Yet it’s a work in progress that can, when they hit the right notes, sound utterly thrilling.

Mixing hardcore punk with pop rock is a tricky proposition, and it’s definitely a dog who’s had his day, but Militarie Gun play with such sincerity and passion that it becomes infectious.

The whole record is exhilarating, a bustling house party where the aux is only ever passed judiciously.

Silver Bleeds The Black Sun… is not just the next entry in their incredible evolutionary cycle, it genuinely feels like the culmination of what the band have been trying to do for over a decade.

It’s an album rich in ideas and confidence, and will only cement The Last Dinner Party’s status as one of Britain’s most exciting new bands.

After almost 20 years together, they’ve produced a record which is both an essential addition to their back catalogue and a hugely rewarding starting point for anyone who has yet to become familiar with their work.

It’s an emotionally exhausting listen at times, but it’s also a frequently stunning one.

It’s an album where time invested is rewarded, a cohesive collection where all constituent parts interlock in satisfying style.

The Life Of A Showgirl isn’t a particularly bad album, but given Swift’s immense back catalogue, too much of it sounds like an artist on autopilot and in need of a rest.

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.

While Am I The Drama? isn’t perfect, it certainly has enough bangers to keep her relevant for a few more years.

These songs have a level of depth, detail and ambition that show how Case does things emphatically on her own terms. This album reveals her to be at the peak of her powers, extending her already strong legacy in hugely satisfying fashion.

Heartbreak is rarely as raw or bittersweet as it is on Michelangelo Dying. It is a brave piece of work, Cate Le Bon surrendering to her feelings in a costly emotional investment but delivering a piece of work whose release must be immensely cathartic. Such inner strength proves ultimately uplifting.

Saving Grace is just a testament to the joy of making music – a true ensemble piece where every voice and every instrument serves the songs.

In a parallel universe, Getting Killed would be the album that catapults Geese into superstardom. .... This is Geese’s finest album to date, and one that will no doubt find its way on to many people’s best of the year list.

Despite Tim’s absence, LSD is awash with his presence. LSD is a masterpiece and evidence of what can be done in the face of adversity. It’s a record whose importance is more than its music.

The wit and the orchestral touches that have always been part of The Divine Comedy are still present, but Hannon’s personal touch elevates this collection of songs to something even greater than he’s produced before.

Possibly Lekman’s best work to date here. The Swede’s unlikely side-hustle has inspired an album that looks at love in all its myriad forms, and does so quite brilliantly.

While there may not be anything startingly original on the album, as a collection of cool, stylish floor-fillers, you can’t go far wrong with Perimenopop.

Dim Probs feels more personal, confidential, and ultimately vulnerable. It reaffirms Rhys as a generous author, celebrating his first language but taking in rich influences and instrumentation from countries far and wide.

Some of the songs have one too many musical ideas being thrown around, and the album is arguably too long, but the fact it doesn’t tail off in the second half shows the consistency of its inspiration, the excesses illustrating the raw creativity within. Jade understands what works in pop music

A fine return for an artist who seems as vibrant as ever, even in his eighth decade. Newcomers who have yet to discover the genius of David Byrne are possibly better directed to the Talking Heads back catalogue but long-term fans will find this to be an invigorating and often joyous addition to his discography.