For the loyal fans, this is what they come back for. For the more casual Sleigh Bells listener, this may prove one full-length album too many.

There are some infectious grooves here and there but they don’t crackle and snap the way they once did.

There’s plenty of returning to old ground, but this is not a derivative record, and neither is it a return to form. It finds Metallica rediscovering what makes them tick.

Whether stark and menacing, grief-laden or simply plain daft, Lodestar is a triumph of storytelling and sound.

The experimental edge that Wainwright has introduced with this album bodes well for the future--while she may not be writing operas like her brother, she remains one of the most intriguing, honest songwriters around today.

This is a record that has finally seen the light of day after a bitter dispute between the band and their label. That something so beautiful and politically charged can emerge from the embers of conflict can only be a positive thing.

The ultimate result of that process remains to be seen, but in the meantime, it has left us with a beautifully rendered, intimately personal collection of very fine songs indeed.

It feels like the most human of his late works, with acoustic instrumentation carefully balanced alongside drum programming and vintage keyboards.

It’s an album that wanders a lot, but every now and again can hold you spellbound, much like Hersh has been doing her entire career.

The less is more production suits her, and for a first time we get a real and lasting glimpse of Stefani herself.

Lorelle Meets The Obsolete offer a heady mixture of psychedelia and grooves that, over time, becomes completely compelling.

There’s something monumental about it. Something of Swans in the way they harness the brutality of instruments played at the edge of breaking point. The same apocalyptic destination. There’s also a similar use of repetition, looping sections over and over with bulldozing impact.

So, all things considered, it’s another solid entry in McClure’s catalogue.

As usual the lyrics feel like they were written when stoned, but the music still shows creative engagement.

Beautifully produced it may be, but Two Vines is essentially an over polished collection of songs with less spontaneity in their composition.

How they pack so much emotion and feel into so little is nothing short of magical. Their previous bands might have dazzled with sheen and noise, but Until The Hunter impresses with the bare minimum from start to finish.

This album sounds brighter than its predecessor, more refined, sharply focused and coherent.

FLOTUS is most successful when it marries the influences from hip-hop productions with the pop-rock template that has essentially underpinned most of Lambchop’s previous work.

There’s nothing on Alone that could stand shoulder by shoulder to the band’s genuine classics, but perhaps there doesn’t need to be. At 65, Hynde has proved all she has to, and at this stage, it’s enough to hear that marvellous voice sneering its way through some new songs.

Beautiful, sad, uplifting, and thoughtful, American Football’s return is definitely something to get excited about, but in a subdued way.

It’s the sound of a band dabbling in other areas whilst still maintaining something of their roots, and as long as they don’t stray too far from the path that they have clearly mastered then they’re a band worth sticking with as they make their sonic explorations.

Some earlier fans of Obel may miss the more minimal sound of her early albums, and there’s certainly no big crossover track that will propel Obel to the mainstream. This is a haunting listen though, and one that will provide suitable company as the long winter nights start to draw in.

Aforger is one of 2016’s most impressive albums and will most likely be seen as key in years to come when looking at Douglas Dare’s development as an artist.

It’s utterly bonkers, but there’s so much raw talent there, once they’ve learnt to rein in their excesses The Lemon Twigs could go on to produce something truly special in the future.

It will obviously appeal to most long-term Keane fans (even without Rice-Oxley’s trademark tinkly piano chords) but anyone who’s gone through a bit of a tough time in their lives will find this to be comforting succour.

Three wears its scars where they’re visible, at times this makes for an uncomfortable and uneven listen, but when it clicks, they’re unstoppable.

More than any other record Wasser has produced, this one feels like it’s purposefully going for accessibility. This is not at the expense of creativity for the most part.

Not everything they attempt comes off--The End Is Beautiful is a harmless and cloying ballad and Through comes across as Jimmy Eat World by numbers--but for the most part Integrity Blues is an intriguing and varied entry into the band’s back catalogue.