Marigolden is yet another triumph, not only for Partisan but for the frozen tundra of America's Midwest.


Yet for all its overwhelming menace, Congrats is a record that never gets fully lost within the darkness; the band demonstrating a perspicacity to chain one another up when in the past they would have ran feral.

While this easily could have been an enjoyable throwaway, with two young artists linking up for the hype and moving it, it beats all odds to stand as one of 2017's most enjoyable and essential moments.

Arc Iris is a breezy, clever and flirtatious debut solo album which immediately puts Jocie Adams's former output firmly behind her, and should find her a devoted and expectant audience.

It is the lack of cohesion between music and voice that remains the most prominent feature of the album and its biggest stumbling point; leaving May a disappointing effort from an artist that we know can do better.

Ultimately, Ought have created an EP that does not draw attention away from their debut album, but instead builds on it, driving their intensity forward and reaching further outwards for raw emotion and energy.

It is an album with a vibrant, thumping heart that, while bruised and battered, keeps beating through it all. This is music made for people who have needed music to keep going.

The combination of Rozi Plain’s curious, hopefully wistful ... songwriting and the meandering, caressing lull of the playing makes room for new, soothing life within the singer’s work.

It's a pity they remain slavishly committed to a successful template and too often Atlas feels like a memory of a memory.

Parquet Courts succeed at remaining magnificent, without really exerting themselves.

The songs are each densely packed musically, but so taught and unpredictable that it's clear that they are the vision of a single creative mind. Angel Deradoorian's mind is vibrant and open, and on The Expanding Flower Planet she's inviting you for a visit.

So It Goes leaves a refreshing aftertaste on the musical palette and feeds the masses a full course of east coast education.

Boat is a self-assured, mature body of work with a set of songs that sit beautifully together. The album has space to breathe, alter direction and progress over its duration.

Bottle It In does enough to keep himself and his fans happy, but it leaves waiting those of us that wish a bit more from him.

He's a very capable multi-instrumentalist, but at no point does this album feel like his prowess is being waved under your nose. In amongst all the order and logic and the standardised tools he employs, something of a beautiful soul is fashioned. He has made an electronic album for humans.

Whatever headspace produced Swimming, it captures this perfectly.

In Each And Every One exemplifies the idea of music as an experience. Whilst it might not pull the tropes of a soundtrack album, it does have a cinematic quality.

It's encouraging that there are some clear signs of expansion on Brightly Painted One, but the question now is whether Tiny Ruins really have anywhere else to go.

In Better Oblivion Community Center, Oberst and Bridgers have made a true collaboration, finding a middle ground between their experiences and styles that is truly fertile. All of this is to say that the surprise of Better Oblivion Community Center may only comprise a few genuine surprises, but even what’s predictable about it is utterly lovable and well worth your time.

The result is a mixed bag of songs with which the group continue to earn their moniker, through moody orchestral pop pieces adorned with the group’s signature electronics, but we’re left wondering whether the soundtrack might have been more interesting.

To listen to this 69th Kicks is to enter Peggy Gou's home, kick your shoes off, and hear her very past and present, her very process. Sure, you'll end up dancing, but the couch is always there.

Silberman’s compositions are packed with poignancy and are captivating.

It's rare to come across an album that allows you only the faintest impression of its workings while simultaneously impacting you in a profound way.

A common pattern on this record? A feeling of positivity and amusement that shines through in almost every song, while still preserving a solemn mood.

Valet's third LP is proof that hazy guitars and dream-pop vocals aren't just for smoke-filled basements. When done right, anyone can take the journey and float with the music rather than get buried inside.

These improvised pieces are intricate and certainly stand up to repeated listens, and the album makes a good companion piece to Bishop's previous, rather fine, acoustic recordings.

The contemplative, climactic nature of Suicide Songs, filled with layers of swirling strings, glorious brass sections and celestial vocals, resonates with an affirming sense of having confronted death face to face. The timelessness of this album reflects the nature of its subject matter.

Throughout you can’t help but feel the constant swing of life’s moods, channeling through Elias Bender Rønnenfelt to become a drug that’s uplifting, unifying and ultimately deeply entertaining.