Although on the surface this sophomore record is a less vulnerable effort than his acclaimed debut, if the listener scratches even a little below the up-tempo melodies they will discover the same shambolic protagonist, struggling with the strife of everyday life which they fell in love.

A strong component of the record is the varying light and shade between tracks, with head-bangers like 'Heavy Bells' sitting alongside reflection and soul.

If Springsteen’s characters aren’t all that multifaceted, they’re at least part of songs that are. ... When Springsteen cuts into his characters’ pain is when Western Stars stands out as one of his best late-period works.

Although The Names clocks in with just 9 tracks, the depth of theme, variety and overall production values give enough weight to the notion that Baio has bridged the gap from recreational hobby to serious solo artist.

With Father of the Bride, Vampire Weekend expand and re-contextualise their own creative universe, offer more questions than answers, take new risks, and open up new possibilities for their artistic future. In the process of doing so, they add at least a handful of brilliant tracks to their discography.

There is no ignoring the allusions to the natural world. And with big orchestration and even bigger ambition, the band were able to show just how we are only a small part of something much bigger.

Exiled is urgent and breathless from a band who need to be heard.

It’s a culmination of just about every texture they’ve explored before, fostered through unmistakable maturity.

There may be simple logic behind the phrase quality over quantity yet here there is clear cohesion and thought.

With five tracks over the course of 32 minutes, it never outstays its welcome, though if you listen to it at the wrong end of the day, the overall effect may become soporific.

This record should be coupled with its predecessor but it without doubt exceeds its ambitions.

Content Nausea doesn’t feel like a landmark release for the band, more of a palette of ideas and experience mixed together with some undeniably great songs.

Overall Enter the Slasher House is perhaps too subtle to sit amongst the likes of the Cramps, Goblin and Zombie Zombie playing John Carpenter, on your future Halloween playlist.

The fact that Tempest offers very little in the way of hope (the rest of the album's tale has been one of disaster so to believe any happy ending will last is naive at best) is representative of her bold story-telling, but it also means that through heavy beats and dispiriting lyrics, this is a tough album to get through in one piece.

Upside Down Mountain suggests that he's starting to move into a new period of his career where he can use his wisdom to write songs that are passionate in a new, more mature way, without having to try to dredge up an old fire that doesn't quite burn as violently anymore.

Light Conductor have made an accomplished album with a retro-futurist sensibility and it is clear that they have moved this project forward under their own terms - long may they continue to do so.

The Peace and Truce of Future of the Left is a dark and dynamic listen that's relentless in both its content and its approach, which makes it really quite gripping.

There are tracks on here that will undoubtedly go down in the pantheon of great Ty Segall songs and be taken out on stage to thrill and delight. The rest can be quickly and easily enjoyed, then entirely forgotten about--which doesn’t really matter, since we’re probably only a year or so away from yet another Ty Segall album.

They continue to write overwhelmingly catchy and energetic songs full of anthemic shout-along choruses that feel hopped up on one too many energy drinks, and though Kamikaze doesn't differ all that much from Blowout on the surface, the music here comes off a little more raw and crunchy, and also a lot more melodic.

As far as solo jaunts go, this is one she should be immensely proud of. It's Macomberesque as opposed to Borrellian.

By no means is Infest the Rats’ Nest the best ‘heavy’ album of the year, that honor is shared by Lingua Ignota and Baroness. But it’s not crazy to suggest that Infest the Rats’ Nest is one of the most valiant efforts of 2019, one that has only furthered the wondrous mystery of Melbourne’s beloved band.

Jay Som is truly at home on Anak Ko, and it shows. It may not pack a wallop, but it's always welcoming, and, sometimes, that's just what we need.

The first half may be more instantly accessible but the final three tracks of The Invisible's third album sees them slip into their favoured lane and take the mantle as the most hypnotic and aurally enveloping band in Britain today.

With each album Snoh Aalegra shows progression. From Don’t Explain, to FEELS to this latest release, Snoh has taken parts from previous releases to create this record whilst keeping her authenticity.

It's cerebral, visceral storytelling. How you feel about that is your prerogative.

Despite Jack White's claims that each song is separate due to the archive nature of his source material Lazaretto is a cohesive entity made distinct by the range of styles and structural arrangements on individual tracks.

Flashes of sudden genius seem to make up for the spotty manner in which P2 is delivered in, an album that, although hype-worthy and buzzy, fails to make a truly lasting impression. However, if East can bring his same passion along for when he's finally ready to offer his debut proper, we hopefully have something to look forward to.

Painting Of a Panic Attack, while not their best release musically, may well be their most emotionally mature.