Rather than rushing into something, Inji is a complex compilation of his finest material.

Instrumentals is an album which is both easy to understate and overstate. ... By ingeniously pairing this music with the straightforward Songs, Lenker paints them as two pieces of a whole, two completely different recordings of the same state of mind.

With sonics so extraordinarily ornate and a soul-stirring sentiment to match, three men and their producer have successfully taken the listening world to church, and left it there waiting for its next sermon.

Woods’ song begins with a view from a beach, watching as zombies staggering into the sea, except these bodies are actually just people, pushed from their home countries by corrupt governments and post-colonial extraction. “Universities empty, the troublemakers is drowned or drivin' Uber overseas”. Moments like these prove Woods to be one of rap’s best ever storytellers and, what’s even more remarkable, is that among this Golliwog remains a distinctly New York rap record too.

Overall, this is an album that makes so much of the distant past and the present through intelligent working with and against classical music conventions. Recommended to anyone wanting to experience a beautiful and evocative soundscape created out of a highly original sensibility.

Satan’s Graffiti or God’s art? shows that while other bands may find themselves naturally winding down when several albums in, Black Lips are still going from strength to strength.

Charistmatically stepping onto the scene with an unmistakable presence in an era of reclaiming confidence is not an easy feat but Remi Wolf has delivered a debut that is powered by a true liveliness to be fun and real.

If Neo was hyperpop’s answer to Squarepusher, Lei is our Autechre. IGLOOGHOST has managed to create sounds that feel completely organic and naturalistic yet hyper-digital at the same time - anchored on occasion by violin embellishments, dutifully adding a tragic grit to the songs, stopping them from drifting away. There's a real variety too

Blømi leaves solutions for our current problems back in the times where they could have been useful. This can only be music as morphine: a painkiller mixed with transcendental meditation.

The Wants debut is bold, daring and incredibly effective. Separating itself from the regular indie noise, Container is an album that tells a compound narrative while experimenting cleverly with fine attention to detail.

May You Marry Rich is something all of its own; it has a sense of danger and a distorted outlook that is extremely alluring. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Her striking lyrical flow has become more relentless but comes off more like a constant drip of honey than an imposing assault, at least sonically. On the other hand, the subject matter of the lyrics is rife with Socratic lines of moral questioning and political comedy. Every track excels in a topical focus that will not be spoiled or summarized by the deadline-watching eyes of a critic.

With Tigers Blood, Crutchfield continues to perfect her songcraft and elevate the Americana genre – asserting a panoramic vision, radiating wisdom.

This is a stunning record, principally because of its narrative arc and complete cohesion--it's easy to see why they're leaving the traditional format if they've perfected it.

This second album is less of a record than an experience. You truly get a sense of cosmic alignment here.

Despite Hypercaffium Spazzinate feeling as referential as it does, it's surprising that there's nothing obviously referencing ALL, the attitude and mantra that populated some of their earlier records. The sentiment is there however, it's rooted in the record, its sheer energy, and the attention which has gone in to making it.

Just as Dawson clearly relishes being able to record with Circle, so too does the album feel like a treat imparted to the listener in the lead up to Christmas. There’s so much to unpack here. It’s a sprawling work, the shortest song being six minutes, the longest being over twelve. Lyrically, Dawson is on fine form.

A celebration of lightness, of fun, and of growing, learning, healing, High Road confidently and comfortably reconciles the different sides of Kesha which previously felt separate.

Cements them as no longer excellent imitators of the bands they once tipped their hats to, but worthy equals.

Scaring often feels more like a mixtape showcasing Peggy's inimitable skills as a producer, but its the addition of Brown's frenetic flow that elevates the patchwork quilt. It's his spiky wit and tonation which delivers a cargo-load of personality needed to spark the frenzy.

A Humdrum Star is a stunning piece of music making, and almost certainly GoGo Penguin’s best work.

There’s no doubt that we’ll look back on this album as an essential sound of the unparalleled social climate of 2020.

It’s consistently propulsive, passionately performed, and paced with euphoric enthusiasm to the point where even its still moments are pushing themselves forward. No faith has to be placed on Holley’s songwriting ability like on previous releases, and no climax must be waited for; each track cedes itself into moment after moment like sifting grains.

Live at The Troxy is still a gem of a record that acts as affirmation for those who were there that the show was as spectacular as they remember, and as a legitimate teaser for those who want to catch Fever Ray live next time she’s in town.

Gigi's Recovery is an excellent record, and The Murder Capital have laid the first real claim to Album of the Year.

The Past Is Still Alive is a remarkable album, one which achieves the impossible trick of capturing the mood of a nation and a vivid portrait of a single fascinating person – all within one gorgeous stew.

There is a feeling of higher power, an all encompassing truth or consciousness that pervades the album, and provides the thread to link their myriad sounds. Rather than an end, this feels like a reincarnation.

This is rich, idiosyncratic music that’s too wild and strange to copy.