Much like Hunter, Remind Me Tomorrow is brutal, but it’s honest and open and true about how grim life is sometimes. By not pulling her punches, Van Etten has seemingly done the impossible--reinvented herself by doubling down on her own artistic tendencies.

Aside from the constant stream of new sounds and instruments ("Revolution" may be the first song to utilise a steel drum for its big drop), the other joy of the record is its themes of self-affirmation and courage.

Whether Poison Season is approached as an exhibition of those many individual pieces, or as an ensemble affair weaved subconsciously together, that conflicted point of view leads the listener to treat the whole LP as an exploration.

This isn’t dewy eyed nostalgia all weighed down with rose tinted reverence, though: he makes a respectful nod to the past by rifling through jungle and garage and so on, but each track feels like a poignant and yet propulsive reflection of Jamie’s personality and experiences.

The Districts have evolved into something bigger and brighter with their fifth release. Turns out Great American Painting is pretty great.

Cool World is instrumentally gripping, vocally enthralling, and lyrically calls out the horrors of late-stage capitalism.

On Song For Our Daughter Marling intimately portrays her subconscious, the one that’s paved the way for her to survive to this point years before these songs were recorded, in its brutal glory.

Much like Black Messiah, a slightly more heralded return of another long-absent polymath, it rewards repeated listens, even if they’ll barely bring you closer to actually understanding it.

Every aspect of A Black Mile to the Surface is ambitious and rarely, if ever, does it falter.

Jenny Hval remains one of the most powerful, honest and funny performers working in music today, and this dissection of her self and her work is fascinating to the point of obsession.

By leaning into powerful dynamics and their natural propensity for climactic moments, Foxing has crafted a remarkably emotional statement about feeling emotionless.

This collection excels by showcasing the depth of music that had the word applied to it during the album’s seven year time span ('88 to '95). That word, 'shoegaze', was applied to much more than just skinny guys looking a bit sad with guitars. By investigating these areas - from the end of the C86 scene through to shoegaze itself via grunge and ending with Britpop - Still in A Dream proves itself to be a truly comprehensive release.

Idles are one of the most exciting British bands right now and Brutalism is proof.

These stellar new songs show that there is still a way to turn that rubble into art as we try and rebuild what once was, and hopefully will be again.

No matter who it is, we know who Sampha is: a generational talent who has once again delivered a rich, emotional work for us to process. Lahai is phenomenal.

The band’s singularity makes their music something of an acquired taste. Hex Key is not accessible to a wider public. Or rather, only bits of it are, such as the catchy choruses of “Take Me” and “Nothing Lasts Forever”.

Ethel Cain’s debut was a feat of artistry. This is a feat of musicianship.

He’s produced his finest work to date.

Truly establishing themselves as the bright possibilites of guitar music, and blurring lines along with setting new ones out, ultimately with Blue Weekend, Wolf Alice continue to be the very essence of what is to be a band while also remaining - more importantly - human.

This lovingly and lavishly packaged reissue is a timely reminder of what a supremely focused and satisfying record Soul Mining is.

Waterslide, Diving Board, Ladder To The Sky is a brilliantly crafted album. Stylistically, all 12 tracks feel brilliantly stitched together, and the album as a whole is a complete standout for Porridge Radio as a band.

While lockdown may have forced Albarn and many others through a dark period, it’s produced some of his most awe-inspiring work.

Despite the odd misstep, it deserves to be lauded as the band’s finest hour as well as a genuinely bold adventure into the cosmos of heavy rock.

These ten tracks are an arrestingly assured summary of who they are now, while fully embracing their former selves.

The Hum is a shattering, all-encompassing experience; there's climactic rage, broken organs and blank-eyed trance outs. At times it’s like listening to war, but there are also moments of beauty, musical tantrums and periods of bummed out weirdness. The result of all this? Total exhilaration.

This album, as different as it is from the band’s other output, is simultaneously the most distinct Black Country, New Road has ever been.

Fusing progressive big-beats, deeply personal lyricism and intelligent song-writing, it once again reveals IDER as the indispensable voices of a generation. Utterly compelling listening.

Hadreas finally appears to have found a sound palette as provocative, forward-thinking and confrontational as his vehement, brave lyrical style.