On Don’t Let The Kids Win, Jacklin proves herself to be an unlikely alt-country heroine, delivering an impressive, if at times understated, album that shows she has enough wit and wisdom to fill up a canyon or two.

The Midnight Sun is a heavily stylized return that does not fall for crude, archaic sounds to create its spectral atmosphere, but rather relies on timeless rules of composition; much like its predecessor, it is sure to be met with acclaim.

This isn’t synthpop à la Kavinsky, and there are no bangers here, or--if we're honest--much that will imprint itself upon you when you've played it through a few times.

Friends is White Lies’ least inspiring record both musically and thematically; they appear to be back in identity crisis mode, and it might not be recoverable this time around.

The tone and the simplicity and the subtle melancholy of these eighteen miniature pieces make EUSA the most charming Tiersen release in some time.

Smash the System isn’t too forthcoming with answers, but it is a fully engaged conversation with pop’s past and present.

She forges a mighty hammer and her album has a thunderous resonance for our times.

Ultimately, the only possible problem with Heart Like A Levee is that some of the cuts fade out too soon.

Too much of Stay Together sounds like it could be an ill-conceived Ricky Wilson solo record.

Phantogram have always been able to craft sleek, cerebral tunes, but it hasn't always been clear that they were having a blast doing it--until now.

The Altar is BANKS at her most confident and most empowered; tough and willing to accept her imperfections without a care for who’s listening.

Take Control colourfully, and often cartoonishly, blazes with a refusal to accept the monotonies of everyday life.

They’re pushing the boundaries and reinterpreting music in an exciting way within the digital age, making us pause to rethink and reminisce what was special about a specific age of music and the amazing technology that has come before.

Though Mount Ninji and Da Nice Time Kid is a far from perfect record, it proves that Die Antwoord have still got life in them yet, despite the recent hyperbole.

They never really embrace as much lyrical darkness as they did on their debut album, though, and they don’t exactly reach for the occasional glimpse of light either. As a result, All Your Happy Life is a lightswitch that keeps awkwardly flickering, intentionally making the mise-en-scène as unsettling as possible.

It all results in their strongest album for over two decades.

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.

Rich, deep, full of wit, rapid fire lyrics and fantastically unusual production, it’s Danny Brown proving yet again that he is one of the most exciting rappers working right now.

There’s no denying that Head Carrier generally veers between sounding like an exhausted tribute to their former configuration to feeling something akin to a disposable Frank Black solo effort via a few conciliatory tracks.

Her style is still niche, but Remember Us to Life is an important album for anyone invested in Spektor’s growth as a musician and, perhaps more importantly, a storyteller.

[The] band's most streamlined and forceful album to date.

He’s still capable of moments of absolute beauty.

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.

Minor refinements are enough for a group so fully formed from the start, and Dusk is Ultimate Painting’s fullest record yet.

A Corpse Wired for Sound is still distinctively a Merchandise album, even though it’s a relative departure from their previous work. It definitely sounds a lot lonelier than its predecessors, though, as if Merchandise have become isolated by their own intelligence.

Pretty Years is one of the best guitar albums of the year.

Lyrically, Ape is among his best records, even with a few missteps on tracks like “Fancy Man”.

Care is as close to a perfect example of modern music as you're likely to find--it’s self-reliant, self-assured and packed with more hooks than a cloakroom.