World’s Gone Wrong manages to turn the Tennessee-based songwriter’s urgent dismay and anger at the socio-political chaos that is tearing America apart into genuinely impactful and affecting art that is likely to endure long after the final splinters of the current mess have been swept away.

Too much of Quicksand Heart feels rushed, or perhaps consciously unambitious, eschewing bold creative strokes in favour of the kind of inoffensive consistency you might put on at a cheese and wine night to set the mood. Its best songs are worth a relisten; taken as a whole, though, it’s something of a disappointment.

Shaw’s untreated voice speaks directly into your ear, and Tom Dowse’s layered guitars are bright and upfront, doing so much melodic and textural work that they seem to wrap around and fill the space in every song.

It’s simultaneously consistent and assorted, richly individuated without any overwrought attempts to appear authentic.

In breaking the tides of what was once familiar, Anna Von Hausswolff revels in the abundance that she fully embraces.

Bang is a great album, but more crucially, it’s an important one.

The fuzz caked like dust onto Ellis’ demo mixtape has been cleaned off on Blizzard thanks to its proper mix and production job, allowing his extraordinary flirtations with folk music to shine.

An elephant in the room – the overproduction of his tracks. While they do not completely ruin the album, it neuters the vulnerability that is expressed. Otherwise, fans will be pleased to find that Keaton Henson reigns well as a solid singer-songwriter in today’s climate.

The sonic palette wanders into romantic and mythical laments and as a result the actual relationship loss is portrayed as cosmic. This could be seen as melodramatic or overblown at times but given the notion of the all encompassing love at its heart is also, perhaps unavoidable. .... Vocally, she continues to be a force.

There is a broad crossover appeal, and there is so much to unpack. They have taken the sounds of their EPs and expanded into something more expansive, without losing what endeared them to audiences. This is a thrilling, evocative debut that lives up to the hype.

Ehrlich’s resplendent falsetto is still at the centre of everything, but there’s a serious depth here in the writing that elevates the material above the group’s previous two albums.

Yes, it’s an unashamedly ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ record – but who really cares when the results are so enjoyably convincing?

It’s so unrestrained that it sometimes loses its grip, condensing several albums worth of ideas into a single project that isn’t quite as compelling as the sum of its parts, the sum of its collaborators, or the sum of its energy.

Mercy shows woods and Elucid delving more deeply into surrealism, their lyrical flows, brimming with uninhibited leaps, often bordering on stream-of-consciousness. The Alchemist’s approach is lighter, his treatments perhaps more precisely wielded than on Haram. With Mercy, Armand Hammer continue to radicalize and aestheticize rap, pushing language beyond the conventional – all while reflecting the savage world we live in.

Sorry remain excitingly unfileable with their third and likely best album to date. Simultaneously, though, they’re fast becoming one of the most reliably exciting pop-indie-rock-whatever bands in the UK today.

It's a bravura performance from all concerned; for all the album's unquestionable strengths, you may wish for a drop more of the same raw sawdust-kicking passion and bite during some of the more restrained proceedings that follow.

Her introspection has not only led to her most vulnerable and earnest record but also a display of everything she has worked towards over her career.

Off the Record is a magnificent treasure chest built for deep dives and repeat visits.

Those who aren’t invested in live performances may find Everybody Scream less compelling. The deeper the record goes, the more dependent it is on Welch and co’s theatricality that can sometimes only be appreciated by seeing it seep into their stage presence before your eyes. .... Luckily, there are just enough tracks on the album that emanate with such radiant energy even on stream, beckoning you to lose yourself in the restorative and ever-expanding coven.

Ending the album with a couple of more easily accessible songs – closer “Price of a Man”, despite being groovier and addressing toxic masculinity, is also quite conventional by their standards – may be the band’s attempt to attract a wider audience. And they do deserve a wider audience. It’s just that you hope they can get it without having to lose the spark and spirit that makes Again such a thrilling ride.

There’s a pleasant sea-change at the mid-way point on “Togetherness Is All I’m After”, with the dropping tempo allowing some finer feeling and vocal range to return, but tracks like “Cell Phone Blues”, “Love Chant”, and “Marauders”, feel forced and lumpen.

It's clear that these compositions are infused by strong emotions and the inescapable weight of memories, but it's not always easy to interpret the hidden meaning.

Much of the record takes the well-traveled Just Mustard path of slamming guitar pedals together until a mind-melding guitar sound summersaults out the other end. This process may as well be the Ted Lasso Way for shoegaze, but few others can boast the ear for melody and a measured control of the chaos like Lovecraftian, tortured Blondie.

The album details not just a break-up, but a shift in how relationships and human connection work in modern times.

It delivers successfully on its objective to keep things light and easy while dancing the night away. It’s not that deep, but it might just be Lovato’s best effort yet.

The now-classic title track to Born In The USA features twice on the uncommonly strong extras included on this five-disc deluxe reissue of Nebraska. ....The set of Springsteen's solo demos from the Nebraska sessions is startlingly strong, especially the four previously unreleased songs. .... Then there's the original album. Brought into sharper focus via remastering without losing any of its essential murkiness, Nebraska remains the gold standard for modern solo troubadour records.

Circle is a compelling, often mesmerizing listen, but you might have trouble finding a foothold.

The album ends suddenly and uncertainly. We’re left with plenty to mull over but, equally importantly, a great desire to hear those ginormous hooks all over again.