Bazan’s wit and compassion shine throughout a dark voyage such as this; as one witness to a brutal suicide turns to black humour, while another, in contrast, valiantly tries to retain their emotional openness in a job that often requires distance.

Chock-full of gluey basslines and gleaming synths, Outer Peace is very much a dance record and it’s pure ecstasy.

Many of Sharon Van Etten’s fans may be disappointed by the lack of sadness and darkness on Remind Me Tomorrow, and while there are still elements of both in the album’s undertones, there’s more of a hopefulness and sense of promise that suits her just as well.

This is still the band we fell in love with over a decade ago: confessional, honest, enthralling. It's just that this time out they're sleeker and sharper than before.

The palette can feel restrictive, and the lyrical matter predictable. It’s a stepping stone, a moment of reconciliation and recollection from a talent who is just about to surge ahead.

You Tell Me is probably at its peak when it leans further towards these pacey, pop-infused moments. However, the handful of tracks that stray into ballad territory are still often striking--not simply due to the musical intricacies that lie within them but because Hayes' vocals evoke strength and tenderness in equal measure, giving them some real emotional weight.

Although Cogan delivers engaging and empathetic lyrics on growing up, changing relationships and even environmentalism, the album has a rather homogenous pace. Despite this, it’s hard not to at least be momentarily charmed by Tallies' nostalgic trip.

Her zephyr-like voice acts as a guide through her mind, gentle yet assured, and the tone of her delivery illustrates the grey intricacies that shade her world: past, present and future.

Overall, Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. is a pleasantly nostalgic, brief album--half of which is sensational and the other is painstakingly poor.

December is a difficult month for many ('The countdown's started / It’s a hollow toll for the heavy hearted') and these songs are likely to resonate with those feeling adrift. How comforting they are, despite the lack of 'wise men and virgins', is an additional triumph.

His final statement cuts a broad swathe, taking in soul, pop and psychedelia across its 11 ambitious tracks. ... A fine songwriter has bid goodnight.

Across its concise 42 minutes they move from shimmering electronics, and sounds akin to techno, to more ambient waves, with each mood laid across a foundation of intricate, textured layers of sound that seem to continually reveal themselves over repeated listens. Blink and you could easily miss a detail, but Selling will keep drawing you back to discover all of their secrets.

The title track of Van the Man's 40th (!) studio album, the slow jam is a brilliant blues number based on rolling Rhodes keyboards, fat horns, thin cymbal splashes and a vocal with such clarity, concision and quality that it will stop you in your tracks. Yep, that good. The rest? Well, you've seen this movie before: blues, jazz and soul standards delivered with minimum fuss and maximum quality.

For all its bodily closeness, Camila Fuchs hold back on scratching and pinching when they should.

Far from a superfluous 'for fans only' reissue, this five-track record (which has been beautifully mastered from the original analogue tape) is a little piece of gothic rock history that should sit proudly in the record collection of any fan of The Cure, Joy Divison, Siouxsie and the Banshees et al.

There's so much going on in this record, but it's far from a case of throwing everything against the wall and seeing what sticks. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is a considered, ambitious album from a band who are constantly pushing themselves.

These are songs for the faithful and the uninitiated; universal yet strikingly intimate.

My Name Is Safe In Your Mouth is warm and intimate, offering a moment of reflection and introspection.

Goldblum doesn’t bring nearly enough of his own unique persona to the performance; his band is competent without making any particularly interesting choices, and the only memorable moment comes from Sarah Silverman’s affable guest appearance.

Not quite Hertz’s most dazzling work, but another string to the bow for one of electronic music’s most intriguing artists.

Syrian Plains will get heads banging, while John is more likely to lead the dancing--and is the most joyful track on this generally bleak, occasionally repetitive album.

The ex-Coral songwriter is unafraid to experiment on Yawn, and--aside from a few songs that lose a little of their immediacy due to similar tempos and an abundance of shoegaze guitar--the likes of Mither ('Is that your key in the door / Nothing else would mean more') showcase Ryder-Jones as one of the most distinctive, comforting and essential voices we have.

The main shift on this album in comparison to previous work, and you feel that Wind Resistance has emboldened her to do this on record, is spoken word and storytelling.

The ten tracks collected here are an excellent slice of brilliantly composed pop masterclasses, and only further add credence to the idea that Folick is indeed the real deal.

A challenging but rewarding album, Aviary continually grasps towards communication, exulting in common humanity amid societal ruptures.

The vividity of NAO’s lyrical expression leaves the listener deeply enthralled and invested in her stories. Thankfully, downtempo closing track A Life Like This provides some reassuring confirmation that everything has come together.

A masterpiece that puts MØ firmly on her own pedestal as an individual artist rather than a recurring feature.

For his fifth album using the How to Dress Well moniker as an intravenous exploration of the hold that music has over our fragile human hearts, Krell has perfected his process.