Deeply cohesive, conceptual and considered. Controlled while still being unexpected. Comforting within confines, placing a new level of distance and boundaries between her personal life and her fans as she focusses on feelings over stories.

‘Fever Dreams’ is very possibly Villagers’ most ambitious and endearing record to date.

There are some real moments of beauty on the record - 'In Blur' aches and sparkles, whilst singles 'Great Mass Of Colour' and 'The Gnashing' showcase a band adept at building beautiful soundscapes even with the guitars turned down - but at a certain point, the album suffers from the lack of depth in Clarke’s vocals, or range in his melodies.

This release feels infused with self-assurance and pride, merging know-how and passion with a strong vision that only seems to get bolder with each release.

It’s often difficult for pop-punk bands to bring something new to the table, but in ‘Model Citizen’ Meet Me @ The Altar have completely out done themselves.

Despite having occasionally moments of deflation, ‘Loving In Stereo’ is more refined than past work. Loaded with retrospective jams and summery hits alike, the record leaves their growth open to further exploration.

A rich, rewarding experience, this isn’t an album to be understood easily – uneasy listening, it could be their most enlightening record yet.

‘Different Kinds Of Light’ shows Bird navigating melody and emotion with impressive command, a musician in all senses of the word. Continuing to colour outside the lines on future material could make Bird a household name for years to come.

A strong project from Fredo who shows how to be successful by sticking to your own sound. The production of this album is perfect with the choice of beats getting better as the album progresses.

The answers aren’t as easily obtained as on its Grammy-winning forebear, but ‘King’s Disease II’ dares to ask questions of its maker, and its audience.

Independently released, ‘shame’ is raw and expressive, the result of infinite creative freedom after leaving their label.

Twenty years in, and Liars are no easier to comprehend – but that’s makes their version of the truth so compelling.

He sounds freer than ever. ‘The House Is Burning’ subverts expectations. ... Rashad’s music is like a sonic encyclopaedia of Southern rap reference points.

It’s immersive and ambiguous, these tales belong to you as much as they do the person next to you on the train.

Patiently moving into a new era, ‘Happier Than Ever’ is shrouded in a transformative darkness.

Remaining difficult to pin down even after several listens, it platforms a true artist whose creativity isn’t about to be hemmed by the marketplace – he’s got higher goals.

Eleven years on from her debut, TORRES’ songwriting remains as infatuating as ever.

A reinvigorated set, it’s the sound of a band resurgent.

Whether in love, experience or pain. This album supplies much-needed evidence for those experiencing heartache that their tale is not solitary, but there’s no right answer, and there’s comfort in that.

Playful yet packed with feeling, ‘For Free’ suggests that this is one music legend whose story is far from complete.

While it features some surging highs, it doesn’t quite dispel notions that Anne-Marie has yet to nail down a singular sound she can call her own.

Self-consciously designed to echo a transformative lysergic experience, ‘Yellow’ comes to embody everything Emma-Jean Thackray strives towards, and describes: you emerge in a quite different space than the one you entered in, the world around you subtly transfigured.

He draws on the many splintered facets of UK rap – and other sonic traits besides – while somehow transcending them. Literate, wise, and emotionally devastating, ‘We’re All Alone In This Together’ places Dave at the absolute pinnacle of British music.

The “highs” are as potent and heady as ever but ultimately, they’re ephemeral.

‘Gold-Diggers Sound’ is an effortless and easy listen thanks to the high production value, Bridges’ velvety-smooth vocals, and the strength of his songwriting, it’s set to be one of the albums of the year.

‘All Over The Place’ swaps the focussed UK rap of his debut for something broader, balancing soulful guests and slick production in the process. While not everything here excels, it’s a bold record and cements KSI’s place as a key player in UK music.

A dazzling display of technical and emotional virtuosity, ‘Busy Guy’ is an incredible experience, a work of true intimacy from a songwriter whose return is long overdue. Magical.

A transitional work that finds the songwriter operating with a subtle sense of evolution, it’s the sound of a supremely gifted young artist finding space to stop, and ask: what not…?

‘Faith’ succeeds by offering not ony an elegiac portrait of Pop Smoke, but also a vision of what he could have become.

It doesn’t disappoint. Unapologetically heavy, with some spell-binding riffs and addictive hooks, ‘Below’ takes us across twelve gritty tunes all reflective of the turbulence of fourteen months spent in isolation.

Clairo is clearer now on who she is and who she wants to be. On ‘Sling’ there is the sense that Clairo is in flight, except this time she isn’t running away from her little ghosts. On this record she runs towards them, even dances with them a little.

The album’s 14-tracks takes the listener on a mystical journey of hope, realism, racism and, eventually, the bright stars above. Unfortunately, with every shot of adrenaline and excitement that comes through tracks such as 'Obrigado', 'Mirrors' (featuring SnoH Aalegra and Cam O’bi) and 'Skip To My Lou', there are other that slam on the brakes just as forcefully, just as momentum and energy were building.

It sometimes feels a bit too quick, with most of its tracks coming in at or around three minutes in length. Overall though, hardly anything is forced and it all feels well presented and devilishly melodic.

Wilson has a fantastic ear for the unexpected. Similarly, the timbre of ‘Mountains’ sees Wilson’s vocal blend like a true instrument. A woman strong in her practise, with little room for improvement. 'ALPHA' is Charlotte Day Wilson in 360.

‘It Won’t Always Be Like This’ distills an optimism we can just about taste, but can’t quite feel. The sound of a band coming into their own, it finds INHALER taking a deep breath, and making the most important step forwards of their career.

It’s not easy to write an album about yourself without seeming egotistical, and it’s also not easy to write one which touches on themes of gang violence and poverty without falling into braggadocio or morbidity. On this album, Vince Staples has pulled off both. It may be a short album, but it’s an incredibly deep one.

Despite its meticulous and grandiose instrumentalization, this record is Nandi Rose’s 'Camelot', a masterclass in her own interpersonal gut-wrench, where she has finally figured out how to build a wall of sound that compliments her breathtaking vibrato.

Aiming to pin down essential emotions in a personal way, ‘Utopian Ashes’ succeeds beyond their imaginations – a crisp, entrancing song cycle, it’s unaffected feel helps it linger long in the memory.

The result of her personal awakening is an album that is cathartic, tender and heartbreaking in equal measure.

Balance aside, ‘Get Up Sequences Part One’ sees the band doing what they do best, wading into an often cynical world filled with apathy and melodrama and detonating a glitter bomb - and you’ve always gotta love them for that.

‘Pink Noise’ is a triumph for both the label and for the super-talented Laura Mvula.

Masterful in its softness of touch, Sault know when to apply and relieve pressure; at moments it can be intense, yet others are bathed in a beatific R&B halo.

Instead of throwing perspective on her fears, anxieties and problems and helping to alleviate them, that context and duality only amplifies them. They become her, and she becomes them. ... ‘Hurt A Fly’ is one of the more optimistic-sounding songs on the album, but even its hopeful tone is laden with the threat and/or promise of everything crashing down. The tender strains of ‘Pass’ also offer a glimmer of hope, but one that, inevitably, eventually burns out and turns to dust.

Pom Pom Squad seize these influences and DIY them to fit their own Gen-Z aesthetic. In other words, ‘Death Of A Cheerleader’ is a tour-de-force that toasts to all of our own Dumb Bitch Selves.

While the synth and electro are certainly there, it lacks a little punch.

'Escapades' is an audible hallucinogen, and it’s a trip you’re gonna want to take.

Altogether, 'Mood Valiant' is a joyous, frolicking ode to renewed life. It signals a strong return for Hiatus Kaiyote.

This is a record that showcases Tyler, the Creator’s continued refusal to be caged in by any set sound or genre, with references to his earlier style alongside tracks that sound completely new. Defying expectations, Tyler, the Creator continues to rise.

For 'Planet Her', there is a sense of predictability in that; if nothing else, you can expect a versatile project. Multiple layers mold the artist that is Doja, and as she is carving out a lane that is entirely her own, she is not afraid to be herself no matter how chaotic it may be at times.

A powerful album, confirming Home Video as another exquisite offering from Lucy Dacus.

What’s remarkable about this seven track mixtape is the sheer consistency of pop ideas on offer.

In its length and scope, there’s a feeling here of witnessing H.E.R. in 360 – panoramic R&B that more than justifies the wait, a sumptuous, multi-faceted jewel that seems to reveal fresh colour with each play.

‘Miracle’ delves the depths of human introspection with a tangibly cathartic gleam, imbued with an essence of that wondrous beauty that only miracles can possess.

Strong and raw instrumentation lays a varied and strong foundation for a subdued vocal performance that charms listeners into a relaxed state, in which you can float along to the soaring instrumentals provided throughout.

It’s a huge record, a panoramic thriller that places three incendiary MCs against a digital orchestra – an ambitious, lavish, and extraordinarily successful release.

A bold gesture weighed down with excess, 'The Voice Of The Heroes' is a worthy experiment, one that feels destined to be a cult favourite.

It’s rare that an album is ten years in the making, and honing that much emotion and experience into roughly 41 minutes is a monumental task. Chloe Foy accomplished it.

Continual evolutions has pushed them away from their roots, feeling less like a band and more like a committee, marking out different strategies without truly owning one themselves.

A 10-track wonder that is a more mature and eclectic take on her gloriously femme and thundering electro-pop.

Oddly, ‘Butterfly 3000’ shines brightest not through its movement but its precise arrangements. ... On those occasions where King Gizzard fully embraces the groove, however, ‘Butterfly 3000’ is a real treat.

Though 'Nowhere Generation' isn’t breaking boundaries, it doesn’t need to. Rise Against have carved out a niche that works for them, and if it aint broke, why fix it?

‘BUMMER’ is a record made to be played hard and loud, heard blaring out of car windows and making cavalcades in faceless crowds.

Sleater-Kinney permit themselves a few self-satisfied experimentations – not everything comes off, such as the slightly wayward ‘Method’, for example. At its peak, however, ‘Path Of Wellness’ is a riot, one that underlines Sleater-Kinney’s hallowed status while providing a continual challenge to the idea of them as a ‘legacy’ artist.

Listening to ‘No Gods No Masters’ feels like listening to Garbage again for the very first time, which is a terrifically thrilling prospect.

Carefully structured, ‘MAN MADE’ is able to caress the spartan sonics of ‘Away We Go’, for example, before plunging into the revelatory rock guitar of ‘Sinner’. In bringing such diversity together, the central creator is able to span opposites, and build bridges that perfectly amplify her touching lyricism.

Perhaps too slick for some, the Crowded House catalogue has never been afraid to be open. Maybe that’s a fault, but there’s certainly nothing wrong with a slice of innocence and songwriting purity in a landscape so smothered with irony.

Whilst there are still shades of James’ jangly indie-pop in parts, this album takes the band into a new sonic adventure where you hear lo-if leanings and pumping club beats.

Definitely not a reinvention, it plays to the band’s strengths while amplifying new qualities, a record as bruising as it is subtle. Working to their own passions and desires, ‘Blue Weekend’ places Wolf Alice beyond the reach of their peers.

Wyldest writes lyrics that are sparse, but that is not to say that they don’t have bite.

‘Jubilee’ sees Zauner fully unshackled for the first time, keeping the emotive core of her songwriting and marrying it with boundless energy and ambition. It’s truly a triumph.

A record you’re sure to fall hopelessly in love with, its immediacy taps into the endless zen of those long summer days.

In 13 tracks ‘The Waves pt. 1’ is an elegant accumulating of Kele Okereke’s work. It encapsulates so much depth and takes you on joyous rides that you can never anticipate the direction of.

You’re left with the impression that DMX was a true rap great who was on the verge of potent rediscovery, of claiming his place as a key factor in the growth of a new hip-hop generation. But you’re also left desolate that this simply wasn’t to be.

She continues to rise above our expectations. Producing a sound that would comfortably fit alongside the greats she once listened to on her Walkman.

As ever, this latest window into his psyche prompts as many questions as it provides answers - despite offering his usual warmth and intimacy, he still deftly keeps the listener at bay by retaining a degree of mystery

It’s majestic and beautiful in ways I never expected black midi to reach, let alone attempt.

Johnny Flynn’s consistently simple melodies and simply, his sheer musicality, are evidence of an artist in his prime.

Clocking in at less than quarter of an hour, the ‘Perfect’ EP is another jukebox roll through the band’s quieter and louder moments, both of which are largely on target from start to finish.

These tracks are like messages in glass bottles, making their journey from one continent to another, across a calm sea. Pure serenity. ‘Flora Fauna’ is proof that a woman can be many things.

Despite the few forgettable moments in the middle, ‘Scaled And Icy’ remains mostly strong in terms of sonics and lyricism throughout, and though it does end all too quickly it is an impressively cohesive production that doesn’t reveal even for a single beat that it was the product of long-distance virtual sessions.

‘Sour’ is the sound of a bold talent operating on their own terms – potent in its execution, revealing in its lyricism, it’s a record that finds Olivia Rodrigo effortlessly claiming her status as pop’s newest icon, and one of its bravest voices.

A project that outstrips most of his peers, ‘Intruder’ offers a stark and impassioned vision of our society – one that could well rank as his most complete project to date.

Its brevity might lead some to think it slight, but those who persevere with ‘Seeking New Gods’ will find yet more evidence of Gruff Rhys’ undaunted off piste genius.

With Ric Wilson, YMCK and Mndsgn coming on board, the band’s collaborative effort to produce a rebellious and determined album has been able to come to fruition.

The hype for his newest album, 'The Off-Season', reached astronomical heights. Fortunately for fans, they did not have to wait long, and the North Carolina rapper did not disappoint.

The best tracks on 'Haram' come together with crooked production that twitches with sharp samples and cuts, and AH’s billy woods and Elucid filling the space with pointed flows.

All good music transports the listener, and 'Afrique Victime' does that in spades while spreading a message of hope, resilience, and lessons on political inequality.

There are a few misses, however. ’Do The Romp’ is sheer bar room bluster, while ‘Coal Black Mattie’ seems to stray too far into the line of being merely copyist. Yet when it works, it certainly works – potent and atmospheric ‘Delta Kream’ undoubtedly has its heart in the right place, while the core material stands as some of the most addictive elements of modern blues songwriting.

She’s opening out her sound, and finessing her approach. The results are immaculate – and she’s only just getting started.

Much more than a simple retro retread, it bursts with life and invention, fuelled by the clear joy of the central ensemble.

It’s a record about growing up, and playing it straight; a more open, rounded experience than we’ve come to expect from St. Vincent, it’s a brave, fascinating record.

It doesn’t feel like as much of an instant classic as 'Your Queen Is A Reptile', but it has all the makings of a slower, more thought-provoking, ultimately more accomplished project, the likes of which will remain relevant for decades to come.

A beautiful vessel for messy emotions, 'Build A Problem' is a tour of the highs and lows of living and loving in your teens, twenties and probably beyond; raw, full of questions and yet celebratory as it revels in its big emotions.

Every entertaining diversion the band tries their hand at is balanced out by a nondescript jingle-jangler.

It’s great when I’m listening to it, but nothing really jumps out and lodges itself in my brain - perhaps harshly, it all feels like a puddle of slightly warm water where an ice cube used to be.

A kind of blue eyed soul take on the Basement Tapes, ‘Fat Pop (Volume 1)’ stands as further testimony to Paul Weller’s disregard for the expectations laid upon him.

Those that are used to their favourite tunes packing an immediate punch may be left disappointed, but the time spent ruminating has clearly served them well.

Overall, a very mature collection of sing-alongs. Templeman has proven that he is evolving as an artist. This is going to be a big year for this young crooner.