‘KOMPROMAT’ is an album that cements I LIKE TRAINS once more not only as a force to be reckoned with but as a band who are able to deliver a delicate critique on society.

Overall, 'S&M2' is a worthy successor to its predecessor, but not without its faults. ... From the outset, it’s clear the recording is sharper and punchier than its 20-year-old counterpart, but with a far less forgiving mix. While before the orchestra and band blended into one digestible wall of noise, at times, it sounds like instruments are competing for room this time around.

‘The King’s Disease’ finds Nas grappling with a raft of contradictions, contrasting the opulence of his lifestyle with the need for vitality in his message. It’s not perfect, but it’s less an end product, and more the search for creative process – by the end, you become convinced the Queens rapper has found his throne.

Working versions under soon-to-be-changed titles, these sparse arrangements are more than just sketched outlines. Stripped down to their rawest nerve, unfiltered yet purified - they transport us straight to the feeling.

“The power of conceptualising who you are has really informed this album,” Owens states about Inner Song‘s essence, and her second album executes it perfectly. This album is an eye-opening discovery of self, laid bare for all to see.

It is the blistering irresistibility of what is achieved at that point, which makes this record striking and inescapable.

‘Androgynous Mary’ is an excellent, excellent debut and examines themes of hope paralleled with despair. They have struck the balance perfectly.

Garcia allows these songs to ebb and flow without a clear end point in mind, allowing the interplay between her band-members to become this album’s primary draw. She has proven herself to be just as formidable a composer as she is a performer.

This body of work is as meticulous as it is melancholy, which is what makes it so profoundly personal and universal at the same time.

A group at their preening, pouncing best, ‘Songs For The General Public’ offers a full 360 view of the D’Addario bros. creativity.

Sheer, unabashed stadium sonics delivered with a heart of gold, ‘Imploding The Mirage’ finds The Killers providing one of the biggest – in both a sonic and emotional sense – albums of their career. It’s a propulsive achievement, pushing their songwriting to the limit in a thrilling, Devil-may-care manner.

‘Just Look At That Sky’ doesn’t presume to offer solutions; it’s an honest document of what it feels like to wade through anxiety, day by day, not a survival guide or handbook of answers none of us actually have.

The project doesn’t really find the band moving outside their comfort zone – indeed, ‘Candid’ is defined almost by how resolutely ‘Whitney’ it feels.

Unpredictable it may be. Biffy Clyro it definitely is, and its uplifting and optimism hook the perfect catharsis for a year that’s been nothing short of terrible.

With six of the fourteen songs already in the public domain, the LP tips its hat to familiarity whilst still creating a whirlwind of excitement from fans.

One of our greatest living guitarists has conjured up something truly special.

This is the sound of Fevre going out on a high, its nagging beat and air of sensuality sounding utterly timeless, yet wonderfully, weirdly, unique.

'Limbo' is certainly not a representation of his best work, but rather an example of a talented artist not pushing his boundaries.

Wistful and wise, ‘Twin Heavy’ offers a portrait of the young man as a record collector. With his magpie-like eye for treasure and eagerness to share, Willie J Healey has conjured something special.

‘Purple Noon’ shows Greene finding some musical maturity. While the album might not be as strong as his previous releases, we’re starting to see the real Greene which far more rewarding.

A record that feels incredibly refined, ‘JAGUAR’ is an expert piece of R&B engineering, with each individual part interlocking perfectly. It’s a wonderful experience, with Victoria Monét’s stellar artistry balancing the sensuality of sound with a killer lyrical flair that aims straight for the heart.

A brave and ultimately bold move, it’s hugely effective – direct yet sumptuously nuanced, ‘Dreamland’ is a triumph.

As the tracks progress along the album, they get better and better, and more experimental too. These are tracks which have been made to be played in arenas with their throwback influences.

Overall, ‘Such Pretty Forks In The Road’ is relatable in parts and uninspired in others but for a few key moments of simple brilliance it’s worth a listen.

A record worth savouring, it sits alongside NewGen R&B talent – step forward ChloexHalle, we see you Kiana Lede – while retaining that classic touch.

Taylor Swift’s quiet, exquisite album.

It’s a real banquet, a feat of folk re-contextualisation driven forward by the sharp emotional instincts of its formidable maker.

Subversive, non-conformist and melodious, this record has the credentials of a classic rock and roll album. The decision to take a radical approach only works for the few, the possession of ammunition that’s needed to master such a challenge is not for anyone. Fontaines D.C. have it.