This is a career high from an artist about to reach his creative zenith.

Tense, manic strings chop away at the languid celebration, presaging a gathering storm of noise that reaches its peak only to be plunged abruptly into silence. No neat resolutions here, folks. Onwards.

A synth heavy, angst ridden, paranoia-fuelled musical monolith filled with catchy hooks, heavy drums and nods of the cap towards Dubstep.

A rich, fascinating, and perplexing album, The Curious Hand continually deals out new and unexpected elements, stretching Seamus’ until it breaks into the spirit of fanciful experimentation.

Eton Alive captures the self-proclaimed “Best Band in the World” as wide-awake as ever, dolloping fun all over their music like it’s Daddies Brown Sauce.

Breathless and perplexed with ears ringing, the live trip of ‘Rare, Forever’ will be a must witness.

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

An uplifting album with a distant and ever present sadness culminates on a high note, and then right before you know it, you’ll start it all over again.

Suffused with an indefinable sense of melancholy, the likes of ‘I Can Change’, ‘Home’ and ‘Dance Yrself Clean’ instil the rubbery electro with a tangible soul - whilst ‘Drunk Girls’ delivers a giddy hit of bony post-punk.

Though undoubtedly a beautiful set of tracks, Once Twice Melody suffers from its length – almost eighty-five minutes is hefty for a listen in one sitting – and the occasional clashes in instrumentation and vocals, with sequenced drums and synthesisers taking away from the warmth of Legrand’s voice.

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.

Where once the band may have occasionally caught your ear, these songs command attention throughout.

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.

Sleigh Bells' novelty though, lies in a tingling barrage of granular guitar distortion and overdriven, over-compressed girl-pop squall.

Essentially, it’s rock’n’roll at full pelt; Bob Mould doing what Bob Mould has always done best.

Wonderfully engaging from the first line of opener ‘Our Girl’, this cracking debut mirrors the nuanced nature of modern life with equal parts noise and softness.

This set of tracks will stand with their most masterful.

Sabrina has created a bold body of work, exciting and unfiltered, as she navigates the highs and lows of her life up to this point.

Both shockingly immediate and with immense replay value, TYLA’s debut album taps into the emerging energies of spring to produce one of 2024’s most insistent projects.

Transcendental trance with some fierce poetry and song? Colour us impressed.

Let Them Eat Chaos is engaging and at only 48 minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome. Tempest seems to relish the challenge of delivering a concise but complex story over a compelling variety of instrumentals.

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

Dust is divisive and at times challenging. Yet, in Halo’s restless experimentalism we find moments of unexpected beauty.

While the duo may have expanded their sonic palette, it’s Alice Merida Richards' distinctive vocals that give the record depth and weight.

Whether performing the fabulously jaunty ‘Man Is An Animal’ or the vituperative anger of the title track, Knox is a truly compelling presence.

A fascinating return, ‘Bolted’ is often greyscale in tone and shading; rolling back the physicality of ‘Compassion’, it seems to find Forest Swords revelling in a more minimalist, yet also profoundly empathetic space.

Overall No Shape sees a new exciting chapter for Perfume Genius, one that’s happy to fully throw off the image of the tortured artist for brighter, bolder entity. The future looks a little brighter.

It’s a statement of intent from Billy Nomates, unbalancing sonic scales and weaving this into a force to be reckoned with.

Spine-tinglingly brilliant.

While it isn’t as immediate as ‘Everybody Down’ or as viscerally brutal as ‘Brand New Ancients’, there is a new maturity here. Tempest is baring her soul, and scars, for the world to see – she doesn’t need to rage to get her point across. There is a powerful understatement to this album that yields more secrets with every listen.

If you could see sounds as colours, a la synathaesia, this entire album would be a kaleidoscope of audio-visual, acid-trip imagery.

‘Red Moon In Venus’ solidifies Kali Uchis’ appeal as both a fringe artist leaning fully into her idiosyncrasies, and a crossover one executing universal easy-listening with élan.

While it might not be as cohesive as some of his previous work, ‘Is It?’ is a beautiful reconciliation, revelling in making something from a place of struggle.

Shorn of its visuals, ‘Shadow Kingdom’ remains a fascinating listen. .... Facing down his past, he comes close to eclipsing it, and offers magnificent proof of his continued vitality as a performing artist.

It’s an album embracing difference, accepting highs and lows: just what we need right now.

Except for two electronic led numbers that become more of a slog than a celebration, Gwenno has once again married the otherworldly with the primal with supreme effect. Another contemporary Cornish treat.

Western Stars is an understated triumph, righting the wrongs of his last few releases and more than emphasises the fact that Springsteen is still brilliant enough to be invested in.

This is West’s most polarizing record to date, yet the discussion surrounding it gives a healthy charge to a rap game saturated with the same ol’ same ol’. So no, Yeezus isn’t a great record, but it doesn’t have to be.

The jury's out on whether Miguel's offerings as a whole are indeed superior to Ocean's, for now he should be content that they share a space at the pinnacle of genre-defining pop music.

In an age of hostile austerity manufactured by moral panic-inducing powers, Ezra Collective’s debut effort is a polyrhythmic balm for disillusioned youth seeking a dose of musical dopamine.

A record of sustained power, ‘Re-Animator’ manages to pull together many of the band’s finest elements, offering something complex yet accessible.

It’s a road record to soundtrack a hazy journey across the outback in search of a lost love, contemplating the world whilst swigging on a beer. Hope Downs is far from perfect, but it has charm in abundance.

It’s a quietly self-assured and immersive album that should mark out and reaffirm Pratt’s singularity.

It is a beautiful, enigmatic, joyous, sultry, utterly fabulous and insanely-inventive album that delivers above and beyond its expectations, quite a feat for a record conceived by one of the best British artists around at the moment.

It’s a delightful, towering debut that will indeed leave you ecstatic.

“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.

The album is Kelly Moran’s finest work to date and really shows why she is in a league of her own. She is moving in her own field.

Rossen redefines the boundaries of musical imagination with his long-awaited, wholly confident debut LP 'You Belong There'.

What ‘The Line Is A Curve’ teaches us is that Tempest is still capable of tremendous feats of lyricism and dynamic storytelling; if its inconsistency feels a little frustrating at times, it’s perhaps testament to the flow that bound together previous records with such success.

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.

‘C O S M’ is the first dramatic reduction in pace, but proves to be only temporary respite, as the album’s second half builds to a glorious finale. Hopkins remains in ascension, and no one is on his level right now.

The process seemingly thrived on capturing ideas when they were half-finished, and this ruptured, fragmented approach gives ANIMA its character--tearing down productions, reigniting processes, this is a wild, careering feast of sound.

‘Bike Lane’ doesn’t quite strike the balance, and as such isn’t a highlight, nor is ‘Shiggy’. But they’re done so wryly, so knowingly, that it’s not a big deal and they don’t detract much from what is an assuredly sparkly album.

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.

Not everything on All Nerve works. But then, perfection was never the aim for Breeders; instead, they’ve provided something vital, visceral, completely modern. In never once looking back they’ve re-captured the incessant energy that drove ‘Last Splash’, and given us something to take its place.

‘Sometimes, Forever’ takes risks, embodies the freeing, ephemeral nature of life, and the joy of following your inner monologue as you follow hers.

It’s the honest messaging that makes ‘WORLD WIDE WHACK’ her bravest work to date. This is music to get lost in. Whack seems to have lost herself and found herself within it too.

A very clever album that plays with musical codes and conventions brilliantly to create something greater than the sum of its parts. This could be the bravest Low album in recent years. It surpasses ‘Double Negative’ in a way that is surprising, but also feels obvious.

For this project Ben Cohen has taken the vocal outtakes and sketches and has crafted wonderfully rich and vibrant music around them. Is it what Leonard would have wanted? We’ll never know, but it doesn’t sound out of place in his rich canon of work, which is the important thing. Long-term fans will revel in another chance to lap up his wisdom and that captivated audiences for almost 50 years.

While Carry Fire showcases some of Plant’s best and most confessional lyricism, there’s no denying that this is an album that stands out most for its lusciously complex musical structures and influences, allowing for it to purvey an other-worldly quality.

Each note feels necessary, each word feels heartfelt – in chipping away at the excess to reveal these personal snapshots, Maggie Rogers has unlocked something very special indeed.

The album is littered with exquisite collaborations.

Everything suggests that, on the strength of this set, The Land of the Brave won’t need a referendum to prove its independence.

Live up to the hype? The short answer is ‘yes.’ The slightly longer answer is ‘yes, but not as you’d expect it to.’ Funnily enough, the record packs something of a slow burn effect.

Offering up a mix of pop, hip-hop, R&B and a sprinkling of trap and neo soul for good measure, Lizzo covers all bases and serves the perfect introduction to her world for mainstream audiences.

Overall, aside from a lack of sonic variety from song to song, ‘Velvet’ is a strong showcase of a soundscape that is – pun intended – smooth as velvet.

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

Kember’s vocals throughout are thoughtful and full of promise for the future, rather than the more recent sombre Spectrum albums. ... At times Sonic Boom feels like a long-lost friend you bump into by chance. He is the same person he was in 1989, but he has also grown a lot too. This comes across in ‘All Things Being Equal’.

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.

Our Love is a record that feels distinctly his own, accessible yet containing minute touches that you’ll need to listen to many times to appreciate.

It's too early to say if Currents will be the masterpiece that Kevin Parker is remembered for, but not too early to state that this is his best LP yet, a near-perfect album in a body of already remarkably impressive works.

Code Orange’s aim is not to upset the status quo but to rob it. Are they delusional? Absolutely, but the sheer, clear-eyed ambition they exhibit in pursuing the impossible is compelling enough to make ‘Underneath’ an absolute must-hear for anyone who dares to dream differently.

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

‘Dawn’ is the product of years of curation, brimming with emotion and beautifully articulated lyrics.

Whilst there are some bright gems for Jacklin fans interested in her ability to be vulnerable and confessional, there seems to be a whole lot of build-up – and not a lot of climax.

Jaar shows signs of evolving here, and it’s more than welcome. For a record that feels chaotic at times, everything falls into place.

Despite appearing torn between a middle-finger attitude and something much deeper, ‘333’ triumphs in never having a dull moment. It’s a document of character and expression while hopefully pushing forward to something more focussed.

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.

Kelela treads new ground unlike anything in music today--cavernous, avant-garde R&B that moves the body and heals the broken heart.

'Sour Cherry Bell' doesn’t quite come out of the blue in the same way as its predecessor. Even so, there is a sense that the artist has once again quietly stepped out from the shadows to deliver this, her second record - apt for someone whose music has an absorbing habit of unfurling before the listener into full bloom from seemingly nothing,

The sparse palette - Lenker’s acoustic, incidental percussion, reassuring tape hiss - serves to isolate the quiet brilliance of the melodies, setting their winding, spontaneous beauty against angst that spans existential questioning and the nuts and bolts of severing ties with someone you care about.

They’re reborn, revitalised, and really rather good.

A U R O R A is both testing of boundaries and transcendental of beauty.

Overall, Modern Vampires Of The City conveys one hell of a sense of permanence from a band that once seemed ephemeral and frivolous.

Whilst the premise of this album is for Ariana to purge all memories of her previous relationship whilst coming of age into her third decade, it’s highly unlikely we will be forgetting about ‘Eternal Sunshine’ any time soon.

Ultimately 'Under~Between' is the work of an artist serious about his music without being a Serious Musician.

It goes without saying that he hasn’t lost what has made him a permanent fixture of British music for so long.

Produced by man of the moment, Danger Mouse, the sound remains unmistakably Black Keys but adds further dimensions to what is already a winning mix.

Here, we hear hints of funk, jazz, Americana and folk--and before you know it, the album’s ingrained itself.

This is the album we've been waiting for, whether we knew it or not.

It doesn’t challenge expectation, but equally it does nothing, puts nary a single step wrong, to risk their reputation as a preeminent act of their kind, and of our times.

Things are prone to occasional lulls with three tracks exceeding ten minutes. However, Johansson is capable of some beautifully stirring music, and when this album soars, it is a treat.

This sophomore LP does a bit of everything, but this time around feels more refined, consistent and polished: exactly what a follow up should be. And on a label roster saturated with enormous amounts of talent, Rina Sawayama is making a pretty good claim to being the ruler.

Expectations for CMAT’s second album were sky-high, but she’s managed to reach new musical heights with ease and style. ‘Crazymad, For Me’ is another smash hit from a showstopper vocalist that really puts the fun back in pop music.

Passion is a puzzling thing, expressed in myriad manners. But it can never be fabricated, and Ought’s heated brand of it is amongst the most bracing sounds anyone can encounter in 2014.

‘Any Shape You Take’, rich in the emotional palette that it’s genre-free conveys, gathers together sentiments that may be familiar to many but haven’t been depicted in the vivid and complex methods explored here.

A daydream-like haze smudges the crispness of the beats while Lewis sings his osmotic melodies, his tones akin to Richard Swift gone disco.

Intended settings aside, Song For Alpha demands repeated listening, finding its place oscillating between the ecstasy and dejection of experience.