Fin is one record in conversation with the others--a new model of creativity and one that has produced, at the very least, an excellent piece of work.

Lorn builds winning improvements on an already victorious formula of boom-bap nightmares gone crypt walking.

Having listened from beginning to end scores of times, it always retains its singular charm.

Apocalyptic, transcendental and drenched in a sense of pure epic-ness, here we get that wonderful rarity of a soundtrack that doesn’t just match the artist’s usual output but one that stands as some of its best. Grab your space boots and take the ride.

There is some measure of repetition throughout the album, with that constant beat keeping you on the move. But Twin Atlantic have produced an album of unashamed anthems and it doesn’t disappoint.

As a whole the LP’s similar tempos and approach cause the whole thing to float by like a long-lost memory, nice when you’ve clasped on to it but soon it’ll be running through your fingers and out of sight.

Bold, speculative and profound Impressions is a vital reminder that although we may keep moving forward and putting the negatives behind us, they should never be forgotten.

While Harmony Of Difference will delight jazz fans, it is a truly incredible record irrespective of genre. If you are capable of feeling, you will find much to love here.

A record that focuses on fleeting glimpses, on liminal evenings and burgeoning mornings, it’s imbued with sublime melodic flair and a lingering atmosphere that echoes after the final note has been plucked gracefully from Bibio’s well-served guitar.

With ‘Hell Is Here’, HIDE have shown that a quick trip to the dark side might not actually be a laugh, but it can be somewhat enjoyable, as long as you don’t mind the static.

In totality this album will leave you in a pool of your own unraveling. Margaret’s ambient soundscapes invite us to pour into those caverns of ourselves. She bravely lingers between the waning and waxing of duality: beauty, pain, suffering and light.

Ultimately, ‘Introducing...’ thrives because of how natural it feels – a record as authentic as the dust on Dan Auerbach’s control booth, it places Aaron Frazer as a golden-voiced embodiment of this modern soul age.

‘Assembly’ is so much more than a generic ‘best of’, it is a celebration of Joe’s musical genius.

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.

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.

'W' sees Boris fully exploring the lighter side of their sound. ... But the delicate beauty of these moments is magnified when Boris push themselves to the other extreme.

‘Learning How To Live And Let Go’ is a beautiful culmination in the XCERTS’ career.

Transcendental, life affirming and exhilarating, ‘For That Beautiful Feeling’ is pure unadulterated sensory overload and is a strong return for the shape-shifting electronic duo.

Despite the odd lapse in power, ‘Venom’ is a super-charged and dramatic record characteristic of Wargasm’s spirit.

This is their most mysterious and rewarding album yet.

The crisp, contemporary production is a revelation with the finer details bursting out at every moment. It’s a stark contrast to the original demo, which sounded like they were playing in your neighbour’s flooded garage and hurriedly recording everything direct to tape before the C45 ran out.

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

His incorporation of lo-fi house and cosmic techno uplifts through the smallest dosage, and induces a powerful stupor until you're out the other side, perching on a Balearic mountaintop.

Mason is going from strength to strength, and new album Above the Light is quite possibly the most grandiose thing he has released to date.

The album showcases Veirs’ warm vocals, deft guitar picking and country-inflected songwriting. It’s not all so stripped down as to be dull, however, and songs like the title track are intricately woven tapestries of strings, woodwind and cooing backing vocals.

This marvellous studio-recorded successor [to his debut album] is more expansive but no less affecting.

Rebirth is completely captivating.

There is a defining (and high-definition) period where the mix becomes less interactive, a little noodlier, and more prey to a mass observing sway.

The record thrives because of this surface-level wokeness, Miguel continuing to occupy his own lane as a vital, progressive artist.

Shea Butter Baby manages to meld contemporary R&B with other sounds like soul, funk, and blues, all while introducing us to the Ari Lennox of today – and the inspirations that guide her every move.

These monumental tunes are totally bewitching from start to finish with heartfelt moments and deep intent packed into every second.

Shorn of expectation and match fit in the middle of a long tour, four friends found each other again.

With its Krautrock-tinged rhythm, backwards guitar and soaring chorus, it suggests that this rested and revitalised incarnation of The Coral still has plenty to offer. Having grown tired, their enthusiasm is audibly restored.

The Neon Skyline is one of those albums that will probably never achieve the popularity with the influencers and loud crowds that one sometimes lazily associates with a “successful” artist. Instead, it’s more likely to be enjoyed by hardcore fans in a small venue eschewing the limelight for a communal lament of the lives of the narrator, Charlie, Rose and Claire.

Big Joanie makes their own home on the record, and in the process, their own mark on contemporary rock. In a nutshell: Big Joanie is a band that deserves your attention.

What ‘Perfect Saviors’ succeeds in, however, it exploding those aspects ever outwards, renewing The Armed and emboldening their most ambitious, rewarding album to date.

Yuck is a satisfyingly catchy re-enactment of what would happen if J.Mascis, Kim Gordon and James Iha had formed an early Pavement tribute band.

‘Savage Mode 2’ matches ruthless entertainment to phenomenal artistry, a collaboration that works on a number of levels. Once more exposing fresh layers to 21 Savage and Metro Boomin.

The strengths of My Name Is My Name vastly outweigh its minor faults, and Pusha’s studio debut finds itself easily nestled into the year’s top five rap releases.

With a running time of just under two hours, The Glowing Man may prove too punishing for some but those willing to invest time in its fiery depths will discover yet another remarkable Swans album.

‘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.

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.

Surefooted, revelatory, well-rounded and emotionally deep, ‘Council Skies’ cements his reputation as one of the best songwriters the UK has ever produced.

From the flicks of tousled hair and being pale and away with the fairies, the end product sounds more masterful and comfortingly in control than other fashion zeitgeists and angular pouters with every listen.

Hypersonic Missiles is packed with high octane hits, all of which translate into an impeccable record. Sam Fender’s debut is brave, confident and evocative.

This is a gem of an album. Personal, honest and highly emotive, it tackles big questions; but most of all, it dares to be vulnerable.

Sleeping Through The War strikes the perfect balance of the familiar and the alien to distill 45 minutes of musical opium. Bliss.

A record that walks the streets of West Africa and West London with equal confidence, ‘Strange Timez’ offers respite from the dark clouds that swarm above 2020, a gateway into another realm.

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

This is proper modern pop music: fierce and intelligent in its explorations, defiant and cool in its tone. Wondrous.

This is mood-manifesting music of exceptional quality, experimental electronic fare of substance and, crucially, heart.

If 'Fleet Foxes' was an unbroken hike up from the foothills into the peaks of the Appalachians, 'Crack-Up' is more like the winding train ride home.

You might think punk bands berating the patriarchy is uninspired, but The Spook School do so with spirit, vibrancy and clever honesty, demonstrating how candid discussions of gender and sexuality in pop culture is still worryingly subversive.

This won’t run as smoothly as her DJ-Kicks bow of 2015, and it’s not a mix you’re allowed to get comfortable with, the Siberian’s non-conformist stance playing fast and loose with the ideals of cohesion, and letting the faders lead punters astray.

However dreamy the music may be, mind, it's not all quite so heavenly. The main distraction is how overwrought it all is. This is especially prevalent in Granduciel's lyrics which he sings in whispered reverence.

Yes, at times it is ungainly and crosses over that line into sheer noise, but it never stays there too long as Giant Swan is all about the tunes, despite all the distressed window dressing.

The sonics are strange and hard to recreate: they are forward thinking but in some ways ageless, a natural fit for Tirzah’s magnetic voice.

Malleable, accessible but equally polished and bold, ‘Capricorn Sun’ will no doubt propel TSHA into new environments and challenges.

‘FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE’ is nostalgic, melancholic, hopeful and hopeless, existentialist and nihilist. Brian Eno is one of the few artists who is able to convey the things he does by using so little, and ‘FOREVER’ is a prime example of his mastery.

With new voices, new avenues of exploration and new lyrical viewpoints, The National, alongside producer-director Mike Mills, once again show their ability to reinvent themselves to produce something that is more than just an album.

Rainbow is a muddled hotch-potch that offers little beyond the fact it heralds her return. It's great to have Kesha back--it really is--but let's hope the quality improves in future.

This isn’t mere voguish reinvention but a masterful insertion into the most indecipherable of back catalogues, and its reliably mutable, endlessly wandering creator.

While New View is not especially novel, it still has some fine songs at its core.

It won’t be for the faint-hearted, but if the primal throb of Neneh Cherry’s ‘Blank Project’ ensnared you in the early months of 2014--and it’s hard to imagine how it wouldn’t have--then there is similar pleasure to be found in the utterly absorbing company of Rhythm.

Complex, thought provoking and undeniably engaging.

A record that alternates between the playful and the emotive, ‘My Boy’ thrives on the songwriter’s restless creativity, while never truly settling into one sphere.

Villains is the kind of album that sits at the back of class openly smoking a cigarette but still manages to ace its exams at the end of the year.

Something that immediately grabs you about this record is the production, which easily elevates it above its more naive sounding predecessor; the sound of new label Wichita making good on their investment.

No two songs sound similar and, while Jonsi’s vocals confirm that this is, really, the artist on the album sleeve, it is far from more of the same.

Whilst it’s nice to hear a change of pace for twigs (and to, on occasion, genuinely hear her laugh), there’s not as much focus on experimentation and expression, which could disappoint some exacting fans.

Taking inspiration from Al Green, Barry White and D’Angelo, produced with her long-term friend and collaborator Micachu, Tirzah manages to create a warped ‘90s R&B record with a soulful core and enough electronic dissonance for the modern age.

An album that's completely beguiling.

Most bands master a sound, but there’s the distinct feeling here that TOTS are merely vessels for a force operating somewhere beyond our comprehension of what can, and does, qualify as pop music.

With lyrical viewpoints and musical references more diverse than ever, this set is his finest solo release to date.

On ‘Ignore Grief’ they’ve done it again as the album is the most powerful and uncompromising album they’ve ever released. It’s also one of their most playable. This is down to the dense music. Every time you listen you hear something new that gives the song a different context. This is the mark of a, and I use this word properly, class.

A cornucopia of ideas and influences, here, Andrew Bird has created a veritable treasure trove of a record, where to equal the bare sum of its parts is a momentous achievement.

Building shifting ambient electronic compositions, there's no easy way into his world and Replica is a brooding testament to patience and investment.

Poppy is ready to leave her mark upon the world again with this hook-focused album that favours front-to-back consistency over constant mayhem and it makes you wonder what’s next.

Although ‘Modus Vivendi’ has oodles of instant appeal, the minute the rule book is thrown out the window, Shake is at the top her game.

Dornik has come out of leftfield to release one of the best quality and most addictive pop records of recent times.

The execution doesn’t always match the scale of its creator’s ambition but ‘Gemini Rights’ is a time capsule of Lacy’s metier right now, and you get the sense he’s one or two masterstrokes away from a classic that will be distinctly his own.

From the lyrical outpouring of questions and realisations, to the emotions encapsulated by these instrumental vignettes and thoughtful production, you get the sense that Maggie is at home here in this state of experimentation and consideration.

There’s a stunning candour to the lyrics, though it gets a little stodgy in the mid-section and, at 80+ minutes, is a little more verbiage than the typical album. Yet we’re dealing with an untypical songwriter, and the last two tracks are among the best he’s ever written.

As much as this collection of instruments can so often deliver the hair-raising tricks we expect, these pieces feel more resonant, more entrenched. The surface level thrills are there, but the impact lingers.

Though compact, Crawl Space draws the focus in on Tei Shi’s compelling and sultry vocals like never before and includes more elements of guitar.

The joyfully raucous Forth Wanderers bears testament to just how well the distance formula is working.

A marvellous new set, then, that only develops its makers’ already enviable reputation.

Musically scattergun, with vintage rock ‘n’ roll rubbing shoulders with post-rock sounds, there’s much to admire about this bold artistic statement.

This is a photocopy of the original Britpop blueprint.

An infectious offering, ‘Out And About’ shines a light on the band’s unified creativity.

TERRY are over the hype and romance of being a new band and their music is richer for it, veering off in all directions.

Malkmus' third (or fourth depending on which folklore you believe) outing with The Jicks, is a disappointing collection of hits and misses--with the latter winning on points.

Though it might overreach itself from time to time, this is a record with real purpose and drive to it.

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.

Wayne Coyne’s lyrics occasionally aim to capture some of the small-town desperation of a Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp, referencing go-nowhere greasers and bikers with names like Johnny and Tommy. More often than not, however, he reverts to his usual themes: spaceships, magic forests and the undimmed majesty of the milky way.

Scratchy, inchoate electronics, heavy, almost-metal power gestures and subtle violin all conspire at different points to make this a beguiling artistic protest of an album, and singularly one of the most considered and thought-provoking records of 2016.

Unusual, refreshing and vulnerable KoKoro is an album inspired by the political, environmental and the human conscious.

Bleeds isn’t a flawless album, but it is diverse and imaginative.