For My Crimes is a glorious album that demands to repeat listens to try and work out the hidden meanings of its songs and stories. As the nights are drawing in, pull the curtains, dim the lights and give yourself to its country gothic charm.

Wise’s third record is a glossy-smooth addition to a stellar discography, oozing with infectious melodies, tempered production and lashes of sex appeal.

The songs that do aim to be bigger however, simply don't stand-up against their previous work or the mellower parts of the album.

What Peck provides on Pony is music framed in that mould, and in doing so offers a brilliant palate cleanser to the vast majority of overblown, raucous and vapid compositions that have taken over the genre over the course of the last three decades or so.

His voice is something of an acquired taste but, this minor caveat aside, The Year Of Hibernation is a genuinely unique debut.

This range of styles on New could have been distracting if not for the material’s solid foundations, spontaneous energy, and frequent naked emotions.

It would be wrong to say that this is an enjoyable album, but it is rewarding in its own way.

With ‘Land of Sleeper’ Pigx7 have managed to sharpen their uncompromising combo of Sabbath-esque riffs and experimental leanings into their most easily digestible – and perhaps best – album yet.

The songs are largely beautiful, the vocal performance is mostly impeccable and the recording generally captivating, but so was its predecessor.... not quite as good live album.

Elegant, understated, Chastity Belt is the sound of a band matured, and it’s all the better for it.

It’s inspiring, and above all else incredibly catchy.

At just ten tracks, it’s an easy listen. Of course, some of them have more repeat playability than others, but there are none that feel like filler.

Real Estate emerged as a band renewed, the palpable unity in these performances amplifying their sense of purpose. A Springtime joy.

‘Shadow Offering,’ is beautiful and heartwrenching, pulling on listeners’ heartstrings. The album offers a sanctuary by easing anxiety and fueling hope, acting as a sort of security blanket for these unnerving times.

And my sixteen-year-old-self waits with baited-breath, wracked with the same nervous excitement I had a decade ago except this time, there's anticipation and expectation, justification, even, for an album I've waited almost half my life for.

While the pace hardly fluctuates wildly, the constant twists and turns create an emotional collage that's stunning: expect to be left contemplative and euphoric in equal measure.

Aat only just in their twenties, they’re still wracked with as much uncertain as they self-assure; a dichotomy conveyed perfectly across Try Not to Freak Out, and something which makes the record both ballsy, and utterly irresistable.

The band's third generation began just after the turn of the century and this LP completes a trilogy of new work that is confident yet vulnerable, refined yet earthy, moody yet flippant, representing a highly commendable contribution to the current scene, suggesting they are more relevant today than ever before.

Jazz-heavy, experimental but rooted in beats, Migration plays with your emotions in a way that befits a post-break up period--and is yet another fine offering from the Ninja Tune mainstay.

Less folksy, more funky, Kiss Each Other Clean is a rather more lively, sometimes even poppy record.

This new full-length suggests that while Nedry haven't quite found their way there yet, the journey should be fascinating.

An unconventional masterpiece.

Representing the sum of all the label's split personalities--including the rousing microhouse of closer 'Good Times'--it should be listened to more as a celebratory catalogue than a seamless concept LP; a worthy precursor to next year's 'Twenty Years Of...'

It sees the Canadian doing what he does best--welding samples together obsessively, and wailing a lot over the top.

It's impossible to shake the notion that here is an album that might just prove to have longevity--to be a loved collection of stunningly written and presented pop songs.

And The Anonymous Nobody is still an impressive new installment in what has been a largely-unblemished career run.

Williams manages to retain the transportative element of his previous work while slightly neatening the edges.

Though it is far too early to start talking about this as one of their finest records, I have no doubt that 'Firepower' could slip through a wormhole in time to stand in the mighty presence of 'British Steel' and 'Screaming For Vengeance' and feel no shame.

It is an album that demands repeat listens, but this is fine, as with each listen we learn a little more of its secrets, but once they have been cracked Bon Voyage becomes something greater than its parts.

Say what you like about the album, it’s impossible to deny it is blazing with confidence and a witty, abrasive humour. What we loved about Slaves when they emerged into the DIY punk scene has returned into the mainstream, and about time too.

Meek Mill has definitely earned his place as the people’s champion, and in turn has provided his best album to date.

This is the Bollywood-tinged, swinging disco album you deserve.

‘What To Look For In Summer’ is an enchanting compendium of the bands live work and is an ideal accompaniment to spirit you away to those carefree summer days of enjoying live music.

Always Inside Your Head is often a frustrating album, peppered with sparks of genius and disappointing dead-ends. Ultimately, though, it’s another example of an artist constantly – restlessly, you might say – developing.

The rawness to his vocals add grit to a sound definitely polished, but not sanitised. ‘Some Nights I Dream of Doors’ may shed the crudity that helped build intrigue around Obongjayar, but there’s enough here to excite the faithfuls and attract new members to ‘OB Dream Corp’.

A revealing, continually powerful set of songs, ‘Here Is Everything’ is a fantastically engaging experience, arguably the strongest set The Big Moon have placed their name against.

‘Higher Than Heaven’ is a pitch perfect return. Following her excellent 00s channelling Calvin Harris link-up ‘Miracle’, Ellie Goulding is on her best form since those epochal blog era bops in the 2010s… and we are here for it.

CHVRCHES are a still a terrific alternative to the barrage of mind-numbing EDM and soulless euro trash of acts such as Icona Pop that permeate our airwaves and devour advertisements. Another heavenly and peerless collection from the Glaswegian synth-poppers.

It’s heartening to hear, after all these years, that time has not diminished the intensity of those performances.

His camp fire ramblings and angry rants soon become tiresome with much of Turner's fourth album feeling like material he has trod before.

III is a triumph that takes pop and redefines it, and may come to be seen as a watershed moment for the group as they hit full stride.

Not every track is as strong as ‘Black Skin Girls’. ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ showcases what Beyoncé can do at her best and most creative, yet consistency is an issue with this eclectic album.

The album's arrangement of serenading beats and jazzy undertones has genuinely proven that Kehlani is a force to be reckoned with.

Compelling back-story aside, Understated--Collins’ eighth solo album--is a magnificent set of songs.

All of this ultimately comes together to create an utterly enchanting piece of work. A record filled with countless intricate and carefully considered elements, and yet one that never feels cluttered, or at risk of losing its pervasive emotional resonance.

There is plenty of time for Guwop to build upon the formula that already has him winning.

A warm, endearing release, Everything Ever Written is a bold and profoundly independent return.

This record is an exploration into the synergy of reengineering technology and humanity. Let yourself be taken on the journey.

‘6PC Hot’ is a suggestive, highly creative return, one that suggests fresh possibilities while further reinforcing the songwriter’s future-charged brand of arena level R&B.

It’s this tight-rope walking of pop-maturity, moment-capturing awareness and beauty-in-simplicity attitude that has aided in Seinfeld’s rise to the top of the dance music ladder, and has helped him shape a record that showcases exactly where he is sitting in terms of sonic aesthetic right now.

Of the two acts, Costello’s pinch of dry spice makes this set more his vehicle to champion, but both show a mutual, practical affinity.

With a limitless blend of genres, there are songs that your pop princess can access alongside her punk sister, uniting them in their struggle.

Typically for Gainsbourg, there's a real mix of things going on here, from relaxed fun laced with irony through to quirky takes on love songs full of the louche suggestiveness befitting of the most ardent romantic.

As a whole, Savage Times is a chaotic, yet interesting album.

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.

IV marks a refinement of the BADBADNOTGOOD sound and as ever is filled to the brim with gorgeous melodies and impressive digressions.

Occasionally the momentum wanes, but only the cold-hearted could fail to forgive the odd misstep from a band taking risks, shaping their sound and refusing to stand still.

In truth, the material does a decent enough job of filling the acerbic, punk shaped void left since their decade long absence.

Life is about growth, and with this bold, brave project Loski matures as both an artist and a man.

Each track will find its moment to shine, granting the ability to grow and evolve over the seasons. Skimming just under the forty-minute mark, Khruangbin conclude with a focused and consistent body of work, making their long-awaited homecoming.

Daniel Avery’s DJ-Kicks does nothing ground breaking and for a listener familiar with his productions and sets, will excite only for the new material it contains.

As the songs start to slow in the second half of the album, the focus starts to wander. The songs aren’t bad, The Drums have put out a lot worse, they just drop the thrilling momentum of the earlier half.

‘Tonic Immobility’ establishes a consistently immersive pull into a world that you don’t want to be in, but that you can’t quite escape.

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

Undeniably impressive, ‘Three’ neatly frames the wondrous aspects of Four Tet’s work. It doesn’t move beyond the landscapes fans will be familiar with, choosing instead to embrace a more understated pursuit of evolution. For those in search of electronic beauty, however, few albums will be more radiant or rewarding.

This is more Ben Frost than Burzum, more interstellar overdrive than terrestrial church torching. And it’s just a bit brilliant, basically.

Bolt on an undeniably zealous execution, a set of simple yet well-written songs, add an element of confident adventure via some experimentation and diversity and the rebirth of indie may just have found its leading protagonists.

Molly Burch’s debut saw her emerge as one of the finest songwriters around, and the follow up only cements that.

A strange brew of instrumentals both delightfully becalming and playfully boisterous.

An album pieced together by a band in mourning, with the sweet sadness of O'Riordan‘s voice layered over, makes it cruder, rawer yet ultimately more truthful and hard-hitting, evoking the charged vulnerability of their very first releases.

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.

HWTD has dug himself a neat, little songbird alcove and it's one only he can reach.

It’s a ridiculous, and ridiculously enjoyable, treat, a sign that rock and dance don’t have to be at odds with one another. Taken as a whole, ‘Typhoons’ is a daring evolutionary gesture, one that finds Royal Blood claiming fresh ground for the future.

Uncompromising and unconventional, ‘Glasgow Eyes’ sit comfortably in The Jesus and Mary Chain canon.

Much like the show itself this is a wonderfully crafted set (check out the deluxe ‘condiment’ vinyl), which is at times both smart, sweet and very, very, stupid.

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

A distinctive, nigh-on unique listen, ‘Isn’t It Now?’ is a fine experimental broth for Autumn listens.

This time, the concept of political awareness reigns supreme, accompanied by some funkadelicious licks from The Roots' guitarist Capt. Kirk.

t’s open season on genres here. There’s the puerile punk of ‘Hollywood’ (“makes me wanna puke”), and the misguided balladry of ‘What’s With You Lately’. But they’re the only real bum notes. This experimental streak finds better pay off on ‘Hymn (Remix)’, crammed with juddering synths, and the delicious 80s pop of ‘Can’t Cool Me Down’. Sometimes, they veer almost to the middle of the road, radio-friendly hit ‘Martin’, warmed up with muted brass and intricate looping.

The Blue Hour is unlikely to win Suede many new followers, but it should convince any fans of old that their vitality is restored and they are at the peak of their powers once more.

Though her personal tragedy has been transformed into an affecting record of real beauty, one truly hopes Li’s next chapter isn’t quite so agonising.

The only shortcoming is that Machinedrum lacks a definitive singular angle, making him amongst the frontrunners of dubstep/juke interpretation, but not quite ahead of the pack.

Food is a fabulous and immediate record, rich with muted brass and low-key electronics.

This is a strong record that's all the more powerful for being so wonderfully, majestically disjointed.

‘The Don Of Diamond Dreams’ is a glorious album that yields more and more with each listen. And listen you need to, because if you don’t you might miss something.

Overall, it's a glittering, multi-sensory synth-pop record that compels you to let yourself be transported through cosmic dimensions and the rich, textured under-layers of Beck’s creative psyche.

It’s an ambitious and sprawling work that tackles some big topics, but it’s not fit to hold a candle to the likes of ‘Lemonade’, ‘Blonde’ and ‘A Seat At The Table’, all of which have furthered the cause of confessional R&B this year, and have done so while being resolutely down-tempo.

Highlights ‘Voice’ and ‘Sonic 8’ will be a surefire test for any club or festival sound system to really prove its worth, and the cold, menacing techno of ‘Release’ sounds a bit like the insides of a power station working really hard to keep a city warm. That said, if you don’t have the huge rig needed to do these tunes justice, and with the days outside just getting warmer, it might be a tough sell to sit at home and curl up with ‘LP. 8’.

More in keeping with the spirit of indie rock iconoclasts bar italia, say, than Autechre, it nonetheless feels wholly deserving of its place in the Warp Records catalogue – questing, free, and dissonant, it’s the work of a group who remain steadfast in their ability to challenge themselves.

Best listened to with the context of Part 1, the way Part 2 rounds the 'Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost' era off makes for the argument that this is Foals' most accomplished body of work to date.

The album does lose momentum towards the end but hey, here we have a relatively new band experimenting with the boundaries of their proposed genre, with generally impressive results.

This is a debut with lots to love, abundant in experimentation and overall pop accessibility--and not many comparable collections can claim those qualities.

Sure, it’s not as good as ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’, but c’mon, it was never going to be. But as an exercise in getting back to where you once belonged, El Pintor is highly successful.

There’s little here to alienate his fanbase: these 10 tracks might sprawl in length but they’ve a familiar mesh of earnest words and slow builds, autumnal in hue but with a fireside warmth.

Some songs do pack a bigger punch than others, but at a brisk 33 minutes, the album never once outstays its welcome and even throws in a few surprises along the way.

Lovely tunes and scrupulous attention to detail make Resolve Poppy’s best album to date, equally suitable for quiet relaxation as well as a more conscious enjoyment.

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.

Accept no imitators; SALEM are back and are still capable of giving us the ultimate soundtrack to the end of the world as we know it.