An ever present Gang of Four musical demeanor, and the untiring pace of Fugazi makes 'The Chaos' quite aptly relentless.

The Eel Pie Islanders' sees the band mature as songwriters, which should attract the mainstream attention that's so overdue them.

Though hit and miss, Brighter Wounds is a solid addition to the group’s catalogue.

The Scandinavian chanteuse has returned with more anthemic contenders in the shape of her sophomore album 'How To Let Go'.

A solid return, there’s a lot to recommend here – for those familiar with Slow Pulp’s influences, or otherwise. Engaging songwriting with a real punch, we’re already looking forward to catching them live.

Last Place is an occasionally misty-eyed but very welcome return. A broken but pretty mess.

There will be plenty of people who opt to be snobby about the fact that this record is so commercial, so polished and so brazen, but those people are all, to a man, idiots. If you can't love these songs, you are incapable of experiencing joy itself.

Why Love Now is a brash ballache of an album that will make you hate yourself as much as it makes you hate the world. Rest assured lads, the bar is now slightly higher than it was a week ago.

Shelter is a haven that tugs you out of your comfort zone.

Alexis Taylor’s vocals are always worth experiencing, blessed as he is with one of his generation’s most striking pop instruments, yet ‘Freakout / Release’ doesn’t tug at the heartstrings in the same fashion as ‘Flutes’, say.

Other than final track ‘A Certain Spirit’, the clearest crossover of irked techno and David Byrne-d, samba deconstruction, the melting pot (remember those aforementioned ingredients) that has gestated for five years ends up being served cold as gazpacho.

An apt step forward, Rave Tapes finds its makers matching grace and irreverence, noise and beauty with the don’t-give-a-f*ck bravado of people who can only know better.

This polished set is pure aural candy from front-to-back and firmly re-establishes Jackson as one of Britain’s premier pop talents.

I Love You But I Don't Know What To Say perfectly concludes a haunting album that truly reveals Adams' bruised soul.

If you don't like vocal dance music, if you're going off funky or you don't like a bloke playing live behind a faux-Polynesian tribal mask then avoid. Otherwise SBTRKT will delight the droves of bass fanatics that want something a little more sophisticated.

Azari and III are good clean honest fun, but not the future of music.

Davidson has easily transitioned between dim clubs and big festivals and learned to balance her acerbic ‘existential pop’ with hard-nosed techno. Drawing on the former, ‘Renegade Breakdown’’s appeal is in some ways broader, but she also risks putting off some of the initiated. On the whole, it functions as a reminder of the virtues of going against the grain and not playing it safe.

There’s enough here to make even the most discerning New Rap playlist – but as a body of work it doesn’t land in the effortless fashion that made EARTHGANG such a pivotal pairing.

The Canadian boy-girl duo's debut is a whirl of delicate dream pop.

While not their best work, ‘Ultra Mono’ takes many leaps forward in terms of songwriting and tunecraft, while blowing a few kisses at their detractors. That’ll be mission accomplished.

It’s not an Oasis record and it’s not a wholly experimental album either. However, it is his best work in an age and an interesting marker for a Weller-esque creative purple patch from an artist rediscovering their sense of purpose.

At the end of this journey, we’re left not only with a playlist you’re itching to put on repeat, but also with the a much-needed notion of an inspirational woman made much stronger- much more in love with herself- by the trials and tribulations of her life.

Whilst there is a real danger to being overly nostalgic, this album hits a happy medium.

As his main band disappears into "indefinite hiatus", console yourself with the knowledge that Birgisson has just made the best record of his career.

The approach proves that there’s still relevance to be found in the commercial compilation. This is largely down to the third disc, titled ‘Meditation’, which serves as a compilation of entirely new material that sees Craig shift his focus from dancefloor fodder to some impressive ambient explorations.

‘Mutator’ is not an epitaph or vault-scraping footnote; it is a painful reminder that New York lost one of its important critical voices when Vega passed away in 2016.

Pure pop is an unforgiving master and a slight dip in quality results in the flaccid 'Patient' sounding like a blighted Go West off-cut. Fitfully good.

Restless and fast-paced, 'Kids' nurtures critical reflection without compromising humour and a good time. The songs are energetic and energising, a sonic punch right in your face.

There’s nothing on this release to suggest that Clams Casino has ascended to the next level. In its own right, it’s further evidence of Clams’ special talents but for those who have followed his career closely, it’s hard not to think about what could have been.

Although this album lacks a certain grounded cohesion, it is rewarding to see him floating and flying for a minute, exploring different avenues of his voice, his history and his sound. He boldly ushers in a new wave of truth and complexity that foreshadows what else he has left to say.

Kehlani is most comfortable when she’s her most abrasive and cutting, challenging her counterparts as she glides over Pop & Oak manufactured beats.

Bold, colourful and eclectic, 'Have Some Faith' displays a vivid musical palette showcasing a band growing in scope and stature.

Hug Of Thunder is a welcome return by Broken Social Scene. Dignified, grand and full of life, let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another seven years for their next record.

Haunting, visceral, and often beautiful 'The Great Dismal' is a record well worth checking out.

Throughout the record there's the vague notion that Funk is taking a swipe at the synth fetishism that's made modular systems achingly hip again in recent years. Traditional in essence it may well be, but it's done with arched eyebrows and a knowing smirk.

The thrashing energy does relent somewhat towards the end, yet this remains an impressive introductory manifesto.

This is thoughtful music for thoughtful listeners, and it is all the more rewarding for it.

Without the visuals and context, the record can become excessively meditative at times, yet at its finest moments it re-forms the uninhabitable vastness of the desert-space as a blank canvas in the listener’s imagination, to be filled with inspiration of their own.

BODEGA’s mantra is “the best critique is self critique” and it is a message that is well conveyed throughout this album.

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.

The problem with any soundtrack is that, in isolation, something gets lost and there's no exception here, but it serves as a showcase for a virtuoso performer with the dexterity to excel within any discipline.

A cross-cultural heavenly palette of starry-eyed soul, psychedelic rock, jazz funk and symphonic pop, ‘Chronicles’ is the most expansive expression yet of Black Pumas’ frenetic creativity and limitless vision to date.

This LP has a distinct retro feel to it, with elements of blues, psychedelia and an earthiness that results in the band's best album of the year so far.

Overall The Secret History (Volume 1) is a well constructed and complete portrait of an early Pavement, but with the release's main audience being the avid fan (and with all these tracks available on 2002's 'Luxe and Redux' reissue of 'Slanted...') this leaves only the mad and the keen with a turntable who'll truly want it.

With such weighty subject matter, and with some own personal trauma influencing the record, it’s sadly lacking in bite or overall attack.

Lo-fi, yet simultaneously gaining glossed strength.

Impressively it's under a year after they signed to Heavenly and they've already released this very honest, charming slice of garage-pop

As a whole, the album begins strong but unfortunately strays a little towards the end. Overall, Ali Barter’s follow-up to ‘A Suitable Girl’, is more than honest, more than genuine and more than just good music. However, it also has more than a fair share of missed marks.

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.

‘Hard Cold Fire’ represents a much wanted return from the band that seem more unstoppable than ever, and quite rightly so.

Falling Down A Mountain marks the return of a bolder spirit and, as a result, there is another truly great Tindersticks album to add to your collection.

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.

What one quickly realises is that this is an accomplished record.

There's a lot of slightly tedious ambient wallpaper. Sure, it works to unite an otherwise diverse set of songs, but you can't help but think there's a much better play list waiting to be whittled down.

Despite being heavily influenced by the 80’s, Lost Girls has a timeless feel and is sonically pleasing.

Pleasingly self-referential, ‘Household Name’ is a joyous selection, a record that melds together its alt-rock influences to locate a distinctive voice, pitting intricate instrumentation against some killer pop hooks. Looks like we may just have found our summer soundtrack.

Despite the density of the music, Obsidian is a wholly immersive experience, setting Baths back on course.

While British Road Movies can’t quite match the shock of the new provided by The Long Blondes’ early material, it’s a strong and confident comeback, and better than we’d any right to expect from someone who hasn’t been involved in an album release for over eight years.

If Plaza doesn’t wholly satisfy from start to finish, it’s more than a mere transitional album. Call it a pathway forward that’s anything but straightforward, and is all the more beguiling because of its asymmetrical digressions.

At times grainy and abrasive it's also mischievous, melodic and, ultimately, absolutely adorable.

Irrespective of how you choose to approach it, the final installment of the trilogy that Hansen began back in 2011 fully underlines his strength, deftness and creative dexterity as a producer.

Through intensely personal storytelling, Black has created something that is undeniably relatable. Whether through shared experience or a basic recognition of the feelings on show, there is a sincere universality in his music.

bar italia unravels the sprawling and playful, yet concerted, development of their sound. Largely abandoning the sketchy, diaristic transitions and abrupt ends so characteristic of their previous sound—and World Music acts, generally—’Tracey Denim’ progresses with relative sonic coherence.

Consistently surprising, fanciful and varied, each genre flip, from pop, dub and hip-hop to rap is traversed with ease.

First Mind is captivating, full of intricacies and influences that should see it celebrated as one of the great albums of 2014.

Half the tracks see the beats surface into formed drums but for the rest the stratification and distortion takes the sound field to new places. Dangerously engaging.

III is definitely a progression for her as an artist. The more upbeat tracks are interspersed among softer, more delicate, heartfelt ones that represent the duality of her personality and also increase its replay value.

As a whole, the album seems to rally against the instant gratification which is a main feature in so much contemporary music—this was definitely not made with TikTok in mind. Instead, it encourages stillness and contemplation, rewarding deep listening with rhythmic undercurrents that lure you into a meditative state.

Bring On The Sun’s fascinating sonic tensions never make the listener feel tense. This is cure-all musical therapy for the ages.

Her very personal, almost rapper-like approach to writing and melody is at its best on the LP’s most emotional cuts.

‘History Books’ picks up exactly where the band left off, but with a renewed wind in their sails. Big guitars, anthemic singalongs and bruised and bloodied ballads are in no short supply, while Fallon’s existential lyricism reveals a renewed nuance to his songwriting.

A record for late, empty, lonely nights.

This, their second has already topped the charts over in the US. Why? Well, it's exuberant, bratty and crushingly relentless.er been so fun.

Joyous, pensive, cathartic and hymnal in equal measure, this is the human condition set to music.

Definitely for the faint-hearted.

His words are stirring without ever being hyper-specific, and can apply to any trying situation that he or the listener has experienced. There is a connection with him through his delivery, which maintains the modesty and gratitude of a person just genuinely trying to figure his way through life.

As a collected body of work At.Long.Last.A$AP is far from dreadful, but taken as a whole it lacks the elements of depth and star quality that--having set the bar incredibly high with his debut--many expect from A$AP Rocky.

Fifth effort Depression Cherry is no different, and whilst haters could accuse the duo of being a one trick pony, you must ask yourself if you truly care when the pony is so damn gorgeous.

It all adds up to a set of hallucinogenic songs that sound like they were spat out of another dimension. A truly special record from a band you need to keep your eye on.

Ed’s voice is at its finest--effortless and addictive. It makes you want to listen to this gem all over again.

The Curved Line is a robust collection that finds McKeown going from strength to strength.

Radwan Ghazi Mounmeh and his cohorts have managed to make a record which communicates across the bounds of culture and time.

This is an album that continually surprises. Rarely has the bleak mid-Winter been so inviting.

Blessed with wisdom and a rare sense of poetry, Weem finds De Rosa revelling in glorious dis-connection from their roots.

It wraps you up like a sunny day in the middle of no where. But Lynch is never far from a party, and every moment of this record is glazed with fun and pop and excitement.

The impact of his earlier existence as a jazz player also noticeably infuses tracks ‘Betelgeuse’s Endless Bamboo Oceans’ and ‘Ode to The Pleiades’, attaching another rich dimension to this record.

This feels like an important record, one that opens up a conversation that has largely been excluded from the mainstream for much too long. Above all this, though, is the sheer marvel of the musicianship, the endless innovation, the continual improvisation that makes My East Is Your West such a surprising, and truly enjoyable listen.

The three piece are as creative and alluring than ever before, and it solidifies the band’s place at the top of their game. Through wide-eyed vulnerability and reflective song writing, False Alarm is a game-changing record for the future of indie-rock.

There’s a spirit of continuity that makes ‘Harmony Avenue’ feel like a cohesive collection rather than a joined-up sonic pathway; a sense of purpose that somehow makes these disparate sounds all work together.

Her self-imposed solitude during its gestation period (she apparently spent 10 days in complete silence at a Vipassana retreat while writing) has led to a very introspective work that somehow still feels relatable.

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

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.

Cinematic splashes with honest lyricism feature in the twelve-track production and there is one thing this writer can tell about ‘A Fistful Of Peaches. It’s all about escaping the war in the mind, something that helps make Black Honey a band to admire.

Packing so much in comes at the risk of a more diluted sound and an album which lacks a strong sense of cohesive unity. This is most apparent in the first two ‘planets’, where the result is a little muddled. When not biting off more than they can chew by integrating three entirely different featured artists within a five track part (see ‘Off Planet Part 1’), the album is a fresh and interesting take on experimental electronica.

‘The Good Witch’ is a dazzling little record that is as entertaining to listen to as it sounds like it was for Peters to make.

On ‘Sunburn’, the American songwriter sounds the most comfortable he ever has, and as a result this sophomore record carves out his own space in the music world.

It duly delivers, comprising a first-rate electro set rich with the imagination of songwriter Katie Stelmani.

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.