Deeply cohesive, conceptual and considered. Controlled while still being unexpected. Comforting within confines, placing a new level of distance and boundaries between her personal life and her fans as she focusses on feelings over stories.

Collaboration with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, huh? Sounds right up plenty of people’s streets. But that “sweet spot” (in the main) seems to boil down to some cheesy scratching in amongst the ska pop (see ‘My Name Is Rat Boy’) and Jamie T-style vocals. But all is not lost. The keys of ‘Follow Your Heart’ are dreamy and unexpected.

This is power pop at its purest--not doing anything new, granted, but packed full of melodies so thrilling and uplifting that it’s difficult to even begin to give a damn.

It all feels a little weary and, whilst there's clear commitment and execution, the material suddenly sounds oh so dated.

Warm On A Cold Night is essentially a pick-up line delivered in Andy’s charmingly unfinished croak, wrapped in sensual synths and slick basslines.

Bold, immersive, and not easy to pin down, Interview Music affords Idlewild the space to find renewal in new ideas, a record driven by conviction, collaboration and the urge towards communication.

Ultimately, the songwriting isn't quite weighty enough to sustain a full album. Worth a check if you're a previous fan.

Glow is that rarest of beasts: a dance album that is equally as good on the dancefloor as it is at home.

While human suffering or pain isn’t joyous, the special craft of nothing,nowhere. most certainly is, and ‘Trauma Factory’ is a splendid occasion for celebration.

It’d be interesting to hear what this band comes up with if they stepped away from a doomy signature sound, but right now this is an assured album and a satisfying follow-up.

The heavier, dirtier mood suits these Pirates--the spirit of 1979 burns bright.

Despite A New Nature’s ominous sound feeling hackneyed at times, EATW retain the fearless, forward-thinking ethic of their first two records through themes of finding strength in adversity, impassioned vocals and unpredictable sonic outbursts.

The joy is in the ambiguity and Braxton's exemplary manipulation of sound and space.

A great feel-good record for the summer months, this one is the perfect soundtrack for the car, park or beach. Just enjoy it.

Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, ‘Moral Panic’ perfectly shape-shifts into its new context in the midst of the current climate. The band achieve another phenomenal album which might have benefited from one or two fewer songs - but nevertheless demonstrates their dramatic range of capabilities with a spattering of radio hits.

There’s a lingering feeling, though, that 2 Chainz hasn’t quite distilled exactly what to do with the opportunities being presented to him.

Effervescent, exuberant, wry, but always appealing, ‘Run Rose Run’ displays Dolly’s evergreen storytelling prowess and is a vibrant and compelling body of work.

‘Yayo’ and ‘Butterfly Paralyzed’ both showcase Lean’s ability to graft chrome-plated hooks onto any track he likes. The former is sparse and simple where the latter is full to the point of overload, but both tracks sound like evolved versions of songs you’d hear on the radio – music for a society of cyborgs.

Longwave is a gently simple record but one which manages to exert an almost hypnotic pull.

Despite the gloriously odd decision to place Treasures--a piece of music as fragile as the materialistic lifestyles it attacks--first in the tracklisting, there are no real surprises.

With his debut, Styles manages to escape the notorious curse of former boy banders, turned leading men, creating an immersive, reference-fuelled tribute to classic rock for the millennial generation.

Virtually every track stands alone fine. But listened to as an album, it's repetitive and numbing.

Clocking in at less than 33 minutes to ensure your left gagging for more, Sweet Heart Rodeo is a near faultless blend of Landes’ country roots and the urban savvy of her Brooklyn base.

The musical equivalent of a coffee table book this is a poised, polished album of covers and collaborations spanning a decade.

The outer edges of this album are impressive, but why couldn’t they penetrate the main parts of these songs and this album more? Instead, they are eye-opening but ultimately useless ideas that must make way for the dry 808 beats we’re all too familiar with.

Smart, soulful pop.

This schizophrenic album will frustrate purists and sate pop kids.

While some tracks do begin to sound alike, the effortless cool that drips from the more fleshed-out and established cuts provides Nosebleed Weekend with more than enough substance to make up for them.

The album is at its best when DeGraw’s chaotic textures give way to more structured declarations of despair.

The results are mixed, but what’s certain is that Mild High Club have broken ground and laid new foundations with their most nuanced and exploratory material to date.

While the pop-facing moments may not appeal to all, Tommy shows her dexterous talent and the extent of her creativity on ‘goldilocks x’.

‘Bleachers’ as an album symbolises the full-throttle shift from solo voice to its current form of ensemble unity; a band of six-talented musicians entering their most monumental era yet.

[The music] shows you the lengths he’s still prepared to go, criss-crossing in lo-fi and between human conditions.

The songwriting is strong, representing Selway’s best – and must sustained – burst of solo work yet. His innate musicality shines through, and there’s an endearing honesty to the lyrics that filters across the music itself.

Ultimately Soft Hair is the sound of two musicians filling in each other’s blanks while only seeing the best in each other. When it works, it’s captivating.

Simple, unaffected songwriting with a direct emotional pull, Falling Faster Than You Can Run is swarming with undercurrents, with nuances that only become more marked over time.

Denmark's Kölsch repeats the trick of 2013's '1977', hanging on the coattails of the EDM set with a less extravagant set of fireworks but with plenty of instantly recognisable and effectively crafted signposts and set pieces.

All of this seems like a nod to the work ethic of their DIY roots, but they often transcend this, knowing they could go on to greater things.

This year’s Pinned is its well-made product that checks all the boxes, successfully imitating the late ‘80s feel--the highest compliment in this line of work.

Nili Hadida’s first foray into solo music is fearless and successfully breaks away from her band dynamic, as it showcases her evolution and experimentation in developing a unique palette of brilliant sounds.

Third Avenue feels like a transitional project for Fredo, from his grittier street mixtapes to hopefully something more expansive. His inability to escape from his street-focused comfort zone is sometimes frustrating, especially when the project improves after he opens up later on in the album. But he gives us glimpses of a great project further down the line.

If anything, however, new album ‘Faith In The Future’ is simply too nice. The songwriting is sturdy and well-formed, leaning on his indie roots – you can hear ghosts of the Gallaghers, whispers of Chris Martin – without ever truly channelling something dangerous, or edgy. ... It just doesn’t raise the pulse, or quicken the blood-flow in a way you might long for.

We are so here for Lauran’s honesty and the way tracks like ‘Mary’ and ‘Jealous’ and ‘90’s Kid’ are anthemic yet personal.

If perhaps lacking something as standout as ‘Mess Around’ or ‘Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked’, it is a welcome return for the Kentucky rockers showing after nearly 20 years together they still know how to groove.

By stripping back the layers of overbearing electronic production of the past, they've recorded an album of lush and elegant pop music, beguiling and gloriously cinematic.

Neither one thing or another, the lack of definition on the project results in something quietly rebellious, but curiously unsatisfying.

What he delivers doesn't disappoint, and it's a tantalising glimpse into where R&B might be heading in 2016.

Eight songs, many of which feel too long; recorded in eight cities that don’t really leave their unique mark on the sonic side of the experience; each with a guest who is, at best, an apparition dancing in the shadows of the spot-lit stars; yielding eight largely forgettable arrangements that won’t make a dent on any fan’s all-time top 10.

Want to be whisked away on a euphoric high? You'll have to earn it. Sweaty smile to be plastered across your face? Then put the work in.

Amid the glitz, the hype, the online intrusion, Don Toliver still locates a space to call his own – and that’s what makes ‘Love Sick’ so thrilling.

Quick on the draw, Beans bosses a bite-sized blitz of syllable practice.

There isn’t much of a sense of flow to the album; the songs stand on their own as the poems were meant to stand on their own.

‘Motordrome’ can be hit and miss. ... That being said, there’s a huge amount to recommend here. A clinical, finessed pop record, ‘Motordrome’ utilises its 10 track span to broach a number of fresh ideas.

Largely The Anchoress’ arrival on the scene is a textured and lovingly crafted treat, bursts of melody, backing vocals and tweaked samples making for a lush soundscape.

Any aspect of their music that might have felt lightweight before, at least off the stage, has been eradicated.

Even if the laid-back and relaxed atmospherics are endearing, there’s plenty of room to push the musical perimeters which the London duo fail to take advantage of.

The overriding, inescapable, and most important aspect of ‘Amen,’ though, is that it is fun. Fun to listen to, fun (it seems) to have made and no doubt fun to perform.

Ice On The Dune is patchy, and shows little progression from 2008 debut, ‘Walking On A Dream’.

Higher Truth is by no means groundbreaking but it's damn solid and doesn't truly contain a bad number.

Major Lazer stands for firing on an all cylinders but doesn’t warn against the oomph taking leave of absence, though it does play off the shoulder of the first LP just lovely.

After a few listens you get the feeling Art Brut are generally excited to be recording together again. The time apart has done them the world of good, as the enthusiasm they exude is infectious. Argos’ vocals have aged well and now have a warming tone, but the snarky bite still remains.

As an exercise in reclaiming control, in setting out her stall, it is a definite success, a hand-made pop exercise in an era dominated by algorithmic marketing plans. As a listening experience, though, it’s somewhat limited and frustratingly repetitive, ultimately paling next to La Roux’s previous heights.

Locating solace in his craft, Gunna pushes himself to the limit on an album that somehow finds focus amid the chaos

Alas, a good third of the album meanders and there's a drab formlessness to his sonic fog. Fascinating but flawed.

Impressive, but there are misses as well as hits here. Sometimes Cuco’s vocals and lyrics don’t match up to his sonic atmospheres.

M.I.A. stands alone in her own world of pop firing out her mercurial messages, which are as complex as they are captivating. MAYA is a towering work that makes a mockery of rivals and genres.

Another impressive feather in one of the most versatile caps in Parisian pop music.

At turns utterly beautiful and thoroughly frustrating, there is no doubting the tarnished grandeur on display albeit tempered by some unnecessary navel gazing.

Fragile but far from frail.

Most of Welcome Reality is so in your face and predictable it feels like the musical equivalent of a Michael Bay movie: loud, crass, periodically fun, but ultimately forgettable.

It has moments of greatness, some bits even a bit Animal Collective, but as a whole it doesn’t gel into an album you can lost in.

Essentially, this is a cheaper, condensed version of last year’s ‘Singles Collection’, a deluxe wooden box set that housed nine 7” singles and which contained all the singles from those two albums, in addition to the songs found here.

Whereas 'Hey Go' claws at cabaret crushed velvet, and 'Officers Club' funks Scruffily, 'Manalog' is the sole, slightly noodly odd one out on an album of big punchlines, defrosted drum breaks snapping necks like breadsticks, and foibles for the eagle-eared to pick out listen after listen

French’s flow and character may be the same as his previous works, but his stature within the rap world has rocketed.

MNEK absolutely knows his way around a pop banger, and it’s his expansive, polished production on more upbeat moments that saves Language from falling flat with cliché lyrics and the dreary lament of slower tracks.

Spanning an array of genres including worldbeat, jazz, classical, blues, rock and new-age, 'Duets' is an solid collection from one of the UK’s most prolific singer-songwriters.

'Great American Painting' is a record that is strongest for its instrumentation, featuring The Districts' typical cross-streams of guitars that amply lamenting vocals, intriguing listeners by making reference to social issues within America.

Overall, ‘Ego Trip’ is proof that Papa Roach still have their finger on the beating pulse of heavy music.

If they’d dared to be a little more vulnerable with their sonic approach, ‘World Below’ could’ve been an immense album. Nonetheless, Baby Strange are back in valiant style.

There’s still the trademark sass and joie de vivre throughout, but this feels like a more mature and evolved body of work from Rita who has shed her skin to show some vulnerability and creativity than before.

On ‘Sorry I’m Late’, Mae Muller shows that it takes time to perfect and craft a great pop album and that’s what she has done here. Every track could be, and probably should be, a single.

Most of ‘Halo’ was sculpted on the road, a moment of pause and introspection that affords Bakar space to surge forwards creatively.

This combination of sounds and personalities diagnoses the band and album number four with bi-polar disorder. Let's pray they never recover.

Soft, smooth and a breath of fresh air, if Liquid Cool is on the menu, I’ll have a glass too.

An album of huge promise rather than an instant classic - 2:54's time will come.

There's nothing completely new here, but fans are sure to be satisfied, at the very least, until the collective's next album arrives.

‘Further Out Than The Edge’ is a creatively rich and inspiring debut from Speakers Corner Quartet, an emblem of their sixteen years spent together as a community of musicians.

Often it feels more like an overly conscious art project rather than an album that will sustain repeated listening; it's undeniably, admirably beautiful in parts, but ultimately too consciously cerebral and self satisfied to love.

Combining this pandemonium with a more polished finish on the cosmic pop of "Echoes" and trademark falsetto chants of "Venusia," it's safe to say Surfing the Void was worth the wait.

A gentle and mellifluous set of songs.

On first listen, it’s hard to ignore a sense of inconsistency and feeling that something’s lacking from its second half. That said, come the second time listening you start to stop questioning the diversity and simply celebrate the fact they’ve got the repertoire, and guts, to mix everything up and make it work.

‘The Bridge’ is so much more than a clever concept album, there are links between each of the songs and the prolific musician takes to the theme like a duck to water (sorry!) and whilst water is the common denominator, it is really about connection - connection between people, life and death and more.

At times spread too thin across its 17 strong tracklisting. ... ‘Trip At Knight’ serves to finesse his sound and approach, allowing room for Trippie Redd to attempt new projects within his digi-focussed framework – it’s a chapter so many of his contemporaries have been cruelly denied.

Ultimately, ‘They Got Amnesia’ succeeds in its ability to balance punchy, straight-up rap with a tinge of the bittersweet.

While there is nothing here as magically refined as 'Made-Up Love Song #43', and Dangerfield's lyrics sometimes veer into fromage-land, Walk The River represents a must-have for those with pop tastes.

While the trap state of mind may be a bleak one, it makes for a stunning piece of music.

This is an easy album to lose yourself in, but a difficult project to truly grasp. 19 songs, almost a full hour of music, a glimpse into a psyche that is frequently dominated by darkness; ‘Since I Have A Lover’ is 6LACK’s crowning statement.

Marina describes the album as “intricately produced” and that’s where the problem lies. Such attention to detail leaves some of the songs feeling pretty sterile and, as a result, it’s a frustrating listen.