There are some very distinct new heights on ‘Variables’. ... ‘Variables’ gently pushes Alfa Mist in a newer direction, there are glimpses of his usual evocative and bassy tones, but overall the project is almost absent of his vocal presence. This comes across as a very considered move, however, indicative of a need to show rather than tell this time.

The future, past and present is Enter Shikari’s, restructuring the sheer meaning of creativity with another commanding album.

One of the best albums Everything But The Girl have put their name against. A rich, atmospheric song cycle, it has the emotional heft of The Blue Nile and the production nous of Massive Attack. In the end, it could only be Everything But The Girl.

‘Drunk On A Flight’ strikes the perfect balance between up-beat, angsty pop and more contemplative jazz ballads. It marks a distinctive shift in Eloise’s songwriting, simultaneously maintaining the timeless charm of her early music that made her so popular, whilst constructing an ode to classic pop.

Yazmin Lacey’s curatorial skill sits alongside her painterly-like vocals, resulting in a bold, and emphatic album project.

Not only is ‘I Came From Love’ the best album that Okumu has released but it’s one of the finest albums of the year so far.

The group’s third album in three years, they never once let standards slip. All in all, the aptly titled ‘Glorious Game’ is a punchy LP with considerable replay value.

All in all, ‘Henry St.’ is the type of cozy album you’d stick on your record player on a rainy Sunday and is a strong comeback from The Tallest Man On Earth indeed.

There are no bounds. ‘Exotico’ let’s go of control, so remarkable things can happen. It’s the closest Temples have been to releasing a masterpiece, and that’s saying something.

This is an album that strips Rae Sremmurd down to their bare essence. Removing any excess, it allows their contradictions to come to the fore, with sometimes fascinating yet always gripping results.

‘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.

Finding magic in the mire ‘Rat Saw God’ is an emphatic, uplifting reminder of the privilege of being alive.

A conceptual album which feels honest and authentic, ‘Drop Cherries’ showcases the best of her musical ability while being lyrically complex – it’s another strong record for Billie Marten to add to her repertoire.

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.

The album does a good job of rekindling the connection with our younger, hopeful selves.

She has developed her own world over the last few years, this record feeling like the grand opening; the musical renegade uses this sonic landscape to release feelings of sorrow and doubt and anger, culminating in a truly vivid and innovative record.

The lyricism is what makes the album escalate from good to great.

‘Praise…’ feels like a completed maze, a finite and full creation, and cements Tumor as an extraordinary explorer.

An urgency and classic rock vibe, noticeably missing from recent atmospheric releases, is back in full swing here, and it works to their advantage.

‘Being’ is the most enjoyable album Maal has released to date.

It’s a functional entry in Chlöe’s already-impressive pantheon of works. Here’s hoping this release frees her up to lean more zealously into her production quirks when the next solo experiment beckons.

Opening your debut LP with its three least engaging tracks is a bold move that almost capsizes the whole project. ... Fortunately, bar a scattering of clunky lines (“I don’t want to die / That’s a lie”), the rest of ‘the record’ manages to successfully scale the vertiginous heights set by the eight solo albums preceding it.

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.

A nerve-jangling experience, it could well rank as their masterpiece.

An album that leaves you in a different environment than where you entered it, ‘YIAN’ will surely rank as one of 2023’s most impressive British debuts.

Fans of Depeche Mode can be happy to receive the band’s best offering of this century (though don’t get it twisted, ‘Playing The Angel’ is still a great record) but it’s unlikely they’ll change the minds of non-listeners, as foolish as such people are. The same ground is tread here, just in new shoes.

‘So Much (For) Stardust’s main takeaway is that the five-year wait was more than worth it and Fall Out Boy are finally back, bigger and better than ever.

The record swells and retreats at will as the group flex their musical dexterity.