A thrilling, needle-to-the-red experience, ‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’ never sits in one place.

It’s hard not to feel like the lead singles live in their own sonic universe. The remaining album tracks, while lyrically co-ordinated, lack sonic cohesion.

Atmospherically broad, it moves from quiet sounding to the creation of something big and epic sounding. The emotional setting of each track changes a bit throughout, but it’s a record that is deeply connected.

Analog Africa has created a compilation that’s less esoteric than some previous releases and more focused feeling. It’s a fascinating time capsule into not only the artists and studios of the time but the cities themselves and the Congolese spirit as a whole—another must-buy for those who get a kick of uncovering long-lost musical treasures.

After the swelling synths of the album’s intro track, ‘Adulter8’ opens with a chip-tune alarm sound, and you kick your feet out of bed only to find the floor fall from under you, as shards of a euphoric bassdrum take over and fragments of haunted vocals dislocate you from any sense of direction.

The first 11 tracks are an exhilarating dip into some of J. Cole’s core tropes, a finessed exploration of where US rap is situated in 2024. .... Stylistically the production [on"7 Minute Drill"] is slightly out-of-step with the tape as a whole, but it taps into some of the project’s over-arching themes – self-worth, separating talent from hype – and feels more ingrained, really, than Kendrick’s own bars on the hit ‘n’ miss Metro Boomin and Future tape.

Authentic, uplifting and instantly enriching, ‘The Big Decider’ was absolutely worth the wait.

Ambitious, emotive, and completely open, it’s a gorgeous song cycle, drenched in jazz-leaning arrangements.

Enriching yet austere, its methodology seems to embody the title of a previous Claire Rousay song: ‘everything perfect is already here’.

There’s an unpredictable feeling to the way a lot of the songs unfurl and from a purely musical standpoint, they’ve never sounded more confident or finely tuned as a unit.

It’s nebulousness as an LP mirrors the queer experiences that created it – it’s cerebral, constantly in flux, refusing to be defined as any one thing.

Taken as a whole, this is an utterly brilliant, dependably polished listen, and one that is unquestionably up there with the best moments in this duo’s storied career.

On this record Fat White Family solidify their status as a one of Britain’s most unique voices, and ‘Forgiveness Is Yours’ is the strongest example yet of the band’s caustic creativity.

Pushing 50 Iron & Wine proves he still has much to say in a hypnotic record full of lush production, highlighting the warmth and timelessness of his vocals. If not one necessarily to win over new fans, this will delight longtime fans who have been along for the ride.

This latest set sees Clark back in domineering form. There’s not a second wasted on the album’s taut track list, the songwriter managing to balance her teenage inspirations simultaneously, go back to basics, and break new ground all at once.

Daring, experimental, and hugely addiction, Blue Lab Beats may just have delivered your summer soundtrack.

Towards the end of the album, tracks threaten to meld into each other, making for one big visceral haze of love-lamenting. But beat seekers should find their bag on dynamic tracks like ‘Florida!!!’, a thumping, bewitching collaboration with Florence + The Machine, ‘Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?,’ and triumphantly-erupting, more optimistic ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.’

It didn’t matter where it was, this writer and many other listeners have been able to get away from their troubles, even if just for a moment, and take a moment to breathe, and listen to this beautiful album.

The punchy ‘Drink N Dance’ utilises ominous 80s synths, while ‘This Sunday’ is potent, and atmospheric. ‘Gracious’ is carefully finessed, more evidence of the duo’s world-building techniques. That said, though, there’s a huge amount here that simply passes you by. ‘Always Be My Fault’ is meandering, lacking structure, while songs like ‘Luv Bad Bitches’ and ‘Mile High Memories’ lack substance.

‘Silence Is Loud’ is unafraid to look beyond this hyper-focussed lens. As such, you’ll encounter jazz and neo-soul vibes, alongside bass-bin rattlers galore.

For all their recent productivity and renaissance, A Certain Ratio are no closer to their zeitgeist moment. But with output as strong as this sitting alongside their back catalogue, they are all the stronger for it.

A fast-paced, immediate selection ‘Dark Matter’ easily ranks amongst Pearl Jam’s most straight-forwardly enjoyable releases.

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.

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.

It’s METZ’s most confident record so far and a deafening reminder that art wasn’t designed to adhere to paint-by-numbers standards – it’s meant to bend until it breaks into something new.

Where Bodega do succeed is in serving up an entertaining, intellectual and heartfelt riposte to the broken systems that have engulfed our culture, albeit in a slightly less successful fashion than before.

While the playing is never less than exceptional – displaying Mark Knopfler’s assured rhythmic sensibility, and his lyrical lead styles – the arrangements on ‘One Deep River’ can sometimes falter.

Hard to say when each track on this album is ridiculously strong in its own right. Much like the artist behind them.