A long time coming, ‘Heaven knows’ is a debut album that was well worth the wait from PinkPantheress, and a sign of a promising career from the singer.

Overall ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ reigns true to Baby Queen’s signature synth-pop sound whilst being let down by lyrical cliches on a couple of the more manufactured upbeat, pop tracks. The album, however, triumphs on the more toned-down tracks showing a new dimension to the alt-pop starlet’s songwriting style.

It’s an album to get lost in and to find the pockets of light that punctuate the sublime melodies and dank instrumentation.

The 36 minute ambience of ‘Drone In B’ allows space to contemplate all that has come before; and the conclusion is that ‘I DES’ is a celebration of future possibilities, and a truly beautiful listen.

This is Westside’s last studio album, it seems like he wants to try other avenues and go out on a high, and while it’s not his best work, it’s the defiant idiosyncratic outlook of one of hip-hop’s most iconic upstarts with all the deserved cockiness of someone who never fell off under pressure to cater to a wider audience.

Maybe it’s the sentimental Beatle-maniac in us, but ‘Now And Then’ feels like something beautiful, something to cherish.

Not every song is as enjoyable as it is intriguing, with moments of too many detours and not enough destinations. However, while ‘The Twits’ feels imperfect, intentionally so, it also feels like the final cliffhanger before a chapter ends in a thrilling novel.

Despite the odd lapse in power, ‘Venom’ is a super-charged and dramatic record characteristic of Wargasm’s spirit.

The songwriting is easy-going, the risks taken effortlessly; more than 15 years into their time together, Bombay Bicycle Club are still taking chances, and still reaping the rewards.

A fascinating return, ‘Bolted’ is often greyscale in tone and shading; rolling back the physicality of ‘Compassion’, it seems to find Forest Swords revelling in a more minimalist, yet also profoundly empathetic space.

As faithful as these songs might be to their back catalogue, OMD have never been ones to repeat themselves, and everything here shines with an intense and neon-lit originality.

‘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 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.

Overall, ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ is excellent. The praise the original album received for its composition, songwriting and overall curation is still absolutely worthy, and will hopefully serve as a reminder of how and why Taylor Swift became one of the greatest solo artists of her generation. The tracks from the vault are exquisite and make strong additions to the album as a whole, and it would be surprising if these songs didn’t become immediate chart successes given their likeability and quality.

If you like filagree synths and dimorphous melodies, then this is the album for you. The songs are immaculately crafted. The melodies catchy. Lyrics memorable.

If you are looking for a deliciously dark soundtrack of horror and funk, then ‘Danse Macabre’ should be on your Halloween playlist. The big question is – is ‘Danse Macabre’ for life or just for Halloween? Either way, for the majority of Duran Duran’s sixteenth studio album, in true Halloween style, it will be love at first bite!

Taking listeners on a trippy journey through a landscape of organic musical complexity, there are also Beastie Boys vocal nods similar to those found in ‘Sadie Sorceress‘ from last year’s ‘Omnium Gatherum‘ release. Combining techno, disco, electronic and rap, this makes for a truly special combination.

The project does retain a level of focus and direction, despite the chameleon-like nature of Crosses, making for a thoroughly enjoyable and dynamic listening experience.

‘LAHAI’ is an astral soul coda that whilst intimately rendered, doubles as a pledge for connection and interrelatedness. We needed this.

Everywhere ‘the rest’ feels less collaborative than ‘the record,’ and more about celebrating the three of them as friends.

The songs are well written with glorious instrumentation. Hansard is the owner of, well, a decent pair of pipes and whether he’s singing, crooning, bellowing or whispering you feel the emotion in this voice. The downside to the album is, well, we’ve heard it all before. There isn’t anything new here.

‘Hackney Diamonds’ is probably the Rolling Stones’ best album in two decades. .... Equally, while his status as a lizard-like, hip-shaking frontman of immortal prowess remains intact, Jagger’s lyricism – so often underrated – delivers a few clunkers here. The highs, though, are what fans are tuning in for.

Blink remain true to form, even throwing in a few sub-1 minute swearword screamers, but with the band back together and continuing to go through life, it seems their form is grounded in something firmer.

A glittering project that underlines Offset’s status as one of American rap’s MVPs, ‘SET IT OFF’ doubles as an emotional mirror, as a form of autobiography. All that glitters isn’t gold – and very often the finest moments on this album are its most humble.

‘Sex, Death & The Infinite Void’, Creeper have created something that simultaneously pays homage to the bands that came before, and which is totally cutting-edge in the modern rock landscape.

An uplifting album with a distant and ever present sadness culminates on a high note, and then right before you know it, you’ll start it all over again.

Expectations for CMAT’s second album were sky-high, but she’s managed to reach new musical heights with ease and style. ‘Crazymad, For Me’ is another smash hit from a showstopper vocalist that really puts the fun back in pop music.

A stunning work of self-analysis, it’s Jamila Woods’ finest record yet – high praise in itself – one of the most absorbing, illuminating records you’re going to discover this year.