MK 3.5: Die Cuts City Planning is diverse, lively and mostly encouraging.

The album does not disappoint; on the contrary, it’s unbelievably good. Sporting sharp vocals, compelling riffs and potent lyrics, this is a stellar release.

Whereas some Avery albums have struggled to convince, the work here is fleshed out and artistically vibrant, the only noticeable weakness being an overly goofy ostinato on Lone Swordsman, though IDM had a few of those in its time. All in, Ultra Truth is an accomplished, moving record.

It’s introspective and understated while never failing to get its message across. He may not receive the accolades and acclaim that the likes of Stormzy or Dave garner, but Hugo is more proof that Loyle Carner is one of the foremost names in UK rap and hip-hop.

Their music loves to have a good time and get a sweat on, but can’t help flashing a thought or two in the direction of life outside the club. Add a healthy sense of humour and you have a tried and tested album right up there with their best work.

The third instalment in his Actual Life series continues the concept of an artistic journal, but fails to convey the intended poignancy.

While her 10th album doesn’t make instant classic status like 1989, and Evermore and Folklore remain her masterpieces, it is still an understated, beguiling look into the mind of one of the biggest pop stars of our age.

No half measures or quarters are given, and as a tribute to Pierre Henry it is a fitting piece of work indeed. Yet the lack of human feeling continues to be a problem, and the unremitting bleakness of Oxymore – though accurate for our age – makes it an album for admiration rather than love.

Simple Minds, then, are in extremely rude health. Where once their lyrics spoke of international politics and far-off destinations, now they deal with matters closer to home in a refreshingly direct manner. More power to their maturing elbows.

The Car, the band’s seventh album (and is the exact same length as their second album Favourite Worst Nightmare to the second) is another step further into the cinematic world they created on Tranquility Base. ... This band have continuously captivating for nearly two decades now, and Alex Turner must be a generational talent. So clearly this is a great album.

We have an album that diversifies Jepsen’s sound in intriguing ways, while sounding a bit rough around the edges at times.

The songs often look upwards, preoccupied with celestial bodies as they speak of the moon, the sun and ultimately the stars, for which the music often pines.

If Dirt Femme is the sound of Tove Lo finding her feet, the future seems very bright indeed.

Mesmerising as the words and delivery are, the album is also musically excellent.

Like low hanging fruit plucked fresh from the vine, the bacchanalian temptations Daniel and collaborators such as Angel Deradoorian, husband MC Schmidt and John Wiese offer are a scrumptious treat in which to indulge.

FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE remains an engaging, expansive and thought-provoking album.

This is a sumptuous and rewarding way of spending 60 minutes. YTILAER shows how he keeps raising the bar creatively, consolidating his place in the upper echelons of alternative rock in the process.

Perhaps, but there do seem to be less of them these days, and Being Funny In A Foreign Language represents a gradual, encouraging maturation for the band.

Quiet The Room is the perfect introduction to Helen Ballentine’s hazy, dreamy world – a world you’ll want to spend an awful lot of time in once you experience it.

Coping Mechanism is full of feisty attitude, blaring guitars and rhythmically intense drumming, and sees Willow positioning herself as the edgier Olivia Rodrigo with mixed results.

There’s a lot to take in on Tableau – maybe, at times, almost too much – but it’s another solid record from West Yorkshire’s very own experimental art-poppers.

Some of these tracks are cruel in their brevity.

Throughout this eventful record Flohio keeps a clear sense of lyrical and stylistic integrity, and by the time Against The Grain’s glitchy percussion cuts out to reveal solitary reverbed chords we’re left with one of the standout rap albums of the year.

As a whole, it’s a robust LP, deeply in touch with the zeitgeist of an era marked by, indeed, surviving against, the odds. While surprises are few, fans will find plenty to satisfy here.

The constant barrage of guitar noise and distorted vocals can become exhausting, but those who stick with it will soon find themselves falling for one of the most compelling, magnetic albums of the year.

Even with 14 tracks, Blue Rev never seems to outstay its welcome. That’s probably helped by some curveballs that the band throw.

There are songs on N.K. Pop that stand squarely alongside some of Heaton’s best – he may have celebrated his 60th birthday earlier this year, but that famous fire of his shows no sign of being extinguished.

As with all Björk albums there’s a lot to unpack and it requires several listens before it all begins to fall into place but, once done, there’s a case to be made for this possibly being the best Björk album (and certainly the most animated) since 2011’s Biophilia certainly in terms of breadth, aesthetic and overall engagement.