Nas is not a perfect rapper in 2022 but the chemistry on King’s Disease III works well enough to paper over the shortcomings, leaving a focused, well-executed release.

A startlingly confident and welcome comeback for Rose.

In many ways, it’s the perfect soundtrack to a world struggling to emerge from a pandemic. ... If there’s a criticism to be had, it’s that it all sometimes seems a bit cold.

His first solo album in six years, The Work is a comfortable record, accomplished and at times even gleeful in its kitchen-sink approach to sound design.

Alpha Zulu is certainly a top-tier Phoenix record, bringing back that effortless French cool in a way that only they can.

This is another very good, solid album from the Swedish siblings with a fair bit of typical brilliance scattered throughout.

All in all, this is a more mature, deeper developed sound for the band and will help us warm the cold depths of winter through toe-tapping riffs and clever lyrics.

Admittedly, this is pretty much Bruce does karaoke, but when it’s done this well and with so much obvious love for the source material, it’s irresistible. Volume 2 can’t come quickly enough.

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.

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.

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.

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.