Few artists can toe the line between melancholy and miracle like Allison, making Sometimes, Forever a record worthy of accolades for some time, perhaps even forever.

If creating something uncomfortable was what Butler was hoping to achieve with In Amber, then it certainly succeeds in its mission. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t achieve much else.

The constantly shifting mood makes it difficult to settle into a rhythm, which may be due to the missing visual element, but there are more than enough well-executed left turns on Ugly Season to make a solid standalone album.

Ultimately while graves is a perfectly fine EP, it's also a mostly safe one.

Nile Rodgers-esque guitars are a key feature throughout Life Is Yours. Aside from the more laid-back Flutter, the album’s danceable tempo shows no respite across its 40-minute duration. Its production is also extremely cohesive.

While tracks like Woman are meant to be sombre (and ANOHNI is the perfect artist to deliver this), several of the featured artists have attempted to transpose Cherry’s tongue-in-cheek asides into sincere parts of the melody and in doing so have undercut the fun of the songs.

Les Racines is a personal project that reinstates Vieux’s own identity and unique skill, while thanking the roots that he grew from.

It certainly seems like a work-in-progress, a warts-and-all steppingstone to something better yet to be realised – sadly, it's also the first time Owens has sounded like anyone other than herself.

At 16 tracks the album does slightly outstay its welcome, and in its latter stages it begins to feel like ideas are being repeated, but with less focus and immediacy.

Over the course of their unabashedly DIY-sounding debut – whether that sound is merely an invocation rather than authentic, you can’t deny that it nails it – these songs walk the same line of art rock as Goo and Dirty-era Sonic Youth.

The album as a whole is a strong argument for Olsen being her generation’s finest songwriter.

Heart Under is an ear-piercing piece of intuitively crafted work.

The album is certainly on the weirder end of the EE spectrum. ... Another great Everything Everything album.

Ultimately, while there are a few moments that are undeniably hypnotic, the album as a whole feels just slightly less full in scope and vision than her previous bodies of work.

Some Nights I Dream of Doors feels like a real expression of Umoh’s wide-ranging influences and it succeeds in showcasing his diverse vocal range. However, at times it feels restrained and, for an artist as unique as Umoh, it feels like a missed opportunity.

Generally speaking, while it's a solid return for the group, it's likely to leave some wanting more, aching for some real catharsis or a change of gear here and there.

More than simply aging gracefully, A Bit of Previous suggests Belle and Sebastian still have enough hooks for several lifetimes.

Thank Me Later and Burning Bridges both wade through the sentiment of leaving on a high rather than trying to scale a sinking ship. While feel-good anthem Mirror is the body confidence balm we all need a dash of this summer. The record isn’t all righteous pop bangers though. There are some tear-jerking numbers that even Adele would be proud of (see: Last To Know and High Note).

It’s a record filled with trite sentiments and well-trodden musical ideas (or in some cases, badly-trodden).

It’s a smooth ride for the most part but sometimes you just wish whoever's driving this thing would find a decent station and stick with it.

On i don’t know…, the intentionality and splendour that began to blossom on her 2020 EP Projections are now fully in bloom. Tomberlin holds onto the sonic space that allows her delicate vocals to fly but introduces a host of new sounds, too – pedal steel guitars, brushed percussion, woodwind, twinkling piano.

These lullaby-like compositions mask a quiet rage throughout, reflecting the internal discord of those who live with abuse. ... Ever the documentarian of devastating emotions, Joseph's latest release sounds newly communal, with a sense of gathering closer those who share the same pain.

There's a great album in Fontaines D.C., and Skinty Fia takes them one step closer.

Four talented youngsters from LA of Asian and Latinx descent, wearing their influences on their sleeves, have produced a light-of-foot album of fun riffs and effectively simple ideas.

Kae Tempest fully opens up on This Line Is a Curve and it continues to blossom with every listen.

Compared to Tillman’s previous releases as Father John Misty, Chloë and the Next 20th Century feels like an immense achievement musically, while not wholly dropping the cynical and whimsical elements of his songwriting.

When it feels like life’s moving too fast, and that things are starting to get away from you, it doesn’t hurt to revel in the small things. Across their debut album, Wet Leg do exactly that and it makes those precious moments of nothingness feel that little bit more special.

Unlearning is a daring and ambitious debut from a band who aren't afraid to take risks in order to achieve their vision, and for Walt Disco it’s a risk that’s paid off.