It’s just as special as you’d expect.

While much of Memento Mori is thoughtful, and some of it visits the dark side, there is a great deal of positivity underpinning Depeche Mode’s work as a duo.

A bold, energetic collaborative record. ... If another project were on its way with a bit more polish and focus that would be ideal, as the two certainly have a madcap chemistry that deserves to be explored further.

Caroline Rose’s most personal album to date which, while it may not have the immediacy of Superstar or Loner it will, given time, prove just as emotionally affecting.

It all makes for a terrific comeback for a band that have been very much missed over the last few years. As truly entertaining as the title promises, in fact.

A leisurely 77 minutes of beautifully orchestrated ballads, electronic experimentation, spoken word interludes and callbacks to previous Del Rey songs. Like the vast majority of her previous albums, there’s almost too much to take in, but you have to admire the sheer bloody-mindedness to do things her own way.

Yves Tumor has drawn inspiration from all those moody vocals, watery guitars and blown-out mixes to create their best album yet. ... The increased connection of the internet is taking an already rich musical landscape towards its very own singularity, and when we get there it may sound a lot like Yves Tumor’s raw, surreal, multilayered tunes.

An album that quietly seeps into your consciousness, a collection of charming chamber pop confections that is impossible to resist.

As M83 Anthony Gonzalez makes you want to turn the volume up as loud as possible, filling the room with music and reaching for those other worlds and creatures. Fantasy, then, fuels our imagination – just at the time when musical escapism is sorely needed.

With Radical Romantics we see a distinct shift away from the idea of linear songs, and rapidly towards a 360 soundscape – all encompassing, visceral and beautifully overwhelming.

Although there’s some filler on Endless Summer Vacation – Wildcard and the rather flat closing piano ballad Wonder Woman fall into this category – it probably ends up as her most consistent album to date. This is one former teen idol who’s negotiating the path to a more adult audience just fine.

Only occasionally does the album threaten to go awry. ... This is smart, literate pop music that can tug at the heart as well as make you dance.

UGLY certainly isn’t a pleasant listen, and at various points it’s too extreme to be categorised as rap or rock, but many of these tracks are brilliantly executed and their emotional power and impact put Slowthai in a unique position.

Whilst the linguistic half of Sleaford Mods is developing in two very different directions, Andrew Fearn has turned in his most musically satisfying set of tracks to date.

Making a value judgement on Amelia is a tricky business, it being as immediate as undiluted Ribena. However, the album knows what it wants to do and pursues this with relentless efficiency.

Whichever stylistic avenue is being explored she successfully sculpts and shapes her music in a way that gives it a soft and organic feel.

Closing track Happy Now even dares to pick up the pace and is a reminder how good Uchis can sound when she mixes things up a bit. A few more moments like this to break the homogeneity of Uchis’ songs next time around would be most welcome.

Brothers & Sisters sees him build on these long established musical interests but, importantly, also add new elements to the mix to deliver a compelling listen. It comes out of the blocks impressively quickly, with each track building on the former to create a formidable initial run. ... In terms of musical statements it’s hard not to see it as his most vivid and vibrant to date.

It’s a brutal, intense listen, and certainly won’t be for everyone, but those who care to take the journey will find many rewards.

It’s not the sort of album you can ever relax while listening to, as you’re not entirely sure what’s coming next at any given point. It’s an album full of invention and creativity that never rests on its laurels – maybe not one for everybody, but those who delve into Shook will find so much to explore.

By the end of this eclectic, intense experience Skrillex has proven himself to be an inventive and well-rounded producer, but his abilities in the pop world seem more dependent on the songwriting of others.

It may not make the strongest impact initially, but repeated listens reveal more in the way of deep thought and renewed optimism for tomorrow.

She’s certainly an artist following her own vision: one which may sometimes grate, but is never less than intriguing.

It’s a fun, if inessential, listen and more proof, if it were needed of course, that Lambert is an excellent interpreter of other people’s songs.

It shows him to be a musically omnivorous artist, should any proof beyond Field Music’s albums be required.

As far as third albums go, this is definitely more of an Ultra Mono than a Skinty Fia – a consolidation of their position rather than a leap at greatness.

At 55 minutes, it’s arguably too long, and some of the less memorable tracks could probably be filed away without taking too much away from the album. Yet only dEUS could end an album with Le Blues Polaire, a six minute song sung entirely in French that switches from dirty, grimy guitar rock to hypnotic drone several times.

Perhaps some of this record suffers from thin songwriting but the drops, so clearly the main attraction here, are characterful, razor-sharp and banging.