Raw, refined and radical, you made me / skin on linen is a complex and challenging record, and one that shouldn't be taken for granted

Instead of wearing death as a costume, they embrace it entirely as a rite of passage. Perfecth easily their biggest swing yet, and they pull it off with a swagger. Come along for the ritual, Josh Homme's got the butcher's cleaver

A portrait of an artist in-progress — still learning, still adapting and still evolving rather than staying complacent and safe once set

A sleeker, far more polished sound than her more Britpop- and alt-rock-focused What a Devastating Turn of Events

She's the Best isn't chasing a tectonic shift in the pop culture zeitgeist. What Sivan offers instead is an honest and effective collection of songs about sexual freedom and the women whose creative influence has helped him grow into the man he's become

Dopamine Chamber is no different; while not too far removed from the sonic sensibilities of Romance, the darker tone and existential themes keep the band's meditations on the modern world as potent as ever

Wolf shines through Mud thanks to the album's ambiguities and complexities. Much like a mud bath, it's messy — but ultimately healing

A solid album that shows a young man with unfettered control

Nature's Pill is sexy and brash, but not without touching on the disappointment that comes with trying people on in an attempt to crystallize who you are

On Popstar, Tinashe remains at the front of the class, teaching material she has known long enough to deliver with her eyes closed

Narratively, it's among Peck's strongest work. Musically, however, it just doesn't quite click

For newcomers, it's a perfectly moody entry point. Hotel Usona is the sound of a band settling into their own skin, creating a space that's uniquely theirs and generously sharing the key

Melodie feels like the most accomplished and intentional Slow Pulp album yet. This is what overnight success sounds like when you're more than decade in

Ride Lonesome doesn't just serve as a fitting end of a trilogy: it's moving and inventive enough to make fans pine for the next instalment in what is is hopefully a long series

What you have here is a great record that, despite not reinventing the wheel, belongs in the upper tier of an illustrious catalogue

Jepsen still sounds great in this vein, but she sounds more at home, more herself, in Day and Night's first half

Pylon is a powerful marker — a sign of how possible it is to make music that's as filled with unselfconscious pop catharsis as it is with ragged, irreplaceable soul

Amos's most overt experiment with genre to date

It's messier, more draining and the clearest version yet of what Chat Pile do best: making unbearable music for an unbearable world hurtling toward the sun

Gotta Get Out is an excellent progression of the Linda Lindas' sound, shimmering with promise for career longevity