The much loved Australian psychedelians did away with the guitars for this LP, instead opting for deeply layered electronic production and effortlessly dreamy synths. Tracks like ‘Yes I’m Changing‘ and ‘Eventually‘ confidently carry a universal arc of loss, break-ups and regret that the majority of listeners can connect with in an instant. Play this on a worthy sound system to experience the full effect of this beautifully composed record. (James Moore)

Star Wars came completely out of the blue and was free - the two best things an album release can be. The added bonus was that it was Wilco’s best album in a few years. After a somewhat sweet but lacklustre family project with Tweedy, it was great to hear Jeff back in the dissonant underpasses. With throwbacks to the alt-country denotes of A.M and Summerteeth, Star Wars is indicative of the Wilco who have sailed through the last two decades without losing any of the magic that people gravitate to all those years ago. (Will Butler)

Taking a sideways glance at love has become something of a speciality for La Havas. With every track on Blood, she puts a new lens onto over-played themes of relationships, heartbreak and nostalgia - there's an breath of sadness underneath the more upbeat numbers, and a sense of optimism lurking beneath tales of loss. On 'Wonderful', for example, after detailing the demise of a relationship, she arrives at a sort of peaceful acceptance, "But wasn't it kind of wonderful?" (Alexandra Pollard)

Absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder, and it's never been easier to fall in love with Idlewild than on this long overdue comeback record. From the gentle rolling balladry of 'Nothing I Can Do About It' into the rushing compulsion of 'Collect Yourself', this makes for an album that both encapsulates the glory of their finest moments, but shows a textured depth of a band highly evolved. (Andrew Trendell)

Formed from the ashes of fellow Jagjaguawar signing Women, Viet Cong have exploded onto the scene with this brilliantly exciting debut. Boundaries don’t really exist for Viet Cong, despite the overriding feel being post punk there’s plenty of abstract distorted noise, and prog. The unique approach makes the album feel vital in a world where imitation is so prominent. (Cai Trefor)

No subject matter is off-limits in Bully's debut album - but it's done more as an attempt to embrace the mundanity of human anxiety than to shock. "Been praying for my period all week," sings Alicia Bognanno in album highlight 'Trying', later adding, "I question everything - my focus, my figure, my sexuality / And how much it matters or why it would mean anything." Musically, it meanders between vulnerable restraint and angry, rebellious yells. A brilliant debut. (Alexandra Pollard)

A collaboration between The National's Matt Berninger and Ramona Falls' Brent Knopf, El Vy naturally share a little of the same terrain as the former, but the truth is that this collaboration has allowed both artists to really cut loose like never before - and the order of the day is simply letting the good times roll. 'Careless' leans on the more raw-nerved tenderness that we've come to known Berninger for, but with a more stripped-back approach - while 'It's A Game' is so light-of-touch that it proves ultimately heavenly, but with that classic tongue-in-cheek sideways glance at the world: "I'd never been so alone, until I read that The Minutemen were dead". 

While many debuts by 'side-projects' are half-arsed vanity projects, this is a labour of love from a band fully realised. While we endure the aching wait for a new album from The National, the pain is subdued by something completely different - after Return To The Moon, they can take their sweet time. In just under an hour, Berninger and Knopf take a walk on the wilder, lighter side. Let's hope it's a path they continue to tread. (Andrew Trendell) 

Ghostface Killah has featured on a slew of projects and albums this year, buts it’s with the old school jazz flavour of BBNG behind him that his lyrical punches and uppercuts hit their target hardest. Tracks like ‘Degrees’ with Danny Brown strip things back to glorious basics and allow two talented MC’s to go head to head, while songs like ‘Experience’ swing with epic brass, strings and rich sonics rarely heard on trap infatuated hip hop projects of late. (James Moore)

So staccato and strangely paced are Holter's melodies that you almost miss the bizarre beauty of her lyrics. "My first thought was there are so many days of rain in Mexico city," begins 'Feel You', part conversation, part poetry, "a good reason to go - you know I love to run away from the sun." (Alexandra Pollard)

Kurt Vile’s follow up to Wakin On A Pretty Daze doesn’t break a great deal of new ground, but It’s all the better for it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Vile remains an easing and powerful voice for the open road and beyond, with swirling guitar riffs and straight to the point percussion making room for tweaking solos and a flurry of blunt wisdom. (James Moore)

Read the rest of our albums of the year below