‘The first thing is how unhinged it all sounds. The album brews and boils with an ominously dark tone in a desolate space, dense with energy, guitar overdriven past the point of sanity, slamming drum accents, vocals cutting through in what seems to be comprised of another, as yet unheard, language. Yet, inside the apparent wild abandon and destruction is a strict internal logic of construction that unveils itself upon listening…’ With Noel Von Harmonson from Comets On Fire on drums, and Rob Fisk from Badgerlore sharing the bass-playing with San Francisco psych legend Charlie Saufley.

A collection of EPs recorded at home, most Decembers since 2001, and given to friends as Christmas cards. Traditional carols and many originals, with stickers, stories, a songbook, and a bunch of stocking fillers.

Deliciously ethereal and dark folk from the duo of Oxford’s Sharron Kraus and Philly’s Tara Burke (aka Fursaxa).

The first in forty-seven years from this veteran American Primitive. Witty, stark, smouldering guitarism, as ever.

Superb first album from Andy Cabic, Devendra Banhart, Otto Hauser et al.

Wonderful, half-enraptured, half-stoned, full-blown re-imagination of vintage country soul sublimity. (He likes Washington Phillips; you can hear Curtis.) Five star reviews everywhere.

Mostly this is slow, stricken Lucinda, as moving and compelling as she gets, grieving for her mum and furious with an ex. Worth putting up with the Patti Smith impressions.