Tonight We Dance

There are moments of despair, but on the whole, Lift a Sail rings as an uplifting testament to love and human resilience.

It’s incredible just how good Dreyer is at making you connect with his characters, and how equally good his band are at backing him up.

Cope is a loud dose of poetry which I can see stretching its musical arms very far and very wide.

It works, at least partly because White’s version of a big production is more about layering sounds until he hits on something right, rather than polishing something until its defining cracks fade away.

Given how fickle Bemis perceives some of his fans, changing up the formula so drastically is a bold move on his part, but it’s one that ultimately pays off, making the album a creative high point capable of spawning enough critical debate to fuel a lifetime of Say Anything albums.

While Are We There can be taxing at points, by its end, you’ll be overcome by the feeling that you’ve shared in something profound.

Lost Domain acts as both a lovely tribute to Wheeler’s father, and further confirmation of his talent as a songwriter.

It’s an album that manages to remain accessible while still sounding challenging and unconventional, an album that can sound heart-stoppingly beautiful one minute and scratchily acerbic the next and, ultimately, an album that’s impossible to grow bored of.

You wouldn’t assume a troubled backstory from the music — Lewis has channelled her grievances into a statement of life-affirming and ebullient guitar pop.

Music this well-sung and well-played will never go out of fashion or lose its appeal. Upside Down Mountain is a great achievement and Conor Oberst’s best work to date.