The first month of 2020 is finally over after what feels like forever, and Brexit is finally happening after what feels like even longer, so you'd be forgiven for having a few mixed emotions. But there's nothing like this month's album haul to reflect the feelings of the current political and social hive mind. Here's a few of our favourites...

Poppy - I Disagree

You just don't expect this kind of album to come out of a pop act, but then Poppy is all about breaking the rules. I Disagree marks her third album, her first release on Sumerian Records and her final collaboration with creative partner Titanic Sinclair. With elements of metal and industrial infused into her electropop sound, this is the kind of genre-bending pluckiness we love.

Poppy - I DisagreePoppy - I Disagree

Algiers - There Is No Year

Another album on the experimental side that we've been loving this month is There Is No Year by Atlanta band Algiers. The concept started out as a poem entitled Misophonia by frontman Franklin James Fisher, and morphed into a multi-genre record with an industrial edge blending alongside their trademark soul vibe. It's their third release on Matador and probably the edgiest album they've released so far.

Algiers - There Is No YearAlgiers - There Is No Year

Eminem - Music to Be Murdered By

Just like 2018's Kamikaze, Eminem dropped yet another surprise album this month. In typical Shady fashion, it's been the subject of much controversy thanks to the flippant references to atrocities like the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, but it's actually an important protest album against guns and violence. The visceral lyrics and warp speed rapping had us transfixed with Music to Be Murdered By. 

Eminem - Music to Be Murdered ByEminem - Music to Be Murdered By

Halsey - Manic

This is probably one of the only albums where you can say that the lack of cohesiveness is actually a strength. It's a raw and candid display of Halsey's self-view and personal struggles with a daring blend of genres ranging from country to alt-rock. It's really all over the place, but in the best possible way - just like Halsey herself. 

Halsey - ManicHalsey - Manic

Mac Miller - Circles

Posthumous albums always have a poignancy to them that you can't replicate elsewhere, and Mac Miller's Circles is no exception. You can't escape the emotional aspect of the record, but it's still an uplifting release and while the rapper wasn't there to finish it, it feels remarkably personal to him. We are privileged to have got the chance to hear his final work.

Mac Miller - CirclesMac Miller - Circles

Pet Shop Boys - Hotspot

There are many synth-pop acts that cannot for the life of them drag themselves out of the 80s and early 90s cheesefest from whence they came, but Pet Shop Boys are not one of them. Old school as they are, they've still managed to stay relevent and Dreamland featuring Years & Years is one of the most fun pop tracks we've heard recently.

Pet Shop Boys - HotspotPet Shop Boys - Hotspot

Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong

Everything else may have gone wrong but Bombay Bicycle Club's fifth studio album certainly hasn't. Debuting at number one on the UK's Official Record Store Chart, the record marks the return of the band from their "indefinite hiatus" and is a vulnerable, honest release that never loses that trademark indie sound we know and love.

Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone WrongBombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong