Albums

From unspooling love to decadent fun, our critics' picks of the year's finest LPs

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LISTEN UP BEST ALBUMS: 10 TO6

10 Billy Woods Golliwog

A rap masterpiece that works both as stunning poetry on the page and thrilling music out of loudspeakers. Woods picks his way through psychic wreckage wrought by racism, poverty, war and more.

9 Geese Getting Killed

The ways that love unravels us and knits us back together are explored on the outrageously accomplished and wise fourth album from the New York garage rock band. Cameron Winter's lyrics and vocals are peerless.

8 Bad Bunny Debí Tirar Más Fotos

Bad Bunny shone his spotlight back on his roots in Puerto Rico for his sixth album, singing of sacrifice, colonial oppression and the importance of preserving tradition. He's an incredible conduit, synthesising the past and present.

7 Lily Allen West End Girl

Lily Allen's divorce album is so lurid in its apparent disclosures (she has said she employed some poetic licence) that it felt as though there was a risk of the carcass being tossed aside once the tabloids had picked it clean for gossip.

But the quality of the songwriting and silvery electronic production, as well as the tangibility of Allen's hurt, gave West End Girl not just staying power but a place in the pantheon of great breakup albums.

6 PinkPantheress Fancy That