December: 18 albums you need to hear this month

Jagwar Ma 'Every Now And Then' (Marathon Artists)

Jagwar Ma’s second LP is more of a rave than the Australian trio’s 2013 debut ‘Howlin’. Recorded between their native home and a French sunflower farm studio before being finished off in London with Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford, it frequently spirals into psychedelic-pop hedonism. ‘Say What You Feel’ and ‘Give Me A Reason’ are groove-laden standouts, ‘Batter Up’ boasts trippy beats and the bubbling production of ‘Don’t Mike It Right’ creates something out of very little. ‘O B 1’, meanwhile, is the euphoric highlight, its swelling synths and melodic pop chorus giving it crossover potential. The key, though, is that each track will slot effortlessly into their famously hypnotic live shows. Ben Jolley

8/10