Mental Illness (Aimee Mann ) £7.99

For this album, Mann set herself the challenge of matching public perception by making “the saddest, slowest, most acoustic” album – quite a promise given her last big downer, on 1999’s Magnolia soundtrack, turned out to be a career highlight.

Why you need it: Lyrics that cut through life’s nonsense.

What’s it best for: Mann’s understated and wry delivery.