Twig’s Magdalene is intense

Five years ago, FKA Twigs took what we consider R’n’B slow jams and turned them into her own art project.

Breakout hit Two Weeks was slower, darker and explicitly sexier than songs we commonly hear on the radio.

A former backup dancer and music video director, FKA Twigs (real name Tahliah Barnett) controls every aspect of her highly stylised performances.

Her latest album,

Magdalene, is bolder still, with feminine power and beauty at the forefront as she openly confronts a very public heartbreak. It’s a heavy listen. She doubles down on the drama, but the detail that drips from every note will ring true with those familiar with the thin line between pleasure and pain.

Parts of this album are scary for their intense imagery, while remaining musically intriguing. There are strong shades of Tori Amos, although one could also call Kate Bush or Bjork into the frame.

Her voice shows more range on this collection, and she dabbles in more genres than before, while remaining highly experimental and heavily manicured. Enlisting producers Nicolas Jaar for his otherworldly touch, and Jack Antonoff to make sure there’s still a hook to catch, gives this record a balance between the accessible and the obscure.

Meanwhile, so far Lucy Dacus has given us two albums to love and cherish.

This year, she’s been dripfeeding us songs and has now bundled them together on EP 2019.

What a treat. There are a handful of gorgeous originals here, as well as a few choice covers.

Who would have thought hearing Dacus sing In the Air Tonight or Dancing in the Dark was what we needed to hear. She brings such an energy and precision to the songs they find a new life of their own. There are few covers worth listening to, but these really elevate the original material.

Dacus has been busy touring, which is obviously honing her vocal skills. Her subtle lilt says so much without saying much at all.

And her originals are effortlessly brilliant. In particular, Forever Half Mast ,a Fourth of July protest song that begins with the compassionate lyric, ‘‘Yes you’re evil, but you’re not that bad’’.

She’s one of the great current songwriters and this collection is a great introduction.

Finally, if you’re after something fun and summery, Panda Bear have delivered a wee delight with A Day with the Homies.

The title is misleading: it sounds more like a day with the toddlers, but not in a bad way.

These are charming, childlike tunes that are heavy on repetition and melody, and light on meaning and substance.