Birdy - Fire Within

Recommended by Bex:

Birdy began her career doing covers, selling an album purely on her voice and some fantastic production. The fact that she co-wrote, or wrote, every song on Fire Within is testament to her writing skills.

Her voice is haunting, with a maturity beyond her 17 years. It's a production heavy album, and, while impressive that Birdy still shines through it all, the moments where it's just her voice and one other instrument are the most compelling.

DLS vs. SP - Repent Replenish Repeat

Friend Recommendation:

Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip have combined their considerable individual talents and created an emotional and personal album unconstrained by big label management. There's nothing sanitised or overly produced here, so brace yourself.

Dan's music on its own is spontaneous and playful. However, Pip's spoken words create intimate images and a rare truth that is, at times, shocking but ultimately liberating. 'Stunner' was on YouTube back in August, but final track 'You Will See Me' blows it out of the park.

The music on offer is raw and pure. Perfect for repeat listens.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Friend Recommendation:

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac has taken on a life of its own. Selling over 30 million copies world-wide, it has assiduously worked its way into so many households since its release in February 1977, that it's become part of the sonic furniture.

Musically, there is little fuss, no mess and hardly any waste. If the age was about redundant excess, you are hard pushed to hear any of it on tunes like 'Don't Stop' or especially 'Dreams', which both benefit from incredibly sparing instrumentation – there is so much left out, it makes the tracks seem somehow busier by memory.

It became one of biggest records of all time, providing an antidote to the era while remaining entirely in step with its time. It led the group to make its thoroughly crazy yet quite beautiful follow-up, Tusk in 1979, bereft of the editing and economy that makes Rumours so special.

Charli XCX - True Romance

Recommended by Bex:

I admit to being underwhelmed by True Romance when it was, eventually, released. This was mainly because we had waited so long for a full LP - plus the majority of its material had featured elsewhere.

The album is undeniably cohesive, so all that polishing paid off. Having seen Charli live at the Academy Islington, I can also attest to her confident and engaging stage presence.