Alphabetical order cos I loathe marks out of ten/competition. Just one list this year. If you see quote marks it means I'm quoting from a review in DJ Magazine, Wire Magazine or the Metro newspaper. 
Oddly, the very first and the very last albums here were the only two that me and my daughters agreed on this year, the first a fave of my eldest, the last a fave of my youngest.

If I can offer one view of what unifies all of these it's that in tough times for all of us, they have offered an...