There is actually a fair bit of non-metal in this year's countdown and quite a lot of it in the upper echelon. This is our first visit to outside of the confines of planet metal but to be honest St. Vincent is by no means a stranger to my countdowns. This is pop with a blackened heart and venomous bite. One of the greatest guitarists of her generation, she has returned the raucous rock to her vernacular after a couple of albums that stayed firmly in electronica. This is a wonderfully expressive record that bounces along with an inbuilt sense of purpose. Whilst previous releases have felt like art statements this seems happy to just be fun.