

I went out for a coffee with my girlfriend this week, simply for the pleasure of sharing a slice of cake and having a chat. If time is on your side, do spend a few hours listening to entries that are unfamiliar to you – I can guarantee you'll find a batch of records that will turn your head and at least a handful that will permanently penetrate your heart and mind.

My PayPal account is already sobbing tremulously at the thought of the number of digital downloads, tapes, CDs and vinyl LPs it's going to have to process because of this bountiful inventory. These are the Quietus albums of the year, as voted for by staff, columnists and regular writers of this site.
