It’s been strange getting all the announcements for the summer’s festival line-ups over the last fortnight or so, as Britain has basically been completely uninhabitable in February. Any thoughts of cider, T-shirts, sunglasses and English summer fields feel about as realistic as an Oasis reunion as we peer outside at beasts from the east wreaking their fury.

But on the new music front, February has yielded a number of great announcements for upcoming albums and returning artists in 2018.

Top of the list is undoubtedly Courtney Barnett, who announced details of her second album proper, trailing new single ‘Nameless, Faceless’ ahead of Tell Me How You Really Feel in May. Inspired by a Margaret Atwood quotation, the new track picks up pretty much exactly where the Australian ingénue left off with her debut, setting things up nicely for a sophomore effort. Sadie Dupuis’ Speedy Ortiz project also announced its return, and the imperious Janelle Monáe announced her first album in five years, Dirty Computer, part-recorded with none other than Prince.

Chvrches, whose devastatingly accessible yet slyly subversive pop has made them one of the must-see live bands of the decade, also announced ‘Get Out’, the first song from what will surely be their upcoming third album in 2018. Produced by pop maestro Greg Kurstin (Adele, Sia, Foo Fighters) it’s the first time that the Scottish trio have invited an outsider in to help with production, and while it does sound a bit more polished than usual, it still has all the elements that made their first two albums such a treat.

There’s also been new tracks from Parquet Courts from their fourth album Wide Awake! coming in May, as well as fellow New Yorkers Sunflower Bean, prepping their second album for March. Beach House also dropped a new single ‘Lemon Glow’, from what will hopefully be a seventh album coming in 2018. Having been announced as the headliner for a major event at Halifax’s Piece Hall in May, Father John Misty revealed a stand-alone track, the self-referential ‘Mr. Tillman’, and new stand-alone tracks arrived from Girl Ray and Leeds’ own Brooders.

And, as if it was even possible to do so, Muse carried on even further down their path to absolute lunacy with a new single ‘Thought Contagion’, worthy of inclusion in this playlist despite not being very good just because it’s so loopy.

In the returning legends stakes, we saw another new track from reformed punks L7, and also from ex-Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus, with his long-standing backing band The Jicks.

To summarise, here’s our monthly round-up playlist of all the new music released in February 2018. Happy listening!