There’s a distinctly rich, decadent feeling to a lot of this month’s sounds: we open with the stupidly fun, honeyed brass swing of the Mark Ronson and Mystikal collaboration, the funky sway of Delroy Edwards and the intense, seductive opulence of Beyoncé’s brilliant new party anthem. There is a theatrical ostentatiousness to the much-hyped sounds of Future Brown; to O.T. Genasis’ gritty love-letter to a white powder that, in a non-festive twist, probably isn’t snow; and to the gloriously sumptuous Chimes (Rmx) from HudMo and co. The catchy, heavy sounds of Shook show just why everyone is touting Novelist and Mumdance as the faces of the new wave of grime. This isn’t to say there aren’t some lighter songs this month though, with sweet, feathery, dance sounds from Giraffage, a twinkling piece of R&B-tinged pop from Malaysian starlet Yuna and the soaring new Purity Ring which whets the appetite nicely for their sophomore record next year. There’s some sugary, breezy guitar from Ariel Pink and some wonderfully nonchalant fuzzy punk from Girlpool’s recent album. Then there are the impressive vocals of Denai Moore, followed by the simply beautiful James Blake-esque The Love You’re Given from Jack Garratt — all quivering and delicately pretty. We finish with the latest wavy and strange offering from Dublin’s own Meltybrains? because, while December is a wonderfully indulgent month, part of its charm is surely that it gets us excited for what might be yet to come.