I have a confession. It’s a confession with which no one I’ve admitted it to over the last week or so has disagreed: Justin Bieber has released a decent album. There, I’ve said it. Having spent most of the summer trying to convince myself that ‘Where Are Ü Now’ and ‘What Do You Mean?’ were one-off hits that I only liked because of their excellent production, the appearance of the full album Purpose has convinced me otherwise. Now that’s not to say that all 19 tracks are masterpieces – it does get a little greige in the middle as song after song lays down a mindless R&B vibe with randomly occurring trap beats (see ‘No Sense’ or ‘Get Used To It’). Look to work like ‘Been You’ and the title track, though, and some decent songwriting comes through, moving between stripped-back accompaniments to a tone that mixes some of his older euphoric dance sound with some new syth experimenting. ‘Love Yourself’ is a particularly excellent track, co-written with Ed Sheeran and Benny Blanco, and mixes some inspired solo guitar riffs with a touch of sax. The lyrics make you want to send the song straight to any ex, including "My mama don’t like you and she likes everyone... If you like the way you look so much you should go and love yourself." It will be interesting to see what’s next in the mercurial Biebz’ progression as an artist.

Next up is the self-produced EP from the London and Berlin based duo, Shall We. The first release from the band, like much of what ends up in here, is hard to define under one genre; sometimes softly acoustic, at other times more alt-rock, and often including collaborations with some outstanding instrumentalists. Early recordings of tracks such as ‘Closer’ hold the original stripped back sound of the two, accompanied by just a guitar and one drum, but on the finished album make use of more complex rhythms and a variety of piano and differing acoustic lines. In many of the tracks, the dialogue between the vocalists creates a cinematic atmosphere that is underlined by recurring motifs on bass and wind instruments – be it in the sultry ‘Masquerade’ or the more honest and emotive ‘Across the Rooms’. The developmental changes and growth in sound that went into the album have produced something that must almost be listened to as a concept piece, as each voice develops its own character. The lyrics and tone stroll between playfulness and suggestion, leaving the music without typicality: it goes from something resembling a Gainsbourg/Birkin duet to an evening in a cabaret bar.

Finally, the latest album, Chemicals, from French duo The Shoes. Previously just sticking to remixes (listen to the incredible work on Lana Del Rey’s ‘Born to Die’ with Woodkid), they then branched out into their own production, releasing 10 collaborations here that showcase an intriguing and eclectic mix of sounds. ‘Us & I’ is a particular favourite: mixing polyrhythmic tribal beats with something that moves into a techno tone. All include some stunning vocals and accomplished lyricism, most notably ‘Drifted’, featuring Sage and ‘Vortex of Love’ with Blaine Harrison. The sound of the album is markedly 80’s synth-pop inspired, but also branches into something radically new. There’s also a collaboration with previous Pick of the Week favourite, Petite Noir, that puts a robotic tone with mixed up vocals and a disco beat. Definitely worth a listen.