A smoldering rock and roll record that rivals John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band and Nirvana’s In Utero in terms of unexpectedness.

This destined-to-be-classic release will please a wide variety of his fans.

Spoon's loosest, most eclectic effort yet.

Live at the Fillmore showcases her raw wound of a voice and the rough edges of her band in all their unvarnished glory, as the music cuts across conventional categories of country, blues, folk, rock (and rap) to strike a distinctly personal chord.

While [Finn's] odd and humorous rants are essentially compelling, they wouldn't be half as engrossing if his backing group... didn't smack up such a glorious din, scabrous punk rock swagger dolled up with classic hard rock power chords.

These are heartfelt songs: sometimes cheeky and occasionally heartbreaking.

You might think that an album about child abuse would be hard to listen to, but as always, hearing Darnielle's lyrics is an honor and a privilege.

Emancipation works the kind of pure-pop magic that sets us all free.

Meltdown is easily Ash's best album since 1977; this is the sound of a band becoming interesting again. [Amazon UK]

The drifting chords and soft voice are still in place, only now Johnson's instinct for melody has sharpened alongside his ability to self-edit.

Over the course of the album, too much of the midtempo material sounds too much the same, more inspired lyrically than musically, failing to sustain the momentum of the opening tracks.

The Beekeeper returns the quirky singer to the same whimsical terrain of 1992's Little Earthquakes, but with much stronger storylines, and a much more assured and nuanced voice.

Woman King subtly opens the sonic palette up to include more percussion, piano, and wait is that an electric guitar?

The production seems a bit slick, as if the group was going for some Interpol-type success, while the songs would perhaps be better served at a studio like Easley in Memphis.

It’s an unpredictably bipolar record with plenty of mood swings and emotional shifts that will ultimately leave listeners with feelings of euphoria.

The drawback is a lack of diversity which keeps those sunny, delicious moments from having the impact they should.

Happiness in Magazines is riddled with glorious pop songs, and in a sane world would yield several hit singles. [Amazon UK]

Frayed, fuzzy and undeniably excellent.

Trouble is, Chesney, who wrote or cowrote all 13 tracks, ended up with enough material for only half a record, and then repeated many of his ideas.

Whether you’re a newcomer to Chasny’s sublime psychedelic folk or were a fan from the get-go and own all the limited editon vinyl, no one could possibly be disappointed with this album.

It doesn't even matter much that he's a B minus rhyme spitter, or that he spends way too much studio time name dropping.

The disc is truly beautiful on the ears, filled with gorgeous dynamics, crisp, discordant playing and impressive production to boot.

Red Light District has its share of filler, but, track for track, Ludacris still delivers satisfaction.

Few bands in bluegrass can match the virtuosity of Union Station's interplay, but the artistry of Alison Krauss transcends genre.

Those who are intrigued by electronica but find it's too chilly for their tastes would be wise to check out Psapp.

At once new and old, familiar and fresh.

Hope of the States pull off the commendable trick of twisting avant-garde apocalyptica into bona fide pop songs. [Amazon UK]

Turns out those hypothetical comparisons to Sgt. Pepper's weren't so far off the mark.