Thompson's fifth album is a winningly charming affair, showcasing his rich voice.

An instant hit with tasty ingredients, and worth waiting for.

Friendly Fires have already proved themselves, but this second effort is a mighty step upwards. It is another terrific, clattering celebration of an album that sounds nothing like its peers, but hopefully will be rewarded with sales to dwarf Lady Gaga's.

This is a connoisseur's collection, steering clear of hits that have since veered into kitsch (like Release Me or I Can't Stop Loving You) to favour a handful of classics, some less-known treasures, and the title song--a charmer of Cantrell's own that sits snugly among the marvellous covers.

With Audio, Video, Disco, the duo has created their own realm and progressed into a formidable force.

Like Bashkirtseff and Pomeroy before them, Summer Camp's debut marks a sincere, wryly appealing turning point in the art of romanticised retrospection.

In its own right, The Fear... is an impressive piece of work. As inevitable as comparisons with their previous creations are, they shouldn’t detract from what is by anyone else’s standards a major achievement

Foals were already a mainstream presence; now, they’ve made an album properly reflecting that status.

A mighty voice of formidably expressive multitudes, here given room to roam, and to roar.

Truly impressive, The Dø gracefully pull off the kind of intriguing "oddness" the likes of Florence Welch strain and wheeze for, and with better tunes.

It’s hard not to by won over, once again, by Moore’s indomitable, eternal teenager energy.

A polished fourth solo studio LP aimed at mainstream reggae audiences.

the band have still got their peers beat hands down and exhibit enough vision to have you hoping they'll transcend mere re-revivalism yet further with whatever they put out next.

Reboots Scott Walker and the androgynous end of 90s Britpop into distinctive darkwave.

More of the same from Black Joe Lewis – and this is a good thing.

This is a pop dance album par excellence bristling with positivity, tunes and ideas.

Fool’s Gold stretch Western pop templates out into African shapes; and this debut album belies their name by being a genuine gem.

Rumer's debut is an immediately engaging, gently engrossing set. It wears its cracked heart on a neatly stitched sleeve of the most luxurious fabric, strong and elegant despite the hardships that sit of the centre of every song.

Peggy Sue have firmly moved from kooky and wonky soul-smith-stresses to blazing a path through fully realised songs waging war with life.

Fourteen years on from his debut as leader, Vijay Iyer joins the club with a characteristic blend of tasteful tribute and exciting unorthodoxy.

This is a Spiritualized album down to its marrow, replete with the Velvet Underground-meets-Brian Wilson melodies, symphonic crescendos and widescreen riffs that Pierce has made his own since the beginning.... and [it's] a great one.

This is a raw, unfussy rock record that forsakes gloss or studio tricks for instinct and urgency.

The Wild Hunt is a heady and enthralling work, its impressionistic nature bolstered by levels of charm and confidence found all too rarely in these modern times.

Consequently and unlike most covers records, If I Had a Hi-Fi (which, rather neatly, is a palindrome) sounds wonderfully fresh and easy, but also yields some unexpected pop trinkets.

With the multitude of guests, perhaps this would be better as a DVD. When experienced as audio only the ears are forced to make some wild and sudden adjustments. But maybe that's one of this disc's perverse attractions.

He reaches beyond his home state for a broader sound, and the results are remarkable.

101 blends the quirky, the audacious and the touching to confident effect, emerging as a fine listen for all seasons.

It's at once a work of larger ambition and greater focus than its predecessor, beginning brilliantly and continuing in the same manner for its entire length.