A lot of the songs are solid hits in the making.

Crimes of Passion is playful, real, genuine, and just a bit naughty.

Snapshot is more derivative than what is is supposed to be an alternative to.

Sisyphus is easily the boldest project to come from any three of its members, and that’s saying a lot.

It’s the same bloatedness that often permeates through a Beirut record, and despite a short recording time Condon hasn’t quite been able to shake it, leaving us with a familiar and easy-going album that might step in a different direction, but ultimately remains distinctively Beirut.

The beauty lies in the flaws, the imperfections, and A Long Way To Fall is way too immersed in picture perfect punctiliousness for this to make any lasting impression.

This second album shows that there is more to their schtick than barely tamed chaos.

A passable if disappointing montage of mid-tempo electro-pop that flirts dangerously close to dull trip-hop.

The material on Keel Her is probably best enjoyed one by one--17 tracks at once is a bit much.

There’s an awful lot of promise housed in Graveyard Of Good Times, but its scale and constant shape-shifting makes it difficult to consume and process. Some refinement though, and the future’s bright for Brandon.

With an utterly flawless, heart-twisting vocal throughout, America spins tales of sorrow and betrayal and turns them into something exquisite.

The singer-songwriter continues along that trajectory with her most cohesive, accomplished and undeniably catchy collection of songs to date.

Tracks such as ‘Answer’ contain more light, pop-ridden sensibilities, yet it’s with the grittier, heavier-sounding choruses where Phantogram are at their best.

‘Spark’ presents a jarring change: not one from that familiar warmth to icy cold, but only halfway, a sort of uncomfortable mild chill.

Their most ambitious work to date, ‘Myself In The Way’ sees them enter a new world of expansive sound.

Although the remixes do not do the original songs on 'Gloss Drop' justice, 'Dross Glop' does give other artists their chance to interpret Battles' songs in their own way, from a rap twist with Shabazz Palaces to others going into even more experimental territory than the band themselves.

An intriguing album befitting of a fascinating man.

The majority of the record is just not memorable enough.

Their past is a double-edged sword, but that doesn’t prevent Head Carrier from having its own unique strengths.

By refusing to change the song structure or tempo in any way, Deez has created an album that is stuck in a memory that grows more rose-tinted by the day.

Working Girl isn’t the sleekest of albums but the stumbles and scrapes that Little Boots overcomes are a testament to her desire for change.

This is not their most groundbreaking work, but it's very easy to enjoy a band who themselves enjoy what they're creating.

It’s fun, it’s enjoyable and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

As the album progresses onto its second disc, it becomes even more spaced out and diverse. At times, the attempts to combine more abstract and challenging sounds fail to hold your attention. However, when this works well, as on the excellent ‘Sideways Glance', it’s a joy.

Permission to sprinkle Big Sounds over their insta-recognisable songwriting might not have been something they’d allow themselves in the past, but here it transforms what could’ve easily been ‘churning out more of the same’ into 21st Century alt-pop bangers.

The concept is interesting, it fits well with the sonic ambitions of the band, and for the most part it flows effectively and has good changes of timing and pace.

A wonderful start.

The nods to Spiritualized and My Bloody Valentine are still there, but the world has moved on since then, and unfortunately, it feels like Maps is still stuck in 2007.

Those looking for 24/7 simple, saccharine sun and smiles may be jarred in a few odd points; but the rest of us can enjoy the added punch and intensity that Be Slowly brings to the table.

A genuinely pleasing aspect of this album is hearing Carter’s vocals dominate more than they have in the past. However, the pace of the second half is less full-throttle and less memorable for it.

With a few forgettable songs and seemingly overcrowded moments, Lo-Fang's debut falls short--acting as more of a promise of what's to come, rather than a thrilling introduction.

If you were expecting a post-rock album, you've come to the wrong place; this is something sharper, more accessible, sure, but no less clever.

Take a step back from the ins and outs of the record and Simulation Theory stands as a ridiculous, bombastic stab of maximalism from one of the world’s biggest stadium rock bands.

Kiesza may have already dominated the charts and club scene, but she’s got a whole lot more tricks up her sleeve.

This is not the most cohesive body of work, granted, but oh man does it have some total bangers.

Familiar territory and no mistake, but his pining craft, all jazzy guitar shapes and heart-stung pleas, feels remarkably well-realised. Highlights abound.

Wicked Nature goes on for much too long, leaving it just as forgettable as the rest.

By trying to make them sound something they're not, the end effect falls far short.

Without doubt, this is Kate's heartbreak album; candid in its inspiration, both musically and emotionally

Ultimately, it turns out The Darkness are at their worst when doing an impression of themselves, which is exactly what Last Of Our Kind is.

Wilfully experimental and typically fluid, Drift is an album that will keep you on your toes.

This album is not just a holiday destination but a permanent home for anyone who wants to see what the band has to offer next.

Less scrappy punk and more slick guitars, there’s an air of the Queens of the Stone Age about their debut, and it’s a sound they wear well.

It’s an uneven listen, although that sometimes plays in its favour; Page’s vocal delivery is consistently unpredictable.

The startling openness with which Kate writes is nothing but warming.

The album proves to be a glacial melt of shimmering beauty, asking for attention and rewarding it with a kind of zen.

They claim to be writing about politics, death and sex on this record, but Songs For Our Mothers offers so little that’s actually new. There’s no light to shine, no tales to be told and no ground to be broken. Nothing to see here.

It doesn’t feel any more disciplined or carefully-crafted than the experimental ‘Frost God’ did, but Yung Lean does continue to push the boundaries--which is precisely what brought him to public attention in the first place.

You're left with an album that would be great fun live but needs reining on record.

Accordingly, he’s lent the whole affair an electronic flavour that doesn’t really work. In some cases, that’s because it’s crashingly outdated.

All in all, with Isles, Wild Belle is sure to attract many visitors who will visit for a quick party, but end up staying on for the island romance.

Fretboard noodling far outweighs any emotional or intellectual potency, and Heirs continues to leave ASIWYFA stuck between a rock solid live show and a hard-to-place recorded direction.

There are very few moments on Harlequin that don’t click either sonically or thematically. Izenberg has established himself as a gifted songwriter with a firm grasp on the strange side of things, and his beguiling debut plays like the nexus of Mac DeMarco and Anna Meredith.

On the surface Of Monsters And Men’s second album is a lush master-class in pop sensibilities and folk storytelling but Beneath The Skin is more than a name. Scratch below that glittering surface and you’ll discover a band that has discovered themselves.

Only the moody, foreboding ‘Over It’ hints at the pair testing their own boundaries; otherwise, this is another solid Deathrays outing.

Despite their identity being so closely interwoven with synth-pop, some of the more striking tracks here see Broods moving away from the keyboard, and reverting to more traditional instrumentation.

That’s not to say that Get Hurt isn’t a good album, with some excellent songs on it. But, if you’re looking for more of the blue collar punk of the band’s early years, you might initially be underwhelmed by what it has to offer.

There's a lack of progression from previous albums that makes Heavy Mood a bit of a disappointment.

Where Wildness Grows is an ode to patience, determination and second chances. Given theirs, Gengahr have smashed it.

This is eccentric indie pop with a slightly off-kilt flavour.

she’s written a brilliantly fun pop record in the process.

It lacks the immediate bombast of either that last LP or 2010’s ‘Come Around Sundown’, but neither is it straight-up boring.

MGMT haven't necessarily re-discovered their mojo, but re-imagined it, and in doing so, may well have given us one of the best albums of the year.

It takes a certain wide-eyed energy to make cracking pop music, something Pale Waves definitely possess - and though ‘Who Am I?’ isn’t quite the bastion of empowerment it was intended to be, it has some glimmering moments.

Its wares pick up where its predecessor left off but without adding too much extra to the mix.

Though starkly different in tone to his debut, ‘Orca’ remains inherently ‘Gus Dapperton’ with his signature growling vocals and effortless alt-pop grooves and indie licks showcasing an artist stepping up musically, while also finding strength in his vulnerability.

While diverse in places and interesting at its best, Albumin is disappointingly underpinned by the singular drone of fairly dull, generic rock.

Stop analysing too far, and what you end up with is a genuine contender.

Joshua James' second release of 2012 is a thoughtful and pleasantly warm collection of songs that are steeped in the sound of Americana.

Realisationship might not always come together neatly, but Andrew Hung’s desire to push his own boundaries, whether that’s moving into that lo-fi zone or utilising his vocals, leaves you wondering just where he’ll turn n

Tribes are simply proving that they have an ear for writing brit-poppy rock, and in summary, Baby is a complete belter.

The only sore-thumb is lead single ‘How Can You Really’, which feels far too polished for the lo-fi and experimental feel of the album. Apart from that, though, this is a record of magnificent magnitude and one that’s audacious as hell.

WHY? have always been an acquired taste but anyone with a shred of interest in Yoni Wolf's idiosyncratic talents will find much to savour on a very impressive return.

The issue with 48:13 is that it’s actually a fairly routine-sounding Kasabian record.

Though the London band don’t exactly attack in a fist-raised blaze of mega-riffs, they hit hard all the same with quick, sharp, and consistently executed blows of effortless songwriting.

There are a lot of words in this, their fifth album, and yes, they have always been a literate band, but here it often seems somewhat forced.

Tthey continually hit the sweet spot between the dance floor and sweaty indie venue. Songs overflow with ideas and, as the title suggests, they manage to plot a path through them all, finding something poetic amid all the excess.

While there certainly are some massive tunes in here, there are too many other instances that make you wonder what might have been.

Eclipse falls flat too often--eclipsing, some might say, the stadium-worthy songs we know he can achieve.

It doesn’t so much as show them in a new light, more picks up where ‘Trompe le Monde’ left off all those years ago. But, as the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don’t fix it.

Smith's vocals are spot-on throughout, save for the odd Mariah-esque trickle towards X Factor auditionee theatrics, and find themselves paired with as pitch-perfect a production as has been heard all year.

A more succinct approach to these re-assembled works would have done wonders, though as it stands leaves these ten tracks merely as a curiosity for long-standing Mogwai fans only.

Something that gradually becomes clear is that this is an album of uncertainty.

Freedom of Speech is clearly political, standing up to hardships of the modern world, tackling issues in a very mature way with intelligent and insightful lyrics.

Her most consistent album to date, and let-loose like never before, blimey it’s good to have her back.

[Barnes has created] the best experimental discordant noise pop he's worked on since 'Hissing Fauna'.

It’s another collection of decent, cheerful indie-pop.

Full of campy affectation presented with a shiny flourish, 'Do Things' is not fundamentally a bad album, but the constant happy-go-lucky nonsense, along with the un-imaginative songwriting, just seems a little contrived.

Ultimately Someday World is undeniably disappointing. For something that promised so much and to deliver so woefully little is an injustice to each respective side of the partnership.

It’s refreshing to see that the band aren’t content to solely focus on nostalgia trips, and there are some great moments here - the dark driving force of ‘Wyttch’ stands out - but with such a hefty run time, it’s difficult to really tap into the heart of ‘Cyr’.

Whilst a fun record, there’s only one issue remains, the fact that it’s often hard to connect with something so unabashedly honest.

Encyclopedia is the sound of The Drums trying to find their feet once again, an endeavour not yet fully accomplished.

Orangefarben has very little distinctly objectionable or sinister about it. There is still the impression that something is lying dormant under the initial cheerfulness, but for those craving true, raw darkess, Baenziger's demons might not rear their heads quite enough.

Thrifty, perhaps--hey, these are austere times!--but Errors' evocation of eighties pop, tricked out with post-rock structures, is fresh and exciting.

Indiana successfully abuses the boundaries of genre to create a melancholic tome of songs that dares to be inventive from its first steps to its dying moments.

Granted, Chapter and Verse isn’t rewriting the book, but it is yet more proof that Funeral For A Friend still possess that same fire, that same determination, to keep making great records.

The album is a cohesive combination of touching sentiment and purposeful release--it’s a big progression for a group keen to open new doors.

Desire’s best moments arrive when there’s a genuine attempt to create a bit of atmosphere--the cool strut of ‘Spotlights’ is a rare bright point. Everything else, though, has been done better elsewhere, and recently, too.