It all sounds Trullie effortless and it wouldn't be surprising if she reached the same heights as her contemporaries with just as much ease.

For Toro y Moi enthusiasts, this will be nothing new, but for the rest of us 'June 2009' is an altogether pleasant blast from the recent past.

The keyboards are the same tones, the chords are similar intervals, the vocals are heartfelt without the lyrics really saying anything, and perhaps most tellingly they don't deliver the goods on a pop hit to rival 'Buck Rogers'.

Maps & Atlases have carved for themselves a neat little niche in the indie rock world. And we should be grateful for that, rather than having another generic album, and be interested to see where the band goes next.

there is an extremely satisfying sense of fun throughout Island Fire (despite the dark content) and Ray is very much in on the joke.

Levine has done a wonderful job of creating a work whose humble beauty easily can captivate you if you let it.

Ultimately, as beautiful as it is in its more subdued moments, the album feels fully realised when her alternative and mainstream instincts find each other.

A curious album that is well worth investigating.

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.

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.

Just when you're close to giving up [on A Wasteland Companion] we get to 'The First Time I Ran Away' and the album suddenly and brilliantly clicks, starts getting everything right.

By and large though they still end up falling on the sword of 'Fever''s brilliance.

They do truly make a beautiful noise together. That said, vocals can't account for everything and, in an album so marked by its makers' laryngeal input, it seems as though the rest got a little neglected.

There is certainly well crafted song writing, but the album suffers for having a rather one dimensional sound; the most interesting track ['Sweet Dee'] is, notably, the most different.

Often on 'Awe Naturale', the songs are suddenly cut off before they get into their stride and leave you wanting more of their soulful jams with a rap twist. Regardless, this is a largely enjoyable debut from this versatile duo.

'Weapons' has no shortage of big choruses, slick production and crunching riffs but is let down by tired lyrics and too many forgettable songs.

Coxon's most accomplished solo album to date.

Consider it a curious concept explored by two-thirds of the group that perhaps shouldn't distract you from revisiting 'The Grind Date'.

There is a lot to take in here but certainly a lot of fun to be had in the process as well.

Choreography is tailor made alternative pop of the highest degree, with enough ear friendly, sing-a-long melodies to entice even the 'older' generation.

Folila's best moments do inadvertently serve as a reminder of how good Amadou & Mariam are without the hired help.

It's further proof that Orbital aren't content to stand still and rest on the laurels that have made them ones to watch at festivals. 'Wonky' as an album is sexy, smart, and filled with all the potential to smash the competition.

At times 'Rant' comes across like a hip church choir having a go at some pop hits. Yet, in the main, this is a fun and genuinely touching set of songs.

'Dear' has a refreshing simplicity and endearing vulnerability that will gatecrash your soul and render your skip button impervious.

You'll either love it or hate it but, ignore the buzz, take it on it's own merits, and you might very well be rewarded.

There is a naïve charm to their rudimentary rock and 'Tosta Mista' is a sporadically great introduction to those charms.

There's no doubt 'Nocturniquet' is amongst the band's best work, and sufficiently different – witness for instance the loud bass-heavy synths that pervade the heavier tracks – from their career highlights that it should satisfy all comers. It's f***ing brilliant, and that's really all there is to it.

It's oddly accomplished, and Winston's classical background shines through.

This record is a playful, daring and capricious listen, and one of the first truly remarkable records of 2012.

The liberal use of string sections throughout do teeter on the brink of out-and-out cheese but Cowley's trio have enough class and, dare I say, verve to pull through.

Sees The Light is a decent solo effort, but for the casual observer it might be worth saving your currency for the next Vivian Girls record.

This is an astonishingly good album, and the fact that it's a debut makes its stylistic and thematic consistency, as well as suave swagger, all the more to be recommended.

Its title track, 'The Capitol' and 'Fenix' are all pleasant enough but lack any real dynamic and verge on the point of becoming fillers. Those are only minor niggles for an accomplished album though.

While the album is laced with enough venom to keep existing fans happy, we defy anyone not to stamp their feet and fist pump come track nine 'I Don't Wanna'.

A reminder of the echoing, scatter-brain drumming trips of the good old days.

Most definitely one of the best albums of the year so far.

The inevitable result is a crisper, more polished sound.

The Shape Of Things is another compelling collection of clever electronic pop.

There is one very commendable thing about 'No Gods' that cannot be said of many of the revival bands of the moment though – Sharks seem almost entirely free from pretension; for that reason alone the album will garner respect and stand the test of time with punk fans.

'Between The Times & Tides' is a beacon of craftsmanship and invention coated in [a] marvellously empathetic collection of pop tunes.

Mixed Emotions' has a track for every mood without ever sounding in the least bit forced or contrived... Finger clicking good.

This is a fine piece of synthpop that is a good addition to the collection of any fan of this genre.

Featuring some fairly rudimentary drumming, and predictable solos, this is the musical equivalent of 'painting-by-numbers'.

An album of shifting, shimmering textures that is both a spaced out exploration and the perfect pop album.

Kiwanuka's approach may be old fashioned but his is a sound full of warmth and subtlety.

Complex, and replete with glitches, slow beats and breakdowns, In A Dim Light is as captivating as 'Condors', yet with an evident sense of renewed direction and focused calm and quietude.

It's punk rock by the numbers.

A rare collection of songs that succeeds in both evoking the ethereal and forcing you to reach for the volume button.

This is pop music at its wittiest and most concise, yet for all its maturity and refinement, it's hard to believe that an album so youthful could be made by a group of forty-somethings.

Delicate duets, bluegrass string strumming and some of the most genuinely emotive lyrics you'll hear all year combine to produce an album of rare and beautiful quality.

Mouse On Mars are returning in triumphant and rapturous fashion, both sealing their reputation as relentless innovators while basking in the glory as beacons of inspiration.

This is a good start but, after losing half of their line up, you get the feeling Jonquil need to add a bit more character, and a bit more bite, into their new pop noise.

Where Asher Roth left house-party hip hop (or just got a little high and wandered off) Chiddy Bang pick it up but bring a whole new focus, a pop-sensibility and a very nuanced delivery.

Rise Ye Sunken Ships is a monster of an album, rich in credibility and one that is often raucous, but never noisy.

Ex Lives just sounds like a band going through the motions.

Their third album feels singular, apart from its predecessors in spirit, for better and worse.

Much like a pungent stilton, this is difficult prospect to recommend or advise against, especially if this is your first experience of Xiu Xiu. Dip your toe in the water, though, and there are bits to love.

They promised a great leap forward, and this isn't it.

For the most part he minimally relies on keys and strings, but the effect creates a much more powerful setting and as a result, it's difficult not to be dragged into it.

This is a wonderfully wistful album which shows a band who have grown beyond the ideas which earlier defined them to produce a sound and vision that works perfectly.

There is intelligence and creativity on display here that other bands would do well to pay attention to.

Much of the album either grates or bores.

The album was entirely performed, engineered and produced by Noel Heroux; perhaps the input of a full band and a producer would have brought these songs to life and produced a rather more coherent and fully formed debut.

Much like Nirvana's 'Incesticide' or Smashing Pumpkins 'Pisces Iscariot', this is an excellent record in its own right, and an essential addition to any collection for both ardent Frankophiles as well as those just discovering him.

A solid improvement from "All Our Kings Are Dead" but they will need to do more if they want to break into the big time.

An excellent collection of soul-bearing Americana.

Ultimately there are no tracks that really stand out any more than the crowd, which is what bars this record from higher marks; but then, there are no bad tracks either, and the whole package is very listenable.

It is far too adult oriented rock and middle of the road to be anything but the sound of a band coasting, rather than making waves.

An album worthy of repeated listens but limited by its inability to adapt and enrapture a change of pace often just representing a drop in quality.

Fantastically glossy and mystical.

An understated kaleidoscope of beautiful arrangements, raw emotion and literate songwriting that is nothing less than moving.

Perfume Genius is worthy of the hype, and the hyperbole: this is a fantastic record.

Young Magic borrow influences from all over the place and transform them into a sound they can proudly call their own.

It may not be a career defining record but The Something Rain is crammed full of twists and turns to create an emotionally rich and thoroughly rewarding listen.

It would be a hard heart indeed not to fall for music as lovely as this.

They have managed to create an almost flawless punk album.

Meiburg and the group have swapped the muddy tranquillity that kept them muted and unheard for a daring dose of starry eyed wonderment that really should unleash the groups collective wings, enabling them to fly higher than ever before.

Sprightly, desperately alive and joyously nostalgic, Plumb sees Field Music waving an exultant goodbye to the shipwrecked post-punk revival they'd always been wary of and sailing into classic art-pop waters.

Tennis have served up an ace.

It is often difficult for dance producers to go from making one off tracks and remixes to producing a full coherent and lucid album, but it is a jump that John Talabot has made effortlessly.

The second album from the Phenomenal Handclap Band may not contain anything as exciting or danceable as the highlights of their debut but, despite its disappointments, there is still plenty on Form & Control for anyone who enjoyed their debut to appreciate.

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.

[The album] is essentially a standard Mark Lanegan Band release.

Goldfrapp's singles collection is a triumph of compellingly brilliant classy pop.

A tense and absorbing record that creates its own world for you to live in.

With the few songs that feature the vocal backing of Condon the fullness that immediately hits the ear makes me realise that introducing another voice or even another medium to the mix would enhance the listening experience of this album by at least 75%.

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

Wonderfully courageous, Gibson's reflections make her latest record her most accomplished work yet.

This is a varied album that combines old and new musical styles without the fear of pastiche.

This follow-up work of pent-up aggression; of complete contrast to snappy pop-punk; has every chance of becoming the band's seminal work.

A bit of a mixed bag.

With its warmth and energy, it will easily see you through these cold winter months.

It's the perfect embodiment of their character delivered at an often frantically infectious pace.

Be Strong may not offer any invention or progression but as a collection of exuberant, joyful and uplifting dance music it is certainly the perfect record to light up those dark winter nights and look forward to the summer.

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

It's just so inoffensive and pleasant sounding that it barely registers.

Vocals, sparse acoustic backings, gentle snare brushing, the occasional stab of a mellotron all create a very pristine listening experience.

Area 52 is hands down the duo's most grandiose, outlandish opus yet.