Painted Palms have a natural ability to extract profound noise from otherwise unremarkable places, lyrically however; it's more subjective. Forgettable accounts of youthful deprecation litter the album.

There’s something about High Hopes’ slight incoherence that actually stands to its advantage--it’s a less homogenous, polished whole than Magic or The Rising and a fresher, more arresting listen.

If you’re already a Lanegan obsessive, Has God Seen My Shadow? might not be for you, although the lavish presentation of the physical release sounds like it might be tempting. For those that have always been intrigued by this shadowy sideman and want to learn more, or for anyone with a love of dark, poetic songwriting, this anthology is easily the best overview of his solo work around.

There’s a difference between original and interesting, though, and there’s plenty of the band’s own identity on Cursing the Sea, which marks the start of what could yet be a tremendous 2014 for the quintet in deliciously dark fashion.

Having always been celebrated for his subtle wit and labyrinthine approach to pop writing, he continues to weave genius from his own mental dictionary.

Total Strife Forever is that scarcest of things; a masterly record which walks a unpredictable line musically yet remains entirely consistent in quality.

There's much to admire here, but when you’ve stared into the sun for too long, it’s hard to see the dimmer lights.

As The D.O.T., the material on Diary has an honesty of its own, at times perfectly balancing Skinner and Harvey’s styles.

Galapagos will definitely keep the party going, though it might not do much more than that.

What K-X-P are dealing in is label-less music; complex, iron-gripping sounds delivered with towering bombast. It should be a mess. It should be unlistenable. But it’s not--it’s extraordinary.

A record for bedroom chilling that has more than enough clout to slot into dance floor sets, it’s a refreshingly vital take on the heavily worked over source material.

It’s as direct and aggressive as any of Halo’s floor-orientated material, and shows that, while she may turn more heads with more compositional, vocal-driven tracks, Hyperdub and Halo can move into new areas, one where syncopated drum lines break for vintage warehouse rhythms and the chill-out room has been invaded by pianists and a house DJ.

For all this bravado, BEYONCÉ’s confessional moments are when you connect with it the most.... Flawed? Certainly. Boring? Never.

Acid Rap succeeds for all the right reasons a mixtape should, finely balancing an idiosyncratic style, taught rhymes, emotional sincerity and rich production.

Only rarely is one privileged to be carried away by a record so beautifully absorbed with its own vision.

An exquisite album by anyone's standards.

From the Sea to the Land Beyond sees British Sea Power operating on a different level. A wonderful hymn to the island we call home.

Live At The Cellar Door is a treasure chest that holds the glowing embers of a brilliant, already burgeoning career.

Snow Globe is one of the more palatable additions to the Christmas cannon, and a really good Erasure record to boot.

You Were Right is never more than solid and, whilst it’s immaculately polished, tired and forgettable lyrics combined with a general sense of 'good enough' about the tunes suggest that Benson is looking forward to The Raconteurs’ return sooner than the rest of us.

There are songs here reinterpreted slightly to fit the format, then those that need full reinvention and finally, least interestingly, those that it seems are included only because they are written and usually performed in line with the bare-bones remit.

All songs are played relatively straight--nary a jingle bell in earshot--which is a good choice, as it offsets the devotional aspects of more traditional carols like ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ and ‘Angels We Have Heard On High’.

Regardless of their supporting tropes, the songs prove themselves consistently memorable and enjoyable. It’s another home run for Bejar--an all-too-short taster that will leave you dreaming of Spain’s mountains and deserts, and longing for more.

Matangi is a welcome return to form that consolidates on the agenda set out in MAYA.

It’s refreshing that the northerner is not shy about massive self-expression; besides, his lyrics are merely extravagant, not indulgent.

With Better Ghosts, Mazes have proven they’ve got staying power.

Although not quite being the pièce de résistance Bobby Hecksher and co. were hoping for, Skull Worship is a welcome return and when all's said and done, the musical landscape would be a much duller place without them.

There’s flashes of very skilled songwriting, but there’s also the cynical, calculated feel of a record built with a certain commercial targets in mind.

When the mood is right, Trust sounds like one of the purest doses of emotion you can experience.

With Spaces he goes one further--successfully channelling the chills of an actual performance, and making a genuine connection with his listener even in recorded form.

In Electric Slave, Black Joe Lewis has crafted a reference point that’ll supplant those old YouTube performances and provide future Lewis scholars with what is arguably the defining point of his career.

It’s a Big World Out There (And I Am Scared) has taken Kurt Vile to new heights, proving that his offcuts and extended versions are infinitely better than most bands' singles.

Fellow Travellers is a missed opportunity for a great covers album, but as a shout-out to friends, it epitomises everything that’s endearing and admirable about Shearwater.

This persistent juxtaposition of dynamics makes for a particularly striking, if challenging, listen.

All told, Static is definitely worth your time, ­but it falls short of being the truly great record that Cults will hopefully go on to make.

Ultimately, with too few albums to warrant a truly outstanding collection and a top-heavy chronological ordering the hits may be direct, but the death feels painfully slow.

A solidly built celebration of interchangeable ordinariness.

Cupid Deluxe is arguably Hynes' finest work and an improvement on his debut release but he shouldn't be afraid to place himself centre stage instead of hiding behind a host of guest appearances.

ARTPOP is a decidedly patchy ‘Just Dance’-less disappointment.

While Mug Museum is probably Cate le Bon’s weakest collection of songs, it’s nonetheless a great refinement of her recent artistic development, a typically rewarding showcase of gutsy eccentricity, and the promise of more satisfying material to come.

Like most earnest attempts to reimagine the past, it’s an entertaining indulgence. One that exists to stave off the nagging question: what comes next?

Those wanting an intense, borderline overdose, hit of rushing psychedelia for 42 minutes need look no further, whilst others wishing for a bit more diversity are barking up the wrong tree.

It's admirable to hear a follow up LP trying to push itself out of comfort zones but Invisible In Your City finds Gang Colours falling short of his peers.

This is Eminem’s best record in a decade--and one of the most impressive, entertaining and addictive hip-hop albums of the year.

A fascinating album and one which will reward with an attentive ear, just don't expect an instant, agreeable listen.

Lanterns is Lott’s most cohesive work, his music a prism refracting light onto the spectrum of change.

Largely acoustic, it is a drowsy, potent EP.

Is it Pulido? The absence of Smith? The third act crawl? In truth, all play a damaging part. Despite these irks, Antiphon is everything that it needs to be; a new beginning, loaded with promise. That's enough for now.

By balancing their instinctive, intricate side within a tight, concise framework, White Denim have created something that’s both accessible and unorthodox.

In the final assessment what we’ve got here are a set of pop songs that are almost uniformly brilliant, captured in a fashion that harks back to the band’s beginnings, presented beautifully and with pride.

Sound System really is the definitive article, and with Christmas on the horizon, is sure to feature high on several wishlists.

Though it has its moments Blue Record is by no means a success, but it offers enough to suggest that with a bit of fine tuning Unknown Mortal Orchestra might eventually get a bit good at the old acoustic guitar game.

Jinx is a much more personal record than its creators have cut in the past.

Approach this record with an open mind and you'll be surprised at how easily you can get caught up in it.

Chance of Rain defies easy explanation, an album that is more like a bout of freak weather than a light shower.

Not another album updating the great musical ideas of the past, then, but an album updating the great sentiments: to tell someone how much you need them and that you’d be lost without them. If you’re not in love right now--an album to fall in love with, until then.

Their fifth album continues the work done on their last, 2011’s Hello Sadness, the emotional context and sentiments much sharper, painfully so in some cases, with big, lovely pop hooks on even their starkest tracks.

Effortlessly mixing pop aspects with electronic undertones, hip-hop influence and the occasional R&B nod, she has taken everything that's wrong with today's chart toppers and turned it on its head--producing a record packed full of inspirational, intelligent monologues. It isn't half catchy either.

With Glow & Behold, Yuck have shown they can be more than the grunge gropers Billy Hamilton billed them as and have survived saying goodbye to Blumberg--a situation that could yet see them become an altogether different and far more interesting band. However, it’s hard to shake the feeling we’re not back where we started.

It’s a confused effort, with the songwriting faults, misguided lyrics, and the foolish sidelining of Cage the Elephant's greatest weapon (Schultz’s voice) torpedoing the vast majority of tracks.

Without wanting to sound too critical, there is some naive music on Wish Hotel; it feels a tad bloated in places, and there's the occasional miss in terms of instrumental choices to go along with a plethora of hits.

Underneath the jarring keyboards and jerky percussion is a delicacy gives the LP international appeal, one that means it won’t be confined to cars and packed warehouses.

How to Stop Your Brain in an Accident is arguably the band's finest hour.

Overall, Stars Are Our Home is a delightfully mixed bag that does rare justice to the term 'supergroup'.

Nine of the 13 tracks go over the five minute mark, and despite the combined fertility of Arcade Fire and producer James Murphy’s creative minds, very few tracks justify their running times.

There is not much here that jumps out of the speakers, or that makes you want to scream with excitement; instead it is a release that slowly gets under your skin, and most importantly, doesn’t force its concept down your throat.

While City Forgiveness does allow the trio breathing room, they never use that space to justify the length--they’re doing what they do, and doing it well, but the over-familiarity when faced with 90 minutes of this stuff does great songs a disservice.

Fade Away is the sound of a band clinging to the lost potential of their past for buoyancy, trying desperately not to drown in their own aimlessness.

Some of the characters created here are more fully formed than others.

It's completely inessential at best, or a cynical cash-grab at worst.

There are plenty of strengths to Shulamith, not least that it chiefly shares its blueprints with its spellbinding debut. But in expanding its horizons, it dents the assured sense of identity which made Give You the Ghost so utterly enrapturing, and reverses the dichotomy of maximalist-emotion alongside minimalist-music.

Warble Womb is unquestionably lighter than Dead Meadow’s previous psych-stoner releases and the restoration of original drummer Mark Laughlin does not signal a return to their meatier roots.

Ultimately, Bitter Rivals offers the comfort of familiarity while being different enough to avoid breeding contempt.

While Wild Light correctly prioritises focus over twists, there are sections that catch you by surprise.

For a record sold on its modernity, New spends most of the time in the past.

It’s the sound of someone getting the kinks out of the system rather than incorporating old influences seamlessly into a new sound. Still, the final verdict? Very decent.

Not classic Pearl Jam by any stretch - let’s not get carried away here--but enough to kindle at least a little optimism for whatever comes next.

While not a failure, Uncanney Valley isn’t the glorious comeback many were expecting.

It’s a record to get lost in, and to find yourself in. And to put it as plainly as possible: it’s a record as emotionally and musically rewarding as anything Cass McCombs has ever released.

Another essential release then, but a step towards theory-over-content that Hecker never really needed.

Lousy with Sylvianbriar won’t ever be viewed as the quintessential Of Montreal album. But sourness aside, it’s the healthy sound of a restless spirit.

Fortunately Grellier includes enough moments of excitement to keep Heritage less of a soundtrack album and more a French disco LP stripped of vocals.

With Dynamics, Holy Ghost! have struck a careful balance between revisiting their mid-Noughties origins and playing with new ideas within a similar arena.

The only downside with Imperium is that maybe its creators have neglected the more intricate details of songwriting (verse/chorus/verse anyone?) for an angular propensity but on the whole, it's a finely tuned assortment and another welcome addition to Captured Tracks' impeccable catalogue of riches.

For an album so heavily influenced by architecture, it’s sorely lacking in structure and shape, and ultimately fails to make an imprint in spite of its broadened horizons.

Master is a record of real and rare magnificence.

Not only have they made a better record than their debut, they’ve made one of the best records of the young decade.

One Breath benefits from its variety and from a taste for experimentation which, striking subtle chords that invite the listener to stay and revisit.

There’s a huge range of styles on display, but Innocents remains a remarkably cohesive and creative record, thanks both to Moby’s instrumentation and to the album’s conceptual feel.

R Plus Seven can be confusing, jam packed with samples and contrasting elements, but it's never overbearing. At the same time it is hard to put your finger on exactly what is appealing about it.

There is an amiable and glowing exterior to Warm Blanket that does offers some occasional sustenance--just don't expect anything to really get your teeth in to.

2 of 2, then, is an incredibly frustrating experience.

Despite the harvest festival charm that carries the record, its heart is here, at its starkest, most honest moments.

It's not a perfect record in any sense (the occasional lyrical couplet falls awkwardly), but within such punk atmospheres, flaws perversely become strengths.

Despite the nature of the record it's never a self-indulgent or forlorn listen, jumping from one emotion to the next, all the while held together by some truly excellent musicianship and wry Scottish lyrics.

Much like the youth the record so pointedly evokes, it’s worth going through everything to get to this point.

As with every Au Revoir Simone record, it's so easy to sling your headphones on and find yourself swept up in the music.

This is a proud record that is best played loud, and often.