Donna is eclectic, moving, emotive and true to Cassy's roots. Her vocals, which dominate the album, recall the same soulful edge of singer-songwriter Sade. The real triumph here, though, is the sense of creative freedom that pervades the album.

The overall vibe of the collection is likely to put a smile on your face (hell, even Townes sounds a mite less melancholy, thanks to the spirited accompaniment), making it a perfect fit for your next beer 'n bourbon patio party.

With On Dark Silent Off, Radian have created a piece of art that's stubbornly beautiful.

The more transparent mix dovetails nicely with the album's themes.

Maine's ability to draw out peculiar emotions and thoughtfully pairing them with euphoric sounds in a deliberate way makes The House a natural and more than satisfying sequel to Pool.

Rogers rises to the occasion, making herself and her mixture of emotions the anchor of songs whose music moves at an unending pace.

Progressing across a grid, Olson's explorative approach to loop-based production of music reveals an intuitive and refreshing approach to deriving emotive depth from a machine.

Everybody's Coming Down feels both focused and purposeful, something not all albums can lay claim to after a band's nearly decade-long absence.

Radical Romantics is as joyfully alive with sound as anything that Dreijer has created in their three decades of music making.

Everything about the album is deliberately simple, but with some inspired production choices added to the mix.

The arrival of Little Heater, only Irwin's second solo album, is therefore a notable event, and nothing about it disappoints.

Freedom's Goblin cuts open Segall's brain and lets it all ooze out. Serve yourself up a spoonful of all that melodic goo, and enjoy.

Earrings Off! is an album that demands multiple listens and gets better with each one.

From start to finish, Nobody Lives Here Anymore is a seamless expression of nostalgia, love and hope for brighter days to come.

What it is, frankly speaking, is one of the brightest R&B-flavoured projects to touch the mainstream in a long time.

With (watch my moves), Kurt Vile possibly creates indie rock's first ambient masterwork, a piece of art that is surprisingly and lovingly languid, even for the king of slack.

Carnage covers broader range than most of the Bad Seeds' recent records, cramming plenty of Cave's various stylings into a neat, eight-song package. For all of Cave's hunger and glee to return to the foreboding sounds of his past, it's when he opts for pure catharsis and bliss that he album achieves its full power.

No. 4 proves beyond measure that Christina Vantzou has as much talent and vision as most any of them. Hollywood, this is your wakeup call. Listen to her.

If The OF Tape Vol. 2 proves one thing it's that Odd Future aren't just a product of the Internet hype machine.

While listening to Phèdre, one can do nothing but feel helpless in the face of nearly perfect pop experimentalism.

While the French artist has introduced a new persona and perspective on Redcar les adorables étoiles (prologue), his ability to produce truly unique moments of pop power remains.

Why Make Sense? is a consistently engaging album by a band that has successfully reinvigorated their sound.

Rich and vibrant musically while raw and emotive lyrically, Ultraviolet is Kylesa's highest achievement to date.

While it may be early to qualify his style or sound as timeless, it's managed to stand the test for the past 10 years and he's done nothing but hone his skills.

On instrumentals, Lenker settles down from songs' busier thoughts, indulging in the stoicism within to achieve moments of serenity, if only briefly. Deep breaths, everyone.

Engravings sees the artist employing fractured choral voices, militant drums, swirling guitars and the occasional harpsichord (notably on album standout "The Weight of Gold") to create a tapestry of sounds both experimental and organic.

His is an askew version of experimental electronic music that is as engaging a vision as it is singular.

Despite the often abrasive experimental flourishes, the album retains a joyous sense of melody and pulse that makes it undeniably fun at its core.