We are treated to a smorgasbord of pop's finest elements, blended together in a dizzying melting pot of ideas that could've easily failed, but surprisingly and pleasantly succeeds.

These recurring themes of loneliness and confused love can grow repetitive, deployed in similar ways from song to song, but Sola is still able to keep the imagery fleshed out and distinctive.

Sunlit Youth may not be the massive leap forward some fans may have wanted, but it's far from a step back. Instead, it's yet another steady offering from Local Natives, who continue to build on a solid catalogue.

It's a leaner, grittier iteration of Arbouretum that slowly lopes out of the starting blocks on this fifth full-length.

This time around, they've pulled from the world's ever-present deterioration to bring some much-needed heft and urgency to the formula.

More than anything on this album, the quintet prove they are willing to travel far and wide when it comes to exploring new sounds, while still being able to deliver a cohesive final product.

Their Northwest hardcore sound may be derivative, but it represents the tendencies of its origins with convincing force, as their unrefined grunge tones and twangs almost make Subjective Concepts feel like an overlooked album from back in the day.

Musically, Tool have taken the best of Lateralus's dynamism and the heaviness of 10,000 Days to explore the middle ground with great length on Fear Inoculum. Those who stuck it out through the decade-plus wait won't mind hanging around a little longer until the album's close.

Thankfully, the National have deftly managed that balancing act with Sleep Well Beast, a record that is equal parts familiar and fresh.

Less is more with Lilies--De Biasio goes big with a subdued sound, and the end result is luminous

Last Night on the Planet is a solid followup with enough variety to please listeners both on and off the dance floor.

A little more variety certainly would flesh out the band's releases, but as it stands these 15 songs fit together nicely, giving the impression of one deliriously long writing session.

There's a subtle audaciousness to My God is Blue that pulls the listener in; it's almost like Sébastien Tellier is channelling a gloomy saviour.

The only notable shift in balance is a slight tipping of the scale towards the weight of electronic over acoustic instrumentation.

For those under the impression Hooded Fang subscribe to a right-note-right-time, throwaway pop formula, Gravez offers something meatier to chew on.

It can feel a little tiring at points, as the music arguably borders on being too dense and involved considering the album's aloof spirit, but Oozing Wound do a good job of sequencing and varying tempos.

It may not be quite as consistent as its predecessor, but Interiors showcases the continued development of a vital emerging voice in popular music and features frequent moments of shiver-inducing beauty.

The result is a sprawling, warm and idiosyncratic album that doesn't sound as much like collaboration as it probably could have.

Although the band haven't really made a notable album since the close of the '70s, this ten-track, 42-minute LP stands as some of their most focused and stylish work to date.

Elements of jazz, ragtime, blues, Hawaiian and folk are audible, but there's a consistent sonic thread throughout.

While their approach is a little aggressive at times, making it a little too much to take in at once, Glitterbug is full of tracks that prove there's no reason not to indulge in it.

While not as rewarding on multiple listens as anything the Collective has ever produced, Enter the Slasher House is the ideal detour between now and the band's next record.

With the release of their 16th album, All That Reckoning, the Toronto group craft something simple, passionate and visceral.

For listeners that like their electronic music with a pulse (both literally and figuratively), this release will be a rewarding experience.

Like anyone enjoying the early rush of romance, this kind of music can feel silly with hindsight. But if you're willing to have yourself transported back to a time when you felt similarly, Pale Waves will do all the heavy lifting.

At its best, Adams' version of 1989 is an adoring homage to Swift's overlooked talent as a storyteller, though there are also a few key moments that fall flat without the high-gloss bombast that the originals were treated to.

Impera is a solid album and an obvious next step in Ghost's career. It's bittersweet to see the campy Satanic days firmly behind the band, but any old-school fan should still be proud to see what the band has achieved, and it's clear that Impera is the album Ghost needed to take their career to the next level.

Each song stands out as its own unique piece of the puzzle, a quality that is easy to lose on electro-pop albums. The standout tracks will continue to impress while the rest will add to an increasingly impressive body of work.