Like any colourful kaleidoscope however, there's a lack of cohesion on this debut, as varying production clashes throughout the disorganized project. That's a minor quibble, though; if you look closely, and let the visuals clash and morph into something new, you'll still find plenty to wonder at.

Another 50 years down the line, it is a truly transformative experience to listen to these old, mysterious songs with fresh ears. You can hear antecedents of everyone from Dylan to Mumford, sure, but what is all the more exciting, as these 100+ songs pile up, is the sensation of access to a voice at once ancient and full of life.

The urge to greet the commercial and artistic triumph of a major league debut hip-hop album with a subversive stiff-arm on sophomore efforts has notable precedents in De La Soul's De La Soul Is Dead and Digable Planets' Blowout Comb, but few have been as audaciously challenging and heavily layered as Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, which will likely be one of 2015's most discussed, dissected and debated album releases, regardless of genre.

Auditory annihilation never sounded so good.

It's executed incredibly well for what it is, but what we're left with is ugly, soulless and emotionally bankrupt.

The best stuff on Short Movie sounds like it may have originated in the most painfully personal places.

Unfortunately, a lack of cohesion drains this album's momentum entirely.

Enslaved have hit a sweet spot with In Times, experimenting just enough to keep everything interesting while also offering up pure aggressive pleasure so decadent it seems almost indulgent.

While the album is a fine showcase for Kim's beautiful, ageless tenor, those expecting more of the singer's soulful, sunny hits or Broken Social Scene's sonic adventurousness are likely to walk away a bit disappointed from It's Decided's classy, if a bit monochromatic, adult pop.

Down to Believing can unquestionably be described as Moorer's breakup album, but this would sell short its intensely personal complexity.

The end result is a pretty extraordinary album, but what makes Goon really special is the future it hints at.

There's very little on offer to ground the listener here, which makes Maze of Woods a challenging collection; it's the aural equivalent of a 90-minute movie that feels like a 3-hour watch.

A bold, far-reaching and determined work that continues Brock's journey creating music both accessible and eccentric.

There are moments here where he manages both [his popstar ambitions and his affinity for paving his own sonic path] in one fell swoop, but on his third time out, he can't sustain the momentum for an entire album.

While it's unlikely they'll ever again have the kind of recording budget a major label can afford, they certainly made the best use of what they had. That they made an excellent record in the process is a feather in their cap and a giant middle finger to the label that paid for it.

A Year With 13 Moons is certainly a must-hear for those who favour their consonance shaded with a dollop of playful dissonance.

Overall, while it does appear as though Angelides has been bitten by the sophomore album slump, there are some significant moments here that show an artist growing into something bigger and better than ever before.

Tthe net effect is ultimately an uninspired collection of tracks that do little to offer a close listener anything new.

Pearson Sound is a primal collection of single-idea songs that, although fascinating, work best when your musical pretences are turned off.

Tinged with vintage Afrobeat instrumentation, Fashawn hangs admirably with his label boss, assertively vowing he's in it for the long haul, issuing a forthright missive that confirms The Ecology was definitely worth the wait

Focusing on tracks from their 2012 album Slaughterhouse, Segall's band keep things relatively tight in structure and loose in delivery, giving listeners a keepsake version of a gritty, sweaty, earsplitting rock show.

There are more questions here than resolutions, making Eat, Pray, Thug a thinking person's record, but that's a good thing, especially now that he's speaking to his largest audience yet.

It may take Butler a few more albums (he has promised in interviews to continue writing and recording as a solo artist for years to come) to carve out his own identity from the monolithic entity he's a part of, but there are plenty of plausible ideas on Policy for Butler to continue exploring.

Cancer Bats' most experimental album might also be their catchiest.

It's a feel-good record with intricate, heartfelt tunes, and effectively spreads the gospel of the church of Spacebomb.

At its best moments ("Long Road," "Funeral in my Heart," "Fennario") Landry comes into his own, and the record feels deep, substantial. Too bad he lets himself slip from time to time into a mimicry that feels beneath him.

While he seems outshone by his flashier co-stars on much of Ronin at first, repeat listens find his well stoked lines smouldering for far longer than you'd think.

The recording savvy of producer Kyle Gilbride of Swearin' helps sharpen the band's jagged edges and gets them to sound truly potent, playing through each one-minute tune like they were running out of studio time.