With its singalong choruses and eminent likeability, New Gods is the kind of album that will only add to his reputation as being one of Scotland's finest.

The rest is more than art for art's sake, and a pleasure for the ADD listener in all of us.

As with their previous six albums, Liars find a way to both innovate and deliver a brand-loyal effort with (dis)ease.

Seer is certainly another step towards greatness for Golden Retriever.

Out Among the Stars is, at least contextually, a reminder that sometimes things got in Johnny Cash's way, but there are very few forces on Earth that could stifle his voice and conviction when he set his mind to getting a song across.

It's rare to find an album this coherent and firm in quality. But best of all, a good half of the record will give you plenty of inspiration to channel Herring's sweet dance moves.

Teeth Dreams arrives to colossal expectations, but weathers them fine and showcases a band returning to form.

Worth is at once fully realized and brimming with potential.

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

A touch of '80s-style production, including occasional saxophone-as-emotional-beat, at times threatens to nudge things into a satirical mash-up of Dire Straits/Bruce Hornsby hits, but they ride the right side of that precipice.

Gibbs' genuine reflections on being broke, losing the girl or simply growing up help to break things up a bit and add a welcomed bit of realness where both humour and originality are somewhat absent.

While Unfidelity isn't the greatest or most ambitious album in the Edwards canon, it certainly sounds the prettiest, making it a perfect port of entry for interested listeners with sensitive palates.

There isn't a bad track here, and from the sound of Ibibio Sound Machine, it appears that Soundway is intent on delivering new music every bit as distinguished as its esteemed reissues.

Vermont make their retro intentions more than clear on their self-titled debut.

While the band's earlier material sounded lo-fi out of necessity, Underneath the Rainbow disappoints due to its inauthentic attempt at sounding like an album recorded long before its time.

Where Darlings shows growth and change is in Drew's fine-tuning of his illustrious sound.

The sonic clarity is improved somewhat, but it's still messy as hell, meaning that Say Yes to Love sounds more like another demo than a proper album.

On We Got Love, his sophomore LP, the Irish knobturner has managed to produce a coherent album brimming with ideas, styles and guest musicians.

Although Tycho and company seemingly recycle a few ideas on Awake, it's a rewarding, mood-inducing listen that's best digested whole.

While being one of the most serious Hauschka albums yet, Bertelmann still managed to produce an album of experimental music that you could dance to, if you weren't too busy having your mind blown.

Despite its title, these Brits find themselves with their most diverse offering yet, a culmination of their career's work to this point.

The Private World of Paradise is certain to earn Wake Owl a legion of devotees among the late-night headphones crowd.

While not nearly as exploratory of space as his stunning work with Supersilent and Christian Wallumrod, this release is near-perfect winter night listening.

A Trip to the Coast is the welcome return of a familiar form of hooky, melodic minor scale pop balladry.

Lift Your Spirit is rather formulaic from that standpoint--not as spicy or daring as past efforts--but it's folksy, soulful, and groovy enough to catch your attention.

The album is a joyous, well-executed mish-mash rooted in crisp sounds, thanks to James' rock-centric production.

Love Letters isn't the next move many expected from Metronomy following the astute pop of English Riviera, but it's a logical move and likely the best one possible for a band as imaginative, unconventional and talented as this one.

Simply put, there are few artists with the precision and poetic fortitude of Carla Bozulich, and on Boy, she commands attention like no one else.