Rainbow Arabia attempt to pay tribute to the heyday of synth pop, but overlook the small details that could have made FM Sushi a pleasurable, Technicolor retelling. Instead, the listener is left with black-and-white new wave Cliff Notes.

Let's Face the Music and Dance displays Nelson in his natural element: a small combo playing songs as timeless as his wonderfully idiosyncratic voice.

At turns noisy, wistful and dark, The Terror is a beguiling record that's as beautiful as it is frightening.

Steve Earle doesn't make the same kind of hi-test outlaw country he used to, but The Low Highway shows that his swagger hasn't completely disappeared.

For Professional Use Only's long run time and failure to effectively sequence and transition between instrumentals for a more cohesive experience hamper its impact on the casual listener.

You Are Eternity is a remarkable accomplishment in sound design.

The songwriting is tighter, the hooks stickier and the production crisper as they twist buzzy guitar hooks and driving, rudimentary drum machine beats into seven-minute jams.

Caveman have followed-up CoCo Beware with a solid effort that retains some of the looseness of their debut. However, with the added label pressure, that looseness sometimes feels forced.

Nostalgia may still cloak OMD's early work in an impenetrable aura, but this album shows a band at the top of their game.

Vile could have chopped most of these songs in half and they would have worked just fine, but the overall effect wouldn't have been so blissfully druggy.

However difficult the album may be, it's a rare pleasure to see artists who know how to make great pop songs eschewing expectations, growing beyond their previous oeuvre and audience to pursue a brave creative path into genuine 21st century music.

As Cyclops Reap shows, Presley still finds time to put a great deal of thought and effort into his solo project, producing tripped-out, acidic '60s jams.

Fans put off by Blake's perceived sentimentalism won't have their minds changed by Overgrown, but that's hardly Blake's worry; he's too busy establishing himself as a consistently rewarding songwriter.

Setting a heavy mood with opening track "My Life's Been Taken," Morlix sticks with it through the majority of the ensuing nine songs, painting bleak portraits of desperate men chasing love and money while on the run from past mistakes.

There's more of the same on Dormarion, the singing drummer's reliably affable third album for Merge, which has a little something for everyone, but stops short of total engagement, like a slightly too tipsy party host.

Cruise Your Illusion sounds like proud, but humble music from a band doing exactly what they want on their terms.

Disarm The Descent is at least twice as good as 2009's uninspired Killswitch Engage. Although it's not quite the masterful return to Alive or Just Breathing that Leach's reappearance had fans hoping for, it's still damn good.

For Now I Am Winter is a record of intimate beauty and Arnór Dan's R&B-inspired vocals, which bear at least a passing resemblance to Ango or How To Dress Well, work surprisingly well in these sparse yet complex and layered compositions.

Although political in nature, the feel of the record is unabashedly joyful and if Jama ko doesn't form part of your summer listening, you are missing out on something very special.

As much as these songs hit upon Mudhoney's winning elements, there's a lack of swing in the band's step.

Victim of Love is meant to be taken literally; it's a rare and continued opportunity for a sexagenarian to finally get his chance in the soulful sun. Something the album proves that he's both appreciative of and not taking lightly.

While Tyler will almost certainly never outgrow life as a weird, hell-raising provocateur, Wolf shows that he's already growing into life as a smart, diverse artist.

Bring Me The Horizon have crafted an album that, while not as post-rock-influenced as hinted at, is definitely post-Bring Me The Horizon, at least as we once knew them.

While Until In Excess lacks a genuine revelatory moment, it's their most overall consistent and accessible album thus far.

The Ash & Clay is an album sure to become increasingly meaningful with time.

As a mystical and cosmic album, No York! sheds light on Blu's inspiring sonic dexterity.

Amygdala manages to feel like a singular labour of love, a 78-minute piece that never feels laborious that is the accomplishment.

The North Borders introduces a host of vocalists to accompany solid arrangements.