These are songs that might sound delicate and fleeting, but are in they fact multi-layered and carefully created although admittedly they are at times almost dreamlike.

Lost Domain acts as both a lovely tribute to Wheeler’s father, and further confirmation of his talent as a songwriter.

There’s a lack of maturity on Soft that is at odds with the stellar showmanship that Soft so desperately seeks to demonstrate.

It makes for a decent compilation if you’re not already familiar with Hegarty’s material as it features many of his best tracks, but the long-term fan will struggle to find too much of interest. Yet it makes for an excellent souvenir of a band at the height of their powers.

Seeds is destined to grow and grow. Exhilarating stuff.

Frozen By Sight is a good record--one that’s exquisitely played and recorded. It’s also a little stiff: occasionally its arts festival origins become a little too obvious and one wishes it would cut loose a little more.

Ultimately, First Demo is far more than a historical curio, it’s the sound of the band in a period of furious creativity and evolution.

In the passing of time they’ve aged a bit, and though they can still intermittently move us with their thoughts, it is difficult to see anywhere they could go from here musically. It is the right time to go.

Run The Jewels 2 is one of the best albums of the year.

Though The Way is unlikely to attract many new fans, those who contributed to the project to make the album should be pretty happy with the results.

Fittingly enjoyable but frustratingly retrograde effort.

It may well wander all over the place and sound in need of a firm guiding hand at times, but it also contains some genuinely inventive and thrilling pop music.

Unfortunately Sonic Highways only delivers occasionally.

More polished and yet somehow less exciting. Nonetheless, The Other I is an album which offers plenty of eerie, shadowy pleasure.

While Blue’s electropop soundscapes are hardly a great move forwards from their first two projects, there are genuinely majestic emotional moments to savour here.

Big Music sees them come out fighting with their best album in decades. Rather than appearing musically tired or bereft of ideas, they have real stomach for the fight, a resilience that looks set to see their star continue to shine.

Diehard fans of the genre will find that Bass Drum Of Death makes a welcome addition to their playlists, but for the rest of the music world, Rip This may only entertain for a few tracks.

Taken for what it is, Primus & The Chocolate Factory is a fantastically ridiculous release that should please fans of either [Primus or Willy Wonka].

In The Seams sees her settle down into a recognisable sound--a more minimal, stripped down approach than previously for sure, but one that accentuates her voice perfectly.

Whilst La Isla Bonita might end on a downer musically, this is an album that finds Deerhoof sounding refreshed and eager to go for another 20 years.

The results as diverse as one would expect from such a multi-faceted pairing: chaotic, withdrawn, subtle, bombastic, promising and ominous all at the same time.

Whilst the debut got tongues wagging, the follow up is sure to get hearts pounding--a superb collection of tracks that points to a band that knows where it’s going.

It may not be a barrel of laughs, but My Favourite Faded Fantasy proves that nobody does hushed introspection as well as Damien Rice.

The Inevitable End, whilst more reflective and introspective, is little different. If this is the end of this current stage of the Röyksopp story, it’s a pretty classy way to bow out.

The key to this album is that whilst the original concept of Mariachi El Bronx remains in tact, things are changing slowly and given time, could easily evolve into something truly fascinating. They feel like they’re on the cusp of the something here.

This duo is an increasingly masterful unit. Even with just voice and drums, it would appear that the possibilities are endless.

For its maker, it’s a chance to cut loose under the banner of diminished expectations; for the listener, it’s a temporary distraction at best.

No One Is Lost isn’t a bad record: most of its songs are put together with care and the results are highly listenable. It’s just a shame the band seemed to lose their nerve in its execution.

Flesh And Machine is a record made with an abundance of indulgence; a collection of sounds that requires cynicism--and hopes for instant gratification--to be checked at the door.

While not completely successful in showcasing in her transition into pure pop, 1989 is a great listen for those refuse to believe both the hype and the haters.

For anyone that even slightly misses the decade that saw Britpop bands pop up left, right and centre you could do a lot worse for your health than take in some Superfood.

What is surely one of the year’s most frustrating releases.

Despite the solid highs, there’s nothing truly spectacular and the end result is rather uneven in terms of quality.

As an overall piece of work, Songs flows seamlessly, with the consistency in mood and tone and meticulously crafted arrangements meaning not a note sounds out of place.

The integration of beats, synths, strings and piano offers an uninterrupted, textured suite that is as assured as it is enveloping.

It’s a typically resourceful, subtle and mesmeric addendum--and one that underlines just how consistently excellent an artist Harris has been.

Whilst not perfect, Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave is, as the cliché goes, a return to form and the album of a band that has rediscovered what they’re good at.

It’s A Pleasure ultimately comes across as slight as its deliberately platitudinous title, but Dury remains an intriguing talent who’s worth following.

Ultimate Painting is certainly no big hitting, all powerful heavyweight champion of the world, it’s far more of a flower waving pacifist.

Keep You certainly succeeds in lyrical and atmospheric effect; there are just a couple compositional pitfalls that will likely work themselves out at live shows.

The Best Day is neither derivative nor weak. In fact, it’s another enduring release from an always reliable rocker.

Lanegan has infused much of this material with the sounds of his influences successfully. Admittedly it is a little tinny in places, and sometimes the warmth of that voice makes for an awkward fit with the detachment of the music, but for the most part, it works rather well.

Wait Til Night, sometimes to its credit, but perhaps overall to its detriment, feels more like a brighter, more straightforward, R&B inspired set.

Even when he doesn't quite get the dynamics right, Sivu's gift for melody never deserts him.

The band may not have moved on musically but with the results this strong it feels much more than just a lazy trip down memory lane.

Insistency and repetition are perhaps Oozing Wound’s most effective weapons.

I Forget Where We Were is an album to grow into rather than one of instant satisfaction, one that blossoms upon every subsequent listen, one to clutch close to your heart and cherish forever.

Otherness is probably a better album than Bainbridge’s debut as Kindness but it succeeds in different ways and is certainly more of a slow burner.

There are numerous highlights to be found across these songs but Herod 2014 and Fetish stand out in particular.

Museum Of Love lacks a big, standout track that’s likely to attract the attention of anyone not already smitten by the band’s affiliated acts. But it’s still a very good record that succeeds at being alternately funky and affecting.

Jamie T bares his soul on Carry On The Grudge to the point that, by the end, it’s almost impossible not to love him for it.

There’s just not enough of that unhinged brilliance across the board unfortunately; a little more weirdness might have led to something wonderful. As it is, this is a assured debut, but lacking any real surprises.

An intriguing album that considers fundamental questions about how music is inspired, interpreted and created.

Nothing on 24 Karat Gold comes close to classic Fleetwood Mac songs, but long-term fans will delight in hearing decently recorded versions of tracks that they may otherwise only have heard as scratchy demos.

Unflesh is at times a disturbing and upsetting listen, but it is also a triumph of will over circumstance.

We Were Promised Jetpacks have pushed the bar for these bands even higher with the release of Unravelling.

The fact that it’s not doing anything particularly new doesn’t really matter because it’s hitting all the right notes and pushing all the right buttons. Most of all, just like their debut, it’s a lot fun.

Every one of these songs is blessed with that special something that the band impress on their songs.

Trick is an interesting, compelling listen and one that pushes Kele’s burgeoning reputation further.

For the most part, it is an assured collection of songs that exudes the confidence of an artist at the peak of her powers.

It still sounds like them--just an improved, sharpened up them. And it’s wonderful for it; their best yet.

It feels like the deepest and most soulful album she has made.

It is without doubt Zola Jesus’ most heartfelt utterance to date, the emotion coming from her very bones--a case where you really can see the wood for the trees.

Heartleap benefits from some subtle, unexpected instrumentation, including kalimba and vibraphone butalthough it does include contributions from her touring band (including the great guitarist Gareth Dickson), it still feels personal to the point of being solitary.

There isn’t a weak track on show. It makes Plowing Into The Field Of Love a truly impressive piece of work.

So while Cuomo might be frustratingly stuck in himself, Everything Will Be Alright In The End shows that he’s taking the first trepidatious steps into an earnest reflection on what it’s taken to be the man he’s become.

Atomos is an outstanding, thoughtful piece of work which should see their reputation rise to a new high.

There is something new and exciting in Ellison’s bewildering synthesis, and something very original in his seemingly unlimited horizons.

If a handful of tracks from the first album had been replaced with the best tracks here then Marr would have produced one of the best guitar albums of the last decade, but taken on their own individual merits, neither quite achieve greatness.

Everyone else can celebrate Peaking Lights’ decision to target the feet, rather than the minds, of the listeners this time round. Their reward is one of the year’s most intuitively entertaining releases.

There are enough highlights here that make this a very enjoyable, if unvaried, record.

Despite the immediacy and urgency of its public genesis, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes is probably the least immediate album Yorke has been involved with to date. Like Kid A before it, it may turn out to be one of his most enduring.

This is a commendable album and the two acts clearly work together incredibly well and challenge one another. But the most magic always happens when Prince’s presence is at its strongest.

There are sections of this album where the excessively excessive for excessiveness’ sake draw attention away from the parts that are genuinely fantastic. Not that Prince cares what anyone thinks. He proves with this album that he will experiment and make the music he wants to make.

It’s a smart, attentive-demanding progression--within the song and throughout the album as a whole--that deftly captures various stages of love’s cycle. With added synths.

Chinese Fountain really is everything that you would expect from these beach grungers, but it’s still fantastically unique and sparkles delightfully with fun and a sheer honesty.

The more abrasive elements of Please mean that, on the first couple of plays, it might pinch and pull like a new pair of shoes. But, give it a fair hearing, and eventually Lerche’s resplendent melodies will shine through and something akin to a mild obsession might gradually take hold.

It’s heartfelt and sincere without pandering to any audience.

The Violet Flame is a decent, solid album that will satisfy the faithful, while reminding the rest of the public that they’re still a going concern.

Very occasionally there is an element of mediocrity and you do feel that they could easily raise themselves to the next level, but for now this is another delicious helping of Apple Pie. Tuck in.

While At Best Cuckold is an album of entertaining truth and teenage legitimacy, and while its sprightly sound and pleasant air create a funny kind of optimism, it does not offer material that will sustain itself over time.

Overall, A New Testament is an improvement on Lysandre and demonstrates Owens’ ability to adapt to a multitude of different genres.

This excellent record stands as a testament to the fascinating links and interactions between musical cultures.

There’s talent here, although it’s often buried deep beneath generic beats and lyrical self-obsession that eventually becomes a bit exhausting to listen to.

Overall, No Romeo does a good job of laying down some promising foundations and confirming what Solo Dancing had already suggested--that Indiana is far more interesting than most of the uninspiring pop artists dominating the charts at the moment. Where the album suffers is in its baggy running time and lack of standout tracks to match her most recent singles.

It really is a shame that the production is so muddled, because Soon Away has some incredible moments that are marred by the sheer inability of the fidelity to convey what GRMLN and Park are feeling.

Wonder Where We Land sounds like an album of great moments, rather than a consistently great record.

By the end of Sparks, there is really nothing else left to do but marvel at the brilliance of Imogen Heap.

It’s an album that will make your heart swell with joy in a club or will make your lip quiver with emotion on headphones in your bedroom. There are few dance producers who possess the skills to harness both these feelings and John Maclean has managed this masterfully here.

Songs come and go, often built on little more than O’s voice and the brushed strum of an acoustic guitar, seemingly competing to see which can retreat furthest into the shadows.

This album feels perfectly formed as it is though.

Sukierae is a distinctive work, and it gradually reveals itself to be enthralling.

Whilst it is true that Aphex Twin’s delicate and more minimalist side is neglected on Syro, save for the piano kiss-off of aisatsana (102), there are plenty of signs of James maturing and developing as an artist.

There are still several moments of brilliance--including the mesmerising and cinematic Bloodflow Pt II, which revisits their debut--but it is also found lacking when it comes to the overall end product. That said, it remains a worthy and accomplished follow-up from Alt-J.

Encylopedia is an album that will be either loved or hated; there is little in-between as the narrow line separating catchiness from irritation shrinks to a hair’s width.

Although it is only nine tracks long, Goat manage to get a lot in there in a tireless pursuit to keep creating.

It’s not the easiest of pop albums to listen to but its raw power makes it a dazzling triumph.

Jaws have created an album that should see them breaking away from B-Town, heading for sunnier climes and finding themselves.