While as a whole it’s disjointed, and the variation could hinder its success, Arbouretum have undoubtedly released another good album.

Pierce is clearly most comfortable when working in hybrid idioms that challenge preconceived indie-rock formats. When he is operating within those very constraints, the results are far less exciting. Luckily, this album tends to favour his natural operating zone.

Shake Shook Shaken may not be an unqualified success, but it certainly does what its predecessors couldn’t--it marks out The Dø as real contenders to keep your eye on.

No Mercy In This Land sits somewhere between the the classic blues records of BB King and the mellow folk tunes of bands like Angus and Julia Stone. Whether you are a die-hard blues fan or just after a narrative driven and emotive album, No Mercy In This Land has something to offer.

Not every song on . works, with FREEDOM.’s disco-ish production feeling decidedly amateurish and the songwriting on TOO HARD. leaning towards generic, but there’s still space for a highlight like RED FLAG.. .... Indeed, tracks like this could be the start of a new chapter for Kesha, with more creative freedom and her infectious sense of fun intact.

It is an oddly affecting and [Dark Destiny is] a neat way to close out an album that, despite dropping the odd clanger, pillages the '80s with considerable style.

The songs are generally short, befitting a short release, and sometimes the structural choices feel a little eccentric because of it, for example the abrupt end of Chills Me To The Bone. At times like this there’s a feeling that more could be done with the songs to make them feel complete, but as it stands Fall To Pieces is an intriguing sampler for Tricky’s present-day sound.

Vicious Creatures is a sometimes uneven, but never less than intriguing, listen, and kicks off Lauren Mayberry’s solo career in impressive fashion.

Overall, this is just another Ozzy Osbourne solo album, for better and worse. It succeeds in its rawness, its slapdash cobbling together of predictable riffs and lunatic poetry.

Salute is an undeniably solid album, and has a lot more going for it than similar efforts from many of Little Mix’s pop peers this year.

There’s a nagging sense of the need to develop things further and mesh the mechanics with the human to create a beast that is more than the sum of its parts.

It's a record for parties, for escaping the grind, and for enjoying your relaxing drug of choice.

There’s very little here to dislike, so stick it on loud, turn off the lights and sit back and enjoy.

The Republic may not be an album that will make headlines but it shows a musician immersed in his art achieving a real consistency and equilibrium of sound.

On the evidence of The Glow, DMA’s are more than ready to stand on their own feet, with a sell-out show at the Brixton Academy having already confirmed. Welcome to the party.

It makes for a palliative record, to put on loop after an hour of Top 40.

Those needing something to occupy themselves with during Annie's prolonged absence from the fold will find plenty to keep them happy (and, at the same time, a little bit sad) on My Guilty Pleasure.

Splashh have done what their equally fresh-faced contemporaries have tried to do: make an exciting debut.

Tender Opposites is undoubtedly a solid, cohesive and enjoyable first album from the Montreal band.

It shows that for the first time they really can do restraint, without compromising the overall impact of the instances where things are let rip.

Its strength is the number of differing styles it turns to largely satisfying effect, reasserting Mugwump’s status as a producer who knows how to entertain and charm in equal measure. This satisfying, toe-twitching debut-of-sorts will only enhance those claims.

Their debut LP Mutual Friends, despite getting bogged down in the middle stretch, is as an album undeniably catchy and, somewhat surprisingly, experimental.

This is an album that celebrates OMD's electric romanticism as purely as ever, with occasional concessions to house music developments made in a way that flatters their own work, part of an impressive desire to keep their original aesthetic . In that respect, it represents a qualified triumph.

She over-eggs the pudding occasionally, but that’s a small price to pay for adventure.

At times superfluous, at others explosively brilliant, it is more emotive than their previous releases and rather than shy away from this, the band jump in with both feet.

Her engaging lyrics remain her true strength. But in her quest to perfect this mission statement, the urgent spark present in her debut has dimmed just a little.

There is a lot of depth to be found in If You Asked For A Picture, and at times it is hidden behind the fairly pedestrian “indie” approach. Yet given time, it’s an album that gradually unfurls and draws you in, even if a little extra punch and bite would not have gone amiss.

There’s far more good to be found on Red Flag than there is bad--this feels like the genuine follow-up to Saints And Sinners that Studio 1 should have been.

The album flows well, with a funky instrumental interlude picking up the pace nicely around the middle and its relatively short run time making it a light and breezy experience.

Soft Will marks a further refinement of Smith Westerns’ sound, resulting in one of the year’s most straightforwardly enjoyable indie-rock records.

On Blood she largely succeeds in harnessing her instrument to reveal the thoughts within. Big isn’t always better, but it tends towards triumph here.

Two Hands is a good album, albeit one labouring under a slight sense of anticlimax given what has gone before.

It may not quite have the immediate irresistibility and wide-eyed innocence of its predecessor but it successfully builds on and expands the sounds previously established.

Migration Stories is a slight album, and a brisk listen – but it is a totally accomplished project.

Wide Awake is certainly not their best, but it is their most wide ranging and as such, it could just be one that splits the hardcore fanbase right down the middle.

Harsh electronic soundscapes are matched with more ambient pieces, and Anamesis Part 1 is a much gentler proposition creating the illusion of calming wind chimes, with Part 2 adding pastoral flourishes. Whereas Annotation pairs club beats with gentle electronic inflections, and Kundalini recalls the thrilling experimentalism of her last record in its use of exotic sounds.

One Good Thing is a fine album, and individually the tracks are pleasingly reflective, but the instant familiarity and maudlin cosiness is more soporific than it is arresting.

Nothing here quite matches the excitement of Feel It Break highlights The Beat And The Pulse and Lose It (although Home, Forgive Me, Painful Like and Annie (Oh Muse You) all come close). But this doesn’t stop Olympia being a sizeable step up from its predecessor and a fine album in its own right.

Born In The Echoes does not reveal anything startlingly new about The Chemical Brothers, but it is more than them simply ticking over, and clearly they have an eye on the future.

In comparison to earlier efforts though, the new album feels like a huge step forward and the lengthier fuzzed out jams are excellent, and surely good enough to be spotted on a few more radars.

Tune-Yards are always going to be an acquired taste for some people, and while this album mixes the accessible with the avant-garde, there will probably be people who are left cold by the restless energy and sometimes overtly meandering melodies. There are more than enough moments on Sketchy though to show that Garbus and Bremmer can strike musical gold when they want to.

If you get past the fact that CBV aren’t trying to be radical or cutting edge, or even particularly contemporary, you’ll find a pleasantly undemanding, chilled-out record that’s the perfect soundtrack for all those warm summer evenings we’re crossing our fingers for at the moment.

Never judge a book by its cover, they say, but with Cymbals Eat Guitars it's fine to do just that--the lush green grass and dense vegetation of their own artwork accurately reflected in their own music.

Haines is a compelling performer, and there's certainly more than enough decent songs here to satisfy the faithful who may have been put off by the lacklustre Fantasies.

For those that are willing to kiss goodbye to the guitars and join Parker on his latest detour, you’re likely to get swept away by the dreaminess of Currents. It’s just a shame that the undeniable majesty of opener Let It Happen sees the album peak at a high it can never hope to reach for the remainder of its existence.

A few mis-steps aside, this is yet another strong showing from a band in the midst of a creative whirlwind, one that fortunately shows little signs of blowing itself out.

For a debut album, Quarter Life Crisis is a remarkably confident, assured record, even if it does feel a bit front-loaded by putting most of the more immediate pop bangers in the first half of the album.

Miller has done a decent job here; there’s nothing particularly striking or eye-opening about the album or its songs, but their simplicity and Miller’s all-round talent suggest some real promise.

There seems to be a number of ideas thrown together into the mix and this does result in the collection sounding a little confused towards its conclusion but there are many highlights before this point that suggests The Ramona Flowers are likely to be around for a long time.

Yet, for all its flaws, there’s something undeniably addictive about Rebel Heart, and even the songs that don’t work so well are still a million times better than anything gathered on MDNA or Hard Candy.

It wears its heart on its sleeve, and is relentlessly inventive. It’s the sound of an artist continuing to evolve whilst encouraging anyone who is lucky enough to encounter their work to follow suit.

If Antonoff can add more of his own personality into songs as beautifully crafted and well produced as these, they could unleash something special.

At times Lightning Dust produce some sublime moments on Fantasy but there are too few of these to warrant repetitive plays of the album as a whole.

While there may be nothing to touch Goddard’s finest solo moment (that would be the sky-scraping collaboration with Valentina, Gabriel) or most of Hot Chip’s immense back catalogue, Harmonics is still a distinctive, often exhilarating, record from Goddard and his host of friends.

All that said, there’s a lot to love still, and if you carefully trim around the dross, you’re left with a stunning product and some phantasmagorical slivers of sonic mastery.

On songs such as this [Fairchild] and Chapter 16 Dave sounds focused, engaging: ingredients of a great album are here, but he’s yet to stick the landing.

There is little filter on the creativity here as White’s legacy allows him to explore and indulge odd ideas, but it could do with some productive channelling. Hence Fear Of The Dawn ends up a partially enjoyable but partially frustrating listen.

Plaid’s contemporaries from the early ’90s are in very different places now, with Aphex Twin incorporating styles footwork in his new releases and Autechre progressing further and further into uncharted terrain. This album, however, is from a duo mostly content to amble down memory lane.

This is a brisk, bright and joyful album from a band who have been anything but those things in recent years. It’s recommendable for those attributes alone, but even more so when you start to get the feeling that this could herald a return to form.

Always Inside Your Head strikes a good balance between continuity and change, and re-establishes Lone as one to watch in the electronic scene.

When even the track titles are difficult and unclear it is evident that one is dealing with a band that demands dues are paid. If you choose to do so, the time and effort spent may well ultimately pay off.

The music may be unspectacular, but it just works.

While Reign Of Terror may not possess anything quite as startlingly infectious as Infinity Guitars, Sleigh Bells' return shows that they are more than a one-trick pony.

Like much of Richard Dawson’s material, it’s an album that has to be immersed in and savoured – and although it may be a struggle sometimes, there’s nobody else out there making music quite like this.

The songs themselves range from the good (the surprisingly energetic I Can Do It With A Broken Heart, throwback ballad But Daddy I Love Him, the extra textures of the Florence + The Machine duet, Florida!!!) to the somewhat samey but still enjoyable (So Long, London; the title track; Fresh Out the Slammer), to the unnecessary retreads (Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?, The Alchemy), to the truly rotten (Down Bad – which can’t manage to disguise its hollowness with truly beautiful textures, and I Can Fix Him).

Even if Settle quiets the unreasonable expectations surrounding it by offering a solid collection of smart dance tracks, some songs do not fully live up to the hype.

For all of its strengths, the album is somewhat let down by its monstrous length – 78 minutes, to be exact. That’s not to stay that Cunningham and his collaborators can’t hold the listener’s interest for the entire running time (they can), but that the whole experience can be overwhelming and a little draining.

Crying Out Loud offers plenty of confirmation that Kasabian are in rude musical health.

Long term fans might find Worship not as visceral as previous outings, whilst those intrigued by occasional flashes of melody might find themselves beaten into submission by the album's oppressive nature.

For anyone who still thinks Cast are nothing more than a band specialising in meat-and-potatoes jangly indie pop, Yeah Yeah Yeah demonstrates why they’ve endured so long over the years.

It might not be entirely mega, but there's enough to fawn over with this robust collection of breezy and inventive Americana.

Overall, however, when listening to Personal Appeal--a tremendously satisfying listen nonetheless--you wonder what a Moore record might sound like if he took some time to plan or tweak his musical ideas.

As it is, New Material is now their fourth release. It may be the most consistent of the lot, but it isn’t the strongest. That accolade, for now, goes to their previous record purely because of the variety of textures and tones. But it’s exciting to see what comes next.

An energetic ride with plenty of musical thrills and spills which will sound a treat live, on the road or in the club, but one which doesn't fully convince when the vocals are added to the mix.

The results might not always work--the dreary "Disturbed This Morning," for example--but when they do, it is almost always exciting. By no means is this a classic album, but there are plenty of worthwhile moments to be had.

UR Fun is one of those albums which will delight their fans, and probably not make too much of an impression outside the fanbase. What this album shows is that Barnes and his band are still capable of providing a soundtrack to the best party you’ll never be invited to.

K-X-P II is much more than an experiment in tinkering with vintage instruments and influences. The balance of a big, yet primitive sound is ripe for filtering south beyond the confines of the world’s second most northern capital.

As things stand, a lot of people are going to fall in love with this new young talent, and her ambitious and creative debut. But Lykke Li is likely to stay a cult curiosity for now.

Whilst it doesn’t always work, and the shorter tracks do little to add value, the atmosphere they generate is often spine tingling.

At times doubts can surface as to whether it can fully work but against not inconsiderable odds he ultimately manages to pull it off, delivering on the whole an impressively irregular album of Latin-inflected laptop folk.

Words are used minimally and to great effect.

Thanks in no small part to the significant contribution of Homme, the shirtless rocker has created his best work since his early Bowie collaborations.

Parastrophics is never dull, and there are some great moments on here. But occasionally it is a little too restless for its own good.

Logos doesn't displace Microcastle as Cox's masterwork to date. But it's an intriguing, often beautiful addition to a rapidly expanding body of work that has seemingly boundless potential.

Half of the album’s 12 tracks are under three minutes, leaving no time to get bored, and there’s little to dislike.

The sense of rhythmic looseness and American country lilt, showcased most obviously on My Rose Coloured Friend, coupled with Mulcahy’s lyrical sensibilities and questioning of his own troubles and existence, make for not a particularly life-changing but pleasing listening experience.

Sometimes, it doesn’t quite hit the mark – the finger-picked acoustics of Preaching To The Choir becomes a bit of a dirge, while Clean feels like it’s about to explode into something epic, but never quite does. Yet the closing The Wind makes for a lovely end to the album (with Butler on surprisingly gruff vocals) and, at only nine tracks long, it never particularly outstays its welcome. It’s also a handy reminder that one of rock’s finest collaborators has a pretty strong voice of his own, too.

A fine reintroduction to Jill Scott. It may not be as instantly genre-defining as that debut album proved to be, but it’s a record by an artist who sounds totally refreshed by her hiatus.

It probably won't appeal to all, and some of Furtado's fans may be hugely turned off by the more danceable tracks. Yet Timbaland has revitalized Furtado - this is the sound of an artist having the time of her life.

Despite a few too many lacklustre and inconsequential tracks, there are some incredible highs here and songs that will sound phenomenal when played live.

What's remarkable is how well it all works--no glitches, no hiccups, just 10 tracks of mind-broadening quirk.

While the highs aren’t quite as high and the lows are quite a bit lower than they have been previously in his career, Mala might just be the grown-up album Devendra Banhart has been waiting a decade to make.

In the end, the repeated invocation of booze, drugs and sugar betrays a semi-permanence, with Welcome The Worms feeling like more of a quick fix despite some effective catharsis, and it’s disappointing that a band held in high esteem for their live energy have yet to fully realise that on record. That doesn’t dull the album’s instant charm, however.

Emerging at the end, the listener has a real sense of having been immersed in something coherent and whole over the course of the 10 tracks; even if at the same time--dreamlike--there may well be no such clear sense of what it all might have meant.

Shiver may be a step out of Jónsi’s comfort zone, but it’s a step that seems to have reinvigorated him.

After remaining stagnant for so long, Concrete and Gold is a mini breakthrough for the Foo Fighters. Progress, at last.

Hexadic is most certainly a challenging and confusing album and one that can, at times, be a struggle to listen to. It is worth persevering however, for there are flashes of brilliance to be found in the constant battle between control and abandon.

As real big-bucks contenders, Kodaline aren’t quite there yet. But as a debut, In A Perfect World manages to find its feet with ease.