An album that could have easily come off as a millionaire’s vanity project with his rich mates is actually a surprising, creatively rich endeavour.

Overall, Paracosm is an impressive return from an artist who is still learning his trade.

serpent has crafted a spatially attentive album centred around representation and reverence, inclusivity and acceptance.

A better way to appreciate the record isn’t in one beefy sitting, but rather in bitesize portions. Devour it slowly and you’ll be able to savour its flavour.

Tides stakes an admirable claim to being a first tentative step in building a more advanced, melodic palette.

Weller could easily be forgiven for just living off that immense back catalogue. Instead, he’s relishing that elder statesman role and striving forward. He may not be the angry young man of the past, but his fire is still burning bright.

It provides evidence the Persson is capable of some breathtaking moments. And indeed there are a few such moments on Animal Heart, if not as many as might have been hoped for.

It feels like a satisfyingly natural progression, but brave all the same. Because his first album was a big deal.

Listeners who enjoy acts such as The Flaming Lips, Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, Superchunk and Neil Young would also enjoy Built To Spill. No, really, they would. And There Is No Enemy would be a pretty good place for those listeners to begin their investigations.

Aufheben may not be vintage BJM but it's still pretty groovy stuff.

For Drab Majesty to take the next step, with an album that resonates with a larger audience, you feel that more depth is required along with more of the melodic excellence provided a handful of times here. If that happens it could even rival some of the best albums your dusty collection from the 80s boasts, such is the potential here.

LP4, without a shadow of a doubt, is the most self-indulgent, unpredictable record of the year so far.

For those prepared to take the rough with the smooth, there are many moments of exquisite beauty to enjoy on this record.

It's a slight album, but by the standards he himself set, and patchy Black Francis is better than no Black Francis at all.

[Majenta is] an album that brings the influence of Prince on his music to the fore. It works well, with a healthy funk quotient present throughout, going with some lyrics that might make a grown adult blush but which stop short of being too risque.

It’s true, the constant drone can prove a bit wearying over the course of an album. But Can I Get A Pack Of Camel Lights is an album that will reveal its charms to anyone willing to make the effort.

Brasstronaut don't leap between genres so much as they shuffle, but Mean Sun, at its best, is an album that quietly exhilarates.

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

As a homage to all the good things about ’60s easy listening this ticks all the boxes even if it feels too much like a re-hash of times gone by.

All in all, passably decent party music, but lacking in the divine touch its title might imply.

This may not be an album you’d revisit often, but we should be very glad that it, and its unique, maverick creator, exists.

A rousing and eye-opening full-length debut.

The music of London Grammar continues to bewitch, soothe and inspire in equal measure, and when Truth Is A Beautiful Thing is at its best, it fully lives up to the title.

Some long-term fans may miss the studied cool of the band’s earlier material, and there’s a definite sense that, as good as they can be, Bar Italia are still a work in progress. Yet it’s a work in progress that can, when they hit the right notes, sound utterly thrilling.

It is hard to ignore how limited, both musically and lyrically, the Darling Arithmetic tracks sound when played alongside their predecessors. However, despite its limitations, Villagers’ latest LP does succeed in producing some very worthy reinterpretations and weaving them seamlessly together, which is often easier said than done.

In ramping up their scope--a laudable and understandable idea really for a second LP--Widowspeak instead often lose sight of their strengths, too often not seeing the wood for the trees. Indeed, it’s when they’re seemingly less sure of where they are that Almanac excels.

As a whole, it’s a robust LP, deeply in touch with the zeitgeist of an era marked by, indeed, surviving against, the odds. While surprises are few, fans will find plenty to satisfy here.

The music on Hippies is formulaic, but in their ability to work so perfectly within a rigid aesthetic, Harlem hint at real songwriting ability.

It is arguably one or two songs too long, but otherwise AudioLust & HigherLove is a strong pop music record – disposable, yes, but with a songwriting sensibility and deep house production that means it works on several levels.

It’s all rather wonderful nonsense--playful, engaging and not always entirely successful.

It may have been written and recorded in double quick time, but Won’t You Take Me With You is still an impressively assured, fully realised record.

It should be an overblown, riotous mess, but it's perfectly held together by musicians seemingly forged as one by long nights in spit and sawdust boozers, and in singer Craig Finn, a lyricist of remarkable poise and eloquence.

How Did We Get So Dark? has plenty of appeal, possibly just edging the debut, and is the sound of a band enjoying their niche, but how long that can last has to be the concern here.

It probably would have come across better as a slightly leaner offering that was all killer no filler, but at its best Physical develops on his work with Factory Floor to create a distinctive style of his own, an unsettling retro take on house music that yields many fantastic results across the record.

Their music is always beautifully rendered, and there is plenty of interest for the listener, but the hang, their most distinctive weapon, feels underused, its tones not bought into the foreground as much as might be expected.

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.

You might not be able to play Dungeonesse at a summer party from start to finish, but it can be brilliantly interspersed among other hipster-approved pop.

Dark Hearts is a mixed bag: it has many well-crafted moments and some stellar production choices, and there aren’t any outright bad songs; the likelihood is that some of the less obviously pop moments have the potential to grow over time.

It’s a fun, if inessential, listen and more proof, if it were needed of course, that Lambert is an excellent interpreter of other people’s songs.

A blindingly bright future beckons.

The lack of drums on large chunks of An Object initially gives the feeling that the album is lacking an anchor, but when the band explore the shimmering noise cosmos of closing track Commerce, Comment, Commence they sound expansive and exquisite, something that their more forthright punk approach can’t hope to achieve.

By now there’s no doubting that Fat Dog are a blindingly fun prospect, and there’s plenty of potential contained within Woof, and it’s no surprise that they’ve garnered such a following in such a short space of time.

Simultaneously the most-fully-realised of Chan Marshall's seven albums and yet one of missed opportunities.

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.

At just eight tracks, it may not be the longest of their albums, but it’s certainly one of their most accessible.

Admittedly there’s no new ground being discovered here in a wider sense (fans of Foals and Battles will be particularly unsurprised) but this sheer enthusiasm that runs throughout the album is really pretty infectious.

Such an impressive cast might initially give rise to the belief that this might be an album that delights in twisting the conventional, but in truth everyone plays it fairly safe which is likely to disappoint those hoping for something mind blowing.

At just eight tracks long, EyEye never outstays its welcome, although its relentlessly downbeat nature may put some people off. While the absence of a big pop banger is a shame – Li is so good at them – her restless nature and willingness to experiment is to be admired.

This album sounds brighter than its predecessor, more refined, sharply focused and coherent.

Sometimes Everyday Life’s restless quality can be its strength, at other times it makes the album sound unfinished. It does mean though that it’s resulted in Coldplay’s most interesting album for many a year.

For the most part, Tall Ships have delivered an album that lives up to the promise of their early EPs.

The Balcony may not have the presence of a Definitely Maybe or an Is This It, but it’s certainly a solid step in the right direction.

Hannigan is talented and Sea Sew is a pretty album. It's just if there is a lot of heart in the music, there's not a lot of brain.

It would have been very easy, at such a young age, to restrict himself to a particular sound, but What Happened To The Beach? demonstrates an impressive range that bodes well for his long-term success.

Full of lyrical and musical contradictions, such as the exhortation to 'join the revolution' in Yang Yang, it isn't exactly rabble rousing - but has a strange allure nonetheless.

So in summary if you are looking for an album that could almost double up as an engrossing series of short stories, with tales from the darker side of life and love, then you could certainly do worse than dip into this album.

When they’re on the game, The Wombats are well capable of turning heads and catching ears (People Don’t Change People, Time Does) and they have a pleasing habit of writing songs that sound remarkably cheerful despite sporting bleak subject matter (Everything I Love Is Going To Die). They’re not always successful.

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.

Much of it feels like pastiche, albeit of an often very entertaining sort.

C'Mon is a pause for breath, a likeable but slight addition to an impressive back catalogue.

The prolificacy is undoubted, and at times the quality is unequivocally intriguing. But with the tendency to occasionally experiment and deviate, consistency is not forthcoming; that said, when Pond hit the right notes they soar.

These slight niggles [Failure never fully reveals itself and feels a little like an idea that never really developed. Similarly, K Street is short, sweet, and fun, but doesn’t really anywhere] aside, Volume X finds Trans Am in rude health and still delivering fresh exciting music. As an introduction to the band this is a good starter for 10.

The Hare, The Hound & The Tortoise is a promising debut album, one which spells a bright future for a quite unique band.

Foil Deer isn’t an easy listen but it is a compelling one.

It may not be the most ambitious of albums and Snoop Dogg possibly spends more time singing than actually rapping, but the end result will ensure that he remains as relevant as ever.

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.

Sure, it may be playful, uncomplicated and slightly honey-glazed but there is plenty here for music lovers of all ages to enjoy.

It’s a comforting record, but one you wish was a little more abrupt in places. Even so, it’s a hugely graceful collection played out with dignity.

It's not everyone who can give Slim Shady a run for his money, but Minaj more than holds her own here, sounding both menacing and cartoon-like and even dropping into an approximation of a cockney accent at one point.

With A Vengeance maintains its intensity throughout, and by the time Thru The Nite’s hammering rimshots have died down we’re left with a promising collection of songs from this genre-bending artist.

Hook-laced in all the right places, melodic, rhythmic, intelligent, addictive and slightly quirky: they don’t skimp on any of the ingredients here.

It is when the album starts to sound like a Saint Sinner record produced by Tycho that the problems arise, but it remains worth a listen for those who appreciate immaculate soundscapes.

While Wonderful Wonderful certainly isn’t The Killers’ best record--or even their second best--it is a welcome return to form after some time in the wilderness.

The album’s sense of propulsion is so strong even the weaker tracks don’t drag at all.

Pressure Machine is a decent attempt at a concept album of sorts. Some mountainous peaks would take it to the next level; without them it feels as though it could soon, somewhat disappointingly, disappear.

As debuts go, this is fairly solid stuff, but it’s hard not to feel that Real Life should be so much more than the sum of its parts.

You might feel like you’ve heard it all before, and you probably have, but it’ll still rock.

The density of its production and the slipperiness of its song structures ensures that this album isn’t for everyone. But for those with a high tolerance for psychedelic whimsy and the time to invest in repeated listens, Wondrous Bughouse offers ample pleasures.

MCIII might fail to live up to its billing as concept album, but it absolutely doesn’t fail to provide a steady stream of big-hearted guitar-pop songs.

Vår manage to save a plodding midsection with tracks like the creepy, droney and dark Boy, proving they’re jacks of multiple trades.

There is a notable step forward, turning more towards a traditional soul style at the album’s core. There is a more natural groove, and the piano steps in more to complement the voice, even if this does sometimes lead to congestion on the instrumental side.

In truth, the only weakness to Choir Of The Mind is its length – at 13 tracks and clocking in at just under an hour, it’s a long time to spend with an album that’s so resolutely downbeat. Yet there’s a lot to admire with Haines’ second solo effort (not least the quality of her production) and it makes a decent calm counterpoint to the swirling storm of Metric.

While it doesn't quite account for the storied legend of the band behind it (these guys wrote Sonic Reducer, Ain't It Fun, and Final Solution, after all), Barfly is an album that sounds immediately important.

To Believe is a worthy return for The Cinematic Orchestra, developing their sound while keeping the trademark fusion between electronic and orchestral that Swinscoe and co. do so well.

It’s probably their most ambitious effort since Brain Thrust Mastery, delivering a sprawling and colourful collection of pop songs which are sure to leave a smile on your face.

It’s a great release by one of the UK’s most promising bands, and lays down a foundation for them to build on being melodious and aggressive.

We're not reviewing the single, rather the accompanying album, which after all that promise is something of a minor let down.

It's a competent disco celebration of an album, but Holy Ghost! will need to dig a little deeper into their souls and diversify their influences to make more of a mark in the long run.

Furling is a collection that rewards repeat listens to allow it to fully embed into the consciousness but once it does its soft, rarefied treasure has much to offer.

Sometimes it feels a little one-paced and, on the first few listens, disinterest is but a stone's throw away. Luckily for Secret Cities though, the more listens the album gets, the more enjoyable it becomes.

Bonxie doesn’t contain too many surprises, and it doesn’t really have many answers to the bigger questions, but it does have a number of brilliantly written songs.

Maps & Atlases have produced an album with some real bite. It's a collection of tracks that needs proper digestion in order to pick through the intricate layering and amalgam of styles that mix the band's longstanding math influences with a clear inclination towards African rhythms.

Concrete And Glass is a fine piece of architecture, typically classy and emotive while providing some very necessary warmth and light for the January darkness. We may well pine for something new from Air, but in their absence this will do very nicely indeed.

It’s a goldmine of catchy power pop, with the odd misstep, but anyone claiming to find little here in the way of feel good factor is likely to be deaf, ignorant or just sitting within their own sound-proof forcefield.

The band have fully reasserted themselves, taking equal parts past and future to make a record that fits the present day like a glove. Twenty years in and the fires are still burning brightly.

Furfour is not an album that will change the world. Tracks come and go leaving only occasional ear worming melodies and are largely bereft of sing along moments. It is, however, quite possibly the most interesting listen you’re likely to get all year as each play will reveal something you didn’t catch before and for that reason alone, it’s one that needs to be heard over and over.

Odin’s Raven Magic captures the group reconciling their actual genius with the mountains of praise heaped upon them.