By the end of it, the creative highs have balanced out the tepid lows and all that's left is a plain old simple straight line.

There's no personality here, nothing to cling on to and love.

Part of Lopatin's considerable appeal is his apparent refusal to settle.

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.

When you hear the body of work in these sessions, and witness at first hand the musical creativity and bond between them, it only leaves you wanting to hear more.

Oh Fortune is a luscious wall of sound, one that should see the criminally underrated Canadian featured more regularly alongside the heavyweights.

Bob Ludwig's remastering punches up the drums and adds clarity and volume to the mix without overblowing it or excessively altering the overall sound, and the result is that these two albums sound incredibly modern, relevant, and invigourated.... Siamese Dream includes exceptional demos for U.S.A. and U.S.S.R., as well as Moleasskiss from the much sought after Mashed Potatoes bootlegs.

Bob Ludwig's remastering punches up the drums and adds clarity and volume to the mix without overblowing it or excessively altering the overall sound, and the result is that these two albums sound incredibly modern, relevant, and invigourated... The Gish standouts include a demo of Daydream with Corgan on vocals in place of D'arcy Wretzky and an extended version of Drown with blistering alternate guitar solos.

With half of rEVOLVEr emulating his older tracks and the other half making strained attempts to branch out into rap and dance, it appears that the rappa ternt sanga simply hasn't found anywhere else to turn.

The Path Of Totality is overall quite an interesting and largely rewarding proposition. Whether it manages to please dubstep or Korn fans however is another matter.

Despite their faults, The Black Keys do have something to offer the world in terms of reliable, entertaining garage rock. Just don't expect innovation.

Some bands are stronger on record, while others go up a level when performing live. The Unthanks are equally compelling in both settings.

What Regan has unquestionably created is a landscape of wide-eyed, sincere beauty that is very much his own, delivered with a poise that few of his contemporaries can match.

An evocative album of considerable depth that beautifully completes the triangle.

While this may be something of a stopgap release while Maclean tries out a new venture or two, Everybody Get Close has plenty of dancefloor noise, and is switched on to the rhythm throughout.

The album itself--whilst impressive in its seamless cohesion--does become rather formulaic in Birdy's treatment of the covers, and therefore suffers from a distinct lack of variety.

Cornell's voice might not be as tight as it was back in 1994, but it remains a formidable instrument - and lifts this collection well above that of an average live album. It's the lack of variety that stops it from becoming truly great.

Both Ways Open Jaws is an album that is best when taken as a whole and wholly intriguing trip into that most treacherous and elusive of terrains: the happy marriage of eccentricity and pop song craft.

Treefight For Sunlight have a genuine ability to create instantly arresting melodies.

It is a record that's hard to place, hard to shake and easier to love than you could ever have conceived.

Sure, like much of the album, Rihanna is mining her past glories all over again, but she does it with such swagger, such enthusiasm, that the end result is a definitive thrill-ride of a success.

It manages to avoid the pitfalls of creative redundancy and combines a classic sound with a contemporary twist to perfect effect.

At once understated and innovative, her often-crazed genius makes this album, different from what went before yet in its way a product of it, a pleasure to listen to.

All things considered, this is an impressive debut album from Rizzle Kicks.

It's the perfect end to a blissfully gorgeous album--one that showcases Ane Brun as being at the forefront of the new wave of Scandinavian pop music.

Here I Am is the epitome of cheap and cheerful R&B, 40 minutes of precision-tuned pre-club glossiness--without a doubt perfectly serviceable.

This, a musical Indian summer, pushes them forward again.

These dated trance beats and chunks of grime tinged R&B aren't going to earn him any new fans, so he's flipped the default switch; if in doubt, get a bit naughty.

Last Summer pulls off the impressive feat of being luxuriantly listenable while retaining Friedberger's avant-garde roots.

The Year Of Hibernation is a powerful bit of emotional alchemy, arresting and enchanting in its naked simplicity, and Powers has accomplished a tour de force far beyond his bedroom walls or his 22 years.

Sullivan's intelligent use of layers and loops create a phenomenally dense but remarkably accessible soundscape as the band constantly ebb and flow between bombast and introspection.

It's absorbing and enchanting without having to resort to formulaic song structures, pop thrills or radio-friendly catchiness.

Out In The Light is a blustery, at times thrillingly unstable record, and comfortably matches the standards Pierszalowski achieved with Port O'Brien.

It contains nothing noteworthy, nothing to grab the listener's attention, and will have few going back for repeated listens.

More melancholic than mechanical, Severant is a testament to the strength of the human imagination.

It could be argued that Soul Time! itself is nothing new within the Dap-Kings catalogue, made up as it is of old tunes (Longer And Stronger, for instance, was written to celebrate Jones's 50th birthday in 2006), but these favourite oldies are collected here for the first time, and that's really something.

It might not break any new ground but there'll be few albums this year as enjoyable as this one.

Lyrically, gone is the amusing petulance, and in its place are tales that tug on the heart strings by creating patchwork mind pictures with words. And when Los Campesinos! hit that sweet spot, the results are stunning.

The album dips when they try too hard not to be pop.

He could be a genius or he could be a lunatic; either way, one of modern filmdom's most debated and alluring figures has made an arresting album that successfully translates his visual surrealism to a new medium.

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 an accomplished release which, while throwing the occasional nod to other artists of the same genre (M83, Saint Etienne), nonetheless maintains a sense of uniqueness and identity that remains prevalent throughout its duration.

This is easily the most satisfying and rewarding set of songs that Cox has written in any of his projects and it'll be a tough ask to top it.

There is also a notably darker, murkier imperative at the heart of Original Colours and the results are sometimes a little introverted.

The music here definitely works best when this spirit of interaction is at the forefront, with potentially disparate musical ideas serving to complement and enhance each other.

Throughout the record, Steve Mackey's production shimmers both warmly and vibrantly, sounding at once like a throwback from the 1980s and futuristic.

Lost In The Glare is a wonderfully cohesive album of instrumental-avant-Americana.

Tomorrow's World appeals to fans of Erasure's later albums just as much as it appeases those who swooned along to A Little Respect in 1988.

It is something of a slow burner, and familiarity with their back catalogue will certainly add depth to the whole experience, but those who come to it cold will find the immediacy and vigour of the likes of Public Enemy No. 1 irresistible.

It's bigger, brighter and braver than what went before, and should elevate Florence even higher, with her Machine shoulder to shoulder.

It's admirable that they have made such a shameless ode to that which they deem most important to their musical output, or at least what they thought might sell, but the way in which it seems so forced and uncomfortable is the opposite of what anyone would have expected.

The fact that he can produce an album like Bad As Me, with more energy, invention and sheer excitement that artists half his age stands as testimony that Tom Waits remains one of the true giants of music.

As an EP taster, Mount Wittenberg Orca would have been great, but by positioning itself as the finished article, one is left with the sense of an incomplete journey and a wasted opportunity.

Smoking In Heaven is a great achievement, to be enjoyed again and again.

For all the development in their sound, this new Peggy Sue is less lovable than before, the whimsy and the wit, the colour and the life a little buried, and whatever their final lyrics say, a touch too troubled now.

Tape Club is a fine time capsule for their first decade together.

Rihanna's appearance aside, Mylo Xyloto is everything you'd expect from a Coldplay album.

It's all very Jeffrey-Lewis-esque in fact--another entertaining album from a man determined to cling to his cult status as long as possible.

It demonstrates his considerable talent as a producer, for he has crafted a cutting edge album that is extremely engaging and enjoyable.

The scenic route is where it's at--and there is plenty of that to enjoy on this illuminating record.

This relentlessly positive outlook may not suit those searching for a bit more angst in their pop music, but it suits Real Estate just fine.

It is to be hoped that they will continue to make relevant urban commentaries as they have done prior to this brave but largely disappointing record.

There are certainly some nice tunes here though it's doubtful if Underground buskers will be swapping them for the likes of Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger in their Christmas run-up repertoire.

It's the sort of album that makes you want to lay down between the speakers and close your eyes; it's an album in which to get swept up.

The Great Escape Artist is the least cohesive of all Jane's Addiction's albums.

It's a self-assured and very cohesive piece of work. Lisa Hannigan's journey as a solo artist continues to trundle along without any bumps in the road.

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming may have its flaws, but minor niggles aside it is a testament to the fine songwriting skill of Gonzalez.

[A] glorious album, that is full of both gravity and levity, wisdom and beauty, and that is, most of all, infused with the honesty and humanity that make of it such a triumph.

Make no mistake; there is a lot more quality to come from this source.

It may be occasionally unnerving, but there is pure balm to be found here, music to speak to even the most troubled of souls.

Like the recent offerings from the aforementioned pair, Rapprocher is properly cinematic.

This album does indeed show a band running with a newly discovered sense of freedom.

While not as flawed and over-ambitious as London Undersound or Human, the feeling persists that this is an artist who would benefit from calling a halt to all the grand projects for a while and going back to basics.

Gracious Tide, Take Me Home is a frequently stunning and achingly earnest debut effort whose sugary gossamer moments find themselves perfectly underlined with a bitterly sad aesthetic, but it would definitely benefit from the rougher edges that the band bring to their live show.

An uncomplicated and perfectly pleasant record, swirling with some instantly intoxicating '60s inspired pop numbers, Lights Out finds itself running at the same, ultimately tedious pace for 12 songs.

The concept is realised for the most part, and while some more variety in the 'musical memories' might have been nice (along with a little more length), there's not much to knock in a cracking example of that rare phenomenon--listenable concept art.

Some may describe this album as too raucous and little more than a racket, but it's a glorious racket.

Whilst Obscurities has its moments, it mostly only offers tiny hints of Merritt's real genius.

New Blood has its moments, but it's hardly an essential purchase.

It may put people off who were more attracted to Adams' more tortured side, but Ashes & Fire makes for a compelling reboot for a man who could, once more, become a contender.

Monkeytown is definitely an intriguing and thoughtful project, and improves with each listen.

Despite Yorke's much-parodied manic dancing in the Lotus Flower music video, the album's cold soul does not lend itself to a carefree, fun-loving dance floor, and as such, the mutations herein are tentative, fragile things built on the backs of their producers, and limited, for the most part, in their relationship to their source material.

Aided by conductor and arranger John Wilson, who coaxes a first-rate performance from the London Classical Orchestra, Ocean's Kingdom is an accomplished if unremarkable foray into an unfamiliar medium by the ex-Fab Four polymath.

This album shows him to still be in thrall to the possibilities of composition and unafraid of tackling the bigger issues it can so powerfully address.

Whilst the musical content here is unlikely to shock or surprise Bjork's loyal admirers, it sees her continue to pursue her own radical and individual path with unshakeable conviction.

Shin Joong Hyun has long been a cornerstone figure in South Korea's rock 'n' roll history, and Light In The Attic have done a commendable job in helping cement his place in the wider scope of rock 'n' roll the world over.

Fast forward to 2011, and third album Looping State Of Mind is a markedly more complex development of his sound.

4everevolution is a multi-faceted, varied album that will not please all the people all of the time.

Boots Electric rarely comes off as transcendent, only really succeeding with prior knowledge of Jesse Hughes' image.

Sadly, Do It In The AM is formulaic, conveyor-belt pop music with no discernable feeling or soul to it.

With this debut it is clear that O'Halloran and Wiltzie have prosperously joined neutralist ambient and 20th century classical music together. In so doing they've formed aesthetically pleasing sounds which can allure every night-time audience.

This record is laced with intention and ambition, as well as a hunger and fire that keep it together, just.

It is a work that will continue to surprise and delight over time. It is all about the small details.

It's clear that Trans Love Energies has been a long time in the making, but Fearless has managed to make it sound like a fresh piece of work.

At 14 songs and over 70 minutes long, it's certainly not for the faint hearted or easily distracted. Yet for those who are willing to put the effort in, some of Amos' most beautiful work will be found within.

While a good half of the album demonstrates a genuine songwriting nous, other elements hint at a mere rehashing of old Suede ideas. More's the pity, as the opening three tracks alone are worth the price of admission.

While it contains a few filler songs, this is a fun album to listen to, bursting with irrepressible energy.

It's certainly not a bad album, and pleasing enough while it plays, but it has no standout moment that demands further listening.