There’s plenty to enjoy in Uptown Special, even if there are some tracks that end up sounding insubstantial and a bit unsatisfying. If you’re looking for a party album, there are songs on here that will sound fresh for the rest of the year and beyond.

It says much for Felice's talent that in only briefly showing his scars he can still make a commendable album.

These are songs recorded tens, if not hundreds, of times before, and are by no means definitive versions, but in the attempt to capture something of the historical importance of the railroad, Shine A Light’s songs tell their own story; one which will prove excellent company on any similar expeditions, whether across the plains or the 08.16 to Euston.

This is a solid record from a talented producer who is well worth keeping an eye on.

LCD Soundsystem's many fans will want this principally for the bonus tracks but will probably already have the rest of 45:33.

This might not be the album that sees them break through, but it is a fine body of work from a pair of musicians embracing the thing they love most.

While it is ever-so-slightly patchy, it would be unkind to suggest that Wild Peace is anything other than an impressive debut.

Shelter has plenty of moments of understated genius, and it’s fun to watch a producer find what works for him or her as their game just begins.

Aviary is not a great album--it’s too much of an ordeal for that accolade, requiring multiple listens to even start to engage with meaningfully. But it is, in its own idiosyncratic way, a towering artistic accomplishment. Just be prepared for a hard slog scaling the summit.

It’s an album that wanders a lot, but every now and again can hold you spellbound, much like Hersh has been doing her entire career.

He certainly manages to squeeze a lot of words in to this mercilessly concise album. Sometimes the results are touching, sometimes they are perplexing.

There are a couple of songs that feel a bit like half-sketched filler, means that Williamson’s fourth album may not come across many people’s radar. Yet for those who do chance upon it, there’s much to enjoy.

This record is recommendable to the happy, the loved-up, the chemically-stimulated and the drowsy. If you’re one of these, Awake could be the record of your summer.

It may not be the liveliest 35 minutes of the year, yet it’s filled with memorable imagery and some heartbreaking songs. For anyone who’s never heard any of Marissa Nadler’s work before, For My Crimes makes for an excellent starting point.

It’s undoubtedly a confounding and unorthodox piece of work, but its artistic integrity and single-mindedness still manages to ensure PJ Harvey somehow comes out of it with her reputation enhanced.

Exorcised of the dud tracks, Unbroken is a streamlined pure-pop winner, but ultimately it cannot measure up to Lovato's contemporaries.

Flood may not have quite the impact that her debut did, but it ably demonstrates why she’ll be around for many years to come.

While some of the studio tricks are a little too familiar, the band is clearly re-invigorated and, unlike like the last fractured Garbage offering, the result is a cohesive collection of sharp, aggressive songs.

There is no pandering here, with Springsteen and the trusty E Street Band rocking and rolling with free abandon and sounding like they thoroughly enjoyed every single moment recording the album.

Throughout the album's remaining 13 tracks, the experience is not unlike watching a flower bloom in time-lapse; this one's about Keys stepping away from safety, and the whole thing benefits beautifully from her sense of daring.

The record is blitzing, happily ludicrous, and plenty of fun for a while, but at the core there's Gaga, singing beautifully but clouded by all the readymade pop around her.

Yet despite its flaws, this is still an impressively confident debut from a band that sound far older than their years.

This is a talent to watch, The Return laying down an impressive statement of intent, a marker of Sampa The Great’s potential. This will surely grow with subsequent releases, and it is exciting to think of where she could go next.

For all its challenges and provocations, Garden Of Delete may actually be more inclusive and open than it first appears. It might be that its moments of hope and beauty (Lift) linger longer in the mind than its very varied assaults.

The Sword still know how to write killer riffs. That said, they've changed tack a little this time around mainly thanks to the polished production of Matt Bayles (previous clients include Isis and Mastodon).

Empty lyrics are all part of the game when it comes to creating pop music--and Lady GaGa looks to have hit the jackpot here with her blend of sassy attitude, metallic beats and sharp, incisive songwriting.

Swoon, then, is a mixed listening experience, with the solemnity and over-seriousness of the general tone and the occasionally grating nature of that voice being more or less mitigated by some lovely melodies and first-rate guitar riffs.

Angus & Julia Stone have succeeded in sounding like a lo-fi Australian indie version of late ’70s Fleetwood Mac, and although this record is no Rumours it is without doubt the Sydney siblings’ best effort yet.

The main discernible difference immediately noticeable is the increased tempo and prominent, thundering rhythm section alongside racing guitars.

There's a distance to their music, as if they're floating away on the horizon, just out of reach. It's worth savouring them that way.

The term ‘easy listening’ is a little taboo these days, often replaced with the more benign label ‘ambient’, but these ditties represent the former in every meaningful sense.

There is nothing of great surprise here, which while reassuring to fans does also lead to the criticism that McVie and Buckingham are just that bit too predictable through the course of an album. There is however no lack of emotional input to songs like Feel About You.

If it's feel good, throwaway pop music you're after, you'd be well advised to leave your inhibitions at the door and join them.

The combination of Lewis and Rodriguez-Lopez seems promising, albeit one that could use a few tweaks and a tad less self-indulgence on the conceptual front.

This fanzine-ish dedication to the music they love spills over into the record, making it ooze with warmth and wit--and it’s catchy as hell.

On balance, Ultraviolence is ok, tending towards pretty good. However, there is a nagging wonderment over exactly where Del Rey goes from here.

It sags in places, but this isn’t such a crime when the album also contains highlights like Electricity, Horses, Modafinil Blues and Bunny’s Dream, which are highly recommended for any electronic music fan.

Some of the tracks, especially towards the end, don’t have quite the immediacy of the earlier songs. .... That’s a minor quibble though – at its best, The Good Kind is proof positive that The Big Moon have actually had two excellent songwriters in their ranks for some time.

A curious mix of musique concrète, poetry and Ranaldo’s longstanding metier, avant-rock. The near-absence of guitars means that there is a sparseness to some of the tracks, but the prominent percussion, combined with samples and effects, makes for an industrial feel on many songs

The numbers which populate Costello Music are a darn sight better than Carl Barat and Pete Doherty's solo exploits.

It's taken a while to get here, but Ultraviolet finally introduces a fresh talent who may not have too much to say just yet, but what's going on in the background goes some way to making up for such deficiencies.

In summary, Drones is utterly bonkers and silly. And yet, it’s for the most part enjoyable.

A heady amalgam of Ibiza chill-out anthems and Carnival bangers, with poignant choruses and repeated minor chords, ACR Loco is a stomping reminder to celebrate the eccentric pleasures of life in multicultural cities and the liberating night life they offer.

It seems to capture their essence better than its predecessors. Whilst the effect is rather eclectic, covering several of their bases, and with its existence being a little surprising after recent years’ events that pointed to their departure as a collective, it’s a welcome return.

This Thing We Call Love aims for groovy but ends up sounding like Kaytranada’s leftovers, while Great Americans is too kooky for its own good, but on the whole we have a vibrant, energetic album with generous helpings of soul, funk and technical skill.

At times, the music is so rousing and glorious that it’s easy to just not care about the fact that they’re heading down a well-worn path. Needham and Violet have conjured up a heavily melodic album that is as surprisingly well thought out as it is satisfyingly loud.

It’s an album that screams out for an editor, but when it hits the right notes, it demonstrates just why Taylor Swift is one of the biggest pop stars in the world.

Whilst the linguistic half of Sleaford Mods is developing in two very different directions, Andrew Fearn has turned in his most musically satisfying set of tracks to date.

Like their fellow musical experimentalists Black Country, New Road, Personal Trainer may not always hit the mark, but even their failures are more interesting than 95% of their contemporaries.

There is nothing on this record that is going to convert the previously disinterested. But although Ounsworth is still yet to return to the high watermark of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s first record, he has produced his most affecting work since then.

Alexander is a thoroughly enjoyable LP, but one that comes across as ever-so-slightly lightweight.

With their eclectic cocktail of rock, pop, blues, jazz, soul, funk and traditional African music, these grandparents can still knock out an irresistible groove to match the best, but perhaps they need to be reminded that they should do it alone a little more often.

Although unlikely to have any individual impact on CBC’s all-time song chart, it’s yet another consistently good all-round album out of Canada.

At just eight tracks and a 30 minute running time, it does feel a bit slight at times. Yet that’s a minor quibble: much of Pinball Wanderer shows just what Bell can produce when he’s given a rare spotlight.

Essentially, there’s enough good stuff here to suggest Pixx--cool, intelligent, subversive--remains a talent worth watching. And you can’t learn that anywhere.

Overall, it adds up to form an accomplished album that manages to be both outward-looking while also proud of its heritage.

Whilst nothing on The Light Of You is quite as sumptuous or ornate as the best moments on Deserter’s Songs, it does demonstrate that Mercury Rev are a band still able to engage the senses.

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.

This music is less underplayed than a confident expression of mid-life experience.

This is another instalment of quietly intriguing music, ornate and intricate, but also organic and alive. It’s good to inhabit her world once again.

Overall, while II is a success, it’s just not quite the great record it should have been.

It’s simply another good collection of melancholic indie-rock – and sometimes, that comfort in familiarity is just what you need.

While Wild Crush is by no means perfect, it does feel like a fresh start for the band and there is a clear sense of direction from start to finish.

Until they're discovered by a big primetime television programme--and that day will surely come--those who know can rest assured that Buffalo is another strong entry in their impressive catalogue.

Reeling is undoubtedly a solid step on a road to a successful career, and one that will find this band honing in on both its desired path as well as strengths that will become clearer as time goes by.

At the end of this quite exhausting album, it is hard to ascertain whether anything has been resolved. However, if this is what Krug needs to move on, then Julia With Blue Jeans On is a testament to the healing power of creativity.

Underneath The Rainbow is more of an assault on the ears than anything else, although that’s mostly in a good way, as the band never lose sight of the style that first brought them success.

When Pearl Jam shocked the world with Ten and Vs, there would have been few that believed the band were capable of an album such as Backspacer--an ostensibly traditional rock album that, at times, feels contented and at others strays close to emotional equity. The shock this time is that they nearly pull it off.

There’s little time to get bored, and there’s a distinct feeling that too much of this would be overkill. But for half an hour, it’s perfect. It may have had a painful journey with hellish events at every turn but Moveys is, for the most part, heavenly.

Generally, there’s a rather cosy feel to Elastic Days--you can imagine the gorgeous stroll of the title track keeping you company through the long winter months, and although some may bemoan the lack of variety on display through the album, it’s hard to deny that it makes for a very pleasant 41 minutes.

Toro Y Moi puts intelligence and inventiveness into a youthful music genre dumbing itself down at an unduly early stage.

Nobody is trying to do anything too contemporary here, and the slight remove these musicians bring to creating contemporary Ross music means we often get a pastiche of her earlier material. It’s effective, but the danger is that it veers tantalisingly close to sounding like an ironic tribute. And so, the album perhaps fares best in its simplest, and most sincerely constructed moments.

There probably won’t be too much on Gravity Stairs to attract any new fans to Crowded House, but after 40 years that’s probably the last thing they’re bothered about. Their heyday in the ’90s may be behind them, but this is a welcome reminder that the Finn family are still going strong.

Although there’s some filler on Endless Summer Vacation – Wildcard and the rather flat closing piano ballad Wonder Woman fall into this category – it probably ends up as her most consistent album to date. This is one former teen idol who’s negotiating the path to a more adult audience just fine.

Over the course of the LP... the toe-tapping comfortably outweighs the head-scratching.

Ultimately, We Were Here is another strong return from Turin Brakes, one that doesn’t stray far from their acoustic niceties, but one that also seeks out a natural progression.

Its calmness in the face of life’s trials is truly inspiring. That something so thoughtful and positive could come from such a turbulent time is someone’s life is astounding, and showcases just what a great songwriter Alain Johannes is.

With some more judicious editing, a good album could have been an outstanding one, but even so, this is still superior, well-crafted noir-pop that maintains Del Rey’s impressive career to date.

Not giving a little more is a problem that hangs over the end of the album, and for some of the more rabid fans of The National it’s something that they’ll consider a problem for the entirety of Return To The Moon. There are some bright and poignant moments here though, but, like the majority of The National’s work, the depths of the album may take a while to become apparent.

Ultimately, this album will draw the attention of McCartney fans and of the artists involved, and will remain a curio for the rest. Yet it’s good to see rock’s ultimate ‘Elder Statesman’ reaching out to a younger generation and trusting them with his material. Not all of McCartney III Imagined works, but when it does it sounds genuinely exciting.

Few bands are able to translate the full spectrum of emotions into song as well as the Welsh outfit and now they have established their independence, hopefully Sick Scenes will represent the beginning of an exciting new chapter in their career.

This isn't an album that's likely to change anything, but nor does it deserve to just pass by unnoticed.

It's that subtle interplay between humour and sadness that makes for meaningful, lasting music, and VanGaalen walks the line with the best of them.

While Love Remains proved a hard listen because of its liberal use of distorted effects, Total Loss is tough going because of the emotional intensity of its content.

Whilst How I Knew Her is lacking a little in inventiveness at times, and some of its oddities will rub up people the wrong way but there are still plenty of great moments scattered throughout to make it worth your attention.

It is much stronger than their previous disappointing album The Weirdness (2007), and at times even recalls their creative heyday in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

The simple fact about Death Grips is they will divide audiences. Some will take to their hardcore pandering. Others will scuttle back to their FM radio stations.

Some may write it off as one-paced (and they’d have a point), but there are moments of heartache and beauty here that will be hard to touch in 2016.

Future Heart is the album's standout moment because it represents a rare moment of cathartic release, the band finally letting their brooding rhythm swell into something nearly anthemic. Young Widows do it well, but a little less restraint would do them one better.

In the streaming age many records are front-loaded to cater to short attention spans, so Tranquilizer deserves kudos for placing two of its most interesting tracks at the end.

Let's Get Out Of This Country delivers ten perfect pop tunes.

There’s some filler – If You Only Knew and Window come across as a bit anonymous compared to the more ferocious tracks such as the title track or the almost feral-sounding Spit Shine. Yet, for the most part, Your Favorite Toy sounds like a band with a renewed sense of purpose, and one that is ready to use the pain of the last few years as an inspiration.

Nothing groundbreaking there, you might think, but it is all done with a down to earth approach that is at once appealing.

Whilst it might not always be a pleasurable listen, there's something visceral and exciting about this music.

As it’s a debut, she’s still developing her sound, but all indications are that this is a start of a long and successful journey for Nia Archives.

If you ignore the obvious filler and give it time to wash over, Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under is an enjoyable set of songs that will linger long in the memory.

There’s no big anthem like Landed, and sometimes you do yearn to hear Folds properly hammering his piano like in his early solo days or during his time with Ben Folds Five.

The end result is highly accomplished, viscerally honest and at times hypnotically beautiful, even if it ultimately doesn’t quite live up to its creator’s ambition.