It’s not the sort of album you can ever relax while listening to, as you’re not entirely sure what’s coming next at any given point. It’s an album full of invention and creativity that never rests on its laurels – maybe not one for everybody, but those who delve into Shook will find so much to explore.

Waxahatchee’s second album is one to immerse yourself in, to lose yourself in and generally marvel at the raw emotion that’s so beautifully expressed.

Like Something Is, Coles Corner or Run For Me may have done in the past, Hollow Meadows is yet another impossibly accomplished record from one of our national treasures.

Easily HIM's most accessible album to date.

More bare structurally, musically and emotionally than its predecessor, yet by the same token, fuller and more alive, it is an amazing work that showcases a phenomenal talent and a unique voice.

Compared to the admittedly prodigious vocals of Duffy and Adele, this feels like the real deal.

The album is certainly imaginative, if not entirely coherent, and this is perhaps what makes the band a unique presence.

Iit feels like there’s so much more music and ideas for them to explore, so many other potential directions for them to head in. For now however, this remarkably mature and accomplished album will do just fine.

Her debut promised much; Freedom Of Speech sees Speech Debelle delivering on that promise.

Like many of their peers and contemporaries from Bill Callahan to Superchunk, the thrill with a new Mountain Goats record is just how similar it’ll be to your favourite thing they’ve done in the past. And this is, well, pretty close to your favourite (whatever that may be…).

At times, Spectre does feel very much like a serious album, but the tone occasionally seems inconsistent.

The resulting amalgam never seems forced or affected, and with Curt Kirkwood’s mastery of the guitar the band can skip effortlessly across styles.

It's an album that is truly surprising. It's clever enough with the homages to properly capture the spirit of the period they are referencing, but smart enough to not ever just pastiche it.

This is Vernon leaving the seclusion of the forests and, as many of the track titles suggest, moving through towns, cities and open spaces.

Despite the distinct swerve in direction, there are still numerous killer blows to be found on ...Like Clockwork.

In their own, low key, understated way, Elbow continue to beguile and impress.

Another Iron & Wine album that consolidates Beam’s reputation as a songwriter of distinction.

This is a more coherent collection of songs than their debut.

The upshot is a record freewheeling in scope which unfolds tastefully, never once losing sight of the forest for the trees.

If Young’s Archives were tiered by quality (with Homegrown and Way Down in the Rust Bucket at the top), then Oceanside Countryside is at least a B+. It’s a very enjoyable, consistent and relaxing listen that doesn’t come with any of the baggage of many of Young’s heavier releases. Just splendid.

As with many posthumous albums, Anxious is a deeply bittersweet listen – the knowledge of what might have been casts a poignant hue over the whole experience. However, as a tribute to Smith’s talent, it works beautifully: a fitting memorial to a woman who would have, no doubt, gone onto even better and brighter things.

Anyone already in love with tracks such as 'Good Arms Vs Bad Arms,' 'Backwards Walk' and 'Poke' will probably enjoy hearing these live versions, and for others this will serve as a good primer and incentive to go back and discover the original recorded versions.

These Four Walls is rousing, pop-like in its immediacy and pretty damn enjoyable.

Proclamations of his greatness may be slightly exaggerated, but Cosmogramma certainly adds to a deservedly growing reputation.

At just eight tracks, The Sister never outstays its welcome, and by the time it's finished, you're likely to want to go straight back to the start. And if this is your first introduction to Nadler, you'll want to explore her back catalogue straight away.

His dance credentials already assured, this feels like Cutler reasserting his artistry; an exercise in expressive revivalism, where myriad influences are sketched from memory; an album whose headline proposition is new, despite the ageing origins of its component parts.

By the time Making Sense Of It All’s wobbly notes dissolve into reverb it’s clear that Overflow, while not entirely justifying its runtime, is a serious work from an intriguing producer.

This is deeply satisfying and enjoyable--perfect for those who prefer their summer soundtrack to have a bit of firepower.