III is not a record that makes too many demands on the listener’s attention: its instrumentation is calm, unintrusive and balearic, and the songs tend towards a slow evolution rather than a formal structure per se.

All in all, The Hidden Cameras are typical of the avant garde, slightly off-kilter art rock we've come to expect from Canada, not a million miles away from what's being offered by fellow countrymen The Decemberists or Broken Social Scene.

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

An album that merits--and rewards--repeated listening, this is further evidence of a band not simply in it for the short haul. Certainly no one-trick ponies, it will be interesting, exciting even, to see where Abe Vigoda take their music next.

Every one of these songs is blessed with that special something that the band impress on their songs.

It's a second album that builds on the success of the debut, expanding the sound without losing any of what made Jamie T so interesting in the first place.

This can't help but feel like a very good EP nestled within a merely good LP. But, if The Hundred In The Hands are to produce an unqualified success next time round, they needn't do anything drastically different.

As Is Now sees Weller revisiting various points of his varied career and updating them. So there's the brittle guitar pop of Come On/Let's Go which recalls The Jam, the pastoral, laid back vibe of Wild Wood in All On A Misty Morning and even the ghost of the Style Council is resurrected in Bring Back The Funk.

It does not do anything new or especially exciting, but what it does do it does very well indeed.

On Hymnal, Benoît Pioulard has succeeded in creating something rich and rewarding.

The more abrasive elements of Please mean that, on the first couple of plays, it might pinch and pull like a new pair of shoes. But, give it a fair hearing, and eventually Lerche’s resplendent melodies will shine through and something akin to a mild obsession might gradually take hold.

Disjointed maybe, obtuse certainly, but listening to this album is continuously rewarding, new images, new storylines, and new moments of disbelief at Darnielle's lyricism on every listen.

It would be a shame if S.C.U.M cannot escape from the oppressive prison that preconceptions have built, because Again Into Eyes is worthy than a better fate than that. Honestly. It's well worth a try.

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.

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

In her quest to make her own brand of gimmick free progressive pop, Santigold has made an album that, for all its faults, intermittently works. And when it does hit the mark it does so exceedingly well.

For the most part, it is an assured collection of songs that exudes the confidence of an artist at the peak of her powers.

More than anything else, there's a sense of contentment and pleasure that purveys the Things Of The Past that could have been lifted from the Summer of Love itself.

Victory Shorts is the perfect addition to their oeuvre, building on 2006's Schmotime with the same irreverence and deep-seated emotion that turns a good record into a great one.

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.

The demos here may be cheaply recorded and lacking in sound quality but there is nothing lacking in the quality of the songs, which are seen in a new and very welcome light.

Invisible Enemy // Crescent Moon is a brave attempt from its creator to change direction, but ultimately KT Tunstall’s limitations are laid bare on a record that meanders pleasantly without ever leaving a lasting impression.

If one yearns for bigger and better things from Goldheart Assembly, it’s only because Long Distance Song Effects suggests they really do have the potential for greatness.

The use of the light, nimble calabash instead of drums helps craft a subtle, hypnotic sound that eschews the rock dynamics recently incorporated by the likes of Tinariwen or Tamikrest. This approach creates music that is somehow simultaneously vibrant and contemplative.

Certainly, some people will find Aventine a bit hard to take – at first listen, it sounds so pleasant it just washes over, and it’s only on repeated plays that its dark mysteries reveal itself.

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.

Confetti is a dependable album with recipe staples, but to keep future interest piqued, something new is now required in the mix.

What is clear is that the band’s songwriting will never be short of heft, with the potential to rouse a festival crowd. The Alchemist’s Euphoria will definitely do that, especially the primal, chest-bared early examples – and so for now the band look set to begin chapter two of their story with a show of strength.