Captivating in all its eccentricities, evocative and groovy in equal measure, with this album Augé well and truly proves himself as an artist in his own right.

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.

Even if the strut is more tentative and the recollections come with a twinge of regret, Cause I Sez So is certainly one for the ages.

It all confirms Believer to be a suite of disaggregated, miniature sonic tapestries from a pair of young Scandinavian polymaths that delivers a welcome reminder of music’s endless capacity to surprise and delight.

On the remainder of Time Travel, Alessi's Ark sounds like she can achieve mainstream success purely on her own terms.

Just as the early promise of the album looks to be coming unwound, closing track Pictures Of A Bird finds the band in fine form.

Solo projects can be very hit and miss affairs, but Here In The Deep is an evocative and at times quite wonderful set, with some gloriously summery melodies: far more than just an album written to fill some time.

Disc 2 is a largely inessential collection of insipid dance remixes and the Massive Attack tracks. Disc 1 is a succinct summation of Thorn’s doleful, soulful voice and writing career that gives balm and bathos to those on the sidelines that, through their bruisings, let the brasher, flasher and more empty briefly succeed, but through doing so endure and become stronger in themselves.

Banane Bleue is a contrast of blissful pop music and highly contemplative soundscapes, juxtaposing our ideal version of living and a difficult outer reality. This record captures the essence of ‘the blue banana’, a place too vast to navigate and too complex to fully understand.

W is the work of a restlessly experimental yet surprisingly accessible maverick at the top of her game, and may well herald the breakthrough to a wider audience that its creator richly deserves.

Yet despite the lyrics providing more comical punchlines than your average Adam Sandler film, the lack of variation means Funs Cool comes up just short of being a great début.

Ably coaxed on and assembled by Ward--whose input ought not to be overlooked--Volume Two is an outstanding collection of tracks worthy of any discerning listener's undivided attention.

Despite these occasional moments of divergence and experimentation, fans will be pleased to hear that the album is still peppered with quintessential Field Music bangers.

The rousing music shows The Black Keys have plenty of rock’n’roll fire left in their bellies. ‘Let’s Rock’ certainly proves the electricity’s still there.

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.

Sub Verses may be genre hopping, but it’s not a particularly challenging listen as compared to its predecessors, albums that were both challenging and fun.

The success of such tracks generally rides on the melody, and here Bell X1 get two out of three pretty right.

Föllakzoid carry forward both traditions in their own uncompromising way, and with III they deliver their most polished album to date, and their most coherent statement of how they relate to their forebears.

For all the colour and flair apparent on Crazy Itch Radio, and despite some genuine gems... a reliance on production and arrangement where some more killer tunes would have worked more memorably is, perhaps, an indication that the Jaxx have, down the years, simply set the bar high.

Rolling Blackouts' essential problem is that The Go! Team has not found one meaningful way to evolve their sound past their critical-darling debut.

There are times on Texis that not only do some tracks remind you of previous records, but of previous tracks on the very same album. It’s formulaic, but, as the phrase goes, if it’s not broke, don’t try to fix it. There’s little evidence that Sleigh Bells will need fixing anytime soon.

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.

There’s something almost mathematical and architectural about Brooks’ guitar aggregations but these qualities are conveyed humbly and unobtrusively throughout.

Bleak and broody music has never been quite so thrilling.

Beach Fossils is the sound of life being enjoyed for the simpler things and getting over the rest. It makes for a languidly pleasing bout of escapism at the very least.

When it works, The Skull Defekts are an unstoppable force, but every so often, they get a little aimless.

Whilst the prettiness in Tunng’s music can often be deceiving, it can also become a little oppressive after a while. The sound world can feel a little too bright and cute.

Unfortunately, as the album progresses into its latter half, attention wanes.