It’s when the pop sheen is dropped and they head in a twitchy, darker direction that Hurts are at their most effective.

This collection of songs have no problems with originality (redundancy isn't an issue) but it never escapes its aged disposition.

The voyage is not a wholly successful one, due in part to its short length which makes it more lengthy EP than full length album, but there's also an occasional lack of musical focus.

For all the wait and weight of expectation, and despite some qualified successes, ultimately The Soul Of All Natural Things proves to havde too big a shadow to fill. Yet hiding within it is a charming mini-album by a sweet lost voice, one that’s ready to be found again.

Despite its promise then, Folk Songs is one of those albums that fails to live up to the sum of its parts. However, despite its faults, it is still an admirable stab and worth checking out for anyone keen on a back-to-basics approach to folk.

What you do get with Dr Dee is a fleetingly beautiful record that is baffling and bewitching in equal measure, and one that should inspire people to see the accompanying opera as it tours this summer.

Everything seems to hang together in its own peculiar way, to deliver an overall experience that’s unfailingly interesting, although perhaps ultimately lacking the truly special, standout ingredients needed to elevate Webb’s solo work to the kind of rarefied levels he helped Talk Talk achieve.

Ventriloquizzing is a real night time album, and should be enjoyed as such--just don't expect an abundance of melodic pop hooks and you'll return for repeat prescriptions.

What can be said for Alberta Cross's debut LP is that it does what it does very well, and the good and great of songwriting deserve recognition regardless of how conventionally they reach their goals.

Rateliff works best exploiting the depth and range of his voice against a spacious backdrop that doesn’t have to be downtempo to be dull.

This is something you're either going to like or really hate.

Yet while this is good mood music, like a lot of soundtrack material it requires the element inspiring it--the visuals.

Whilst the songwriting skills are still being honed, Soft Friday represents a solid step for a promising duo.

Ward is one of this genre's best: playful, diverse, and endearing, he has the crucial thing needed to make it work: charm.

Optimisme is more Garageland than Graceland in its approach.

Island Of Noise is set to be a sustainable release, with some intoxicating visual art, thoughtfully sourced and sensitively delivered. This attention to detail runs through the pores of the music, giving the repeat listener something new to discover with each visit but, like the peacock butterfly, making a strong first impression too.

Set It Off is the work of a talented rapper with an interesting taste in production. Offset just needs a bit more consistency to stick the landing.

There’s no doubting that The Ridge is a good album, but sometimes the supporting players don’t quite compliment Neufeld’s compositions as well as they might.

And They Turned... is at times confusing, frightening, and strangely beautiful.

While Those Dancing Days may struggle to last in the easy come, easy go world of indie pop, let alone stand out amidst the current glut of Swedish imports cluttering our shelves, In Our Space Hero Suits proves they deserve their five minutes of fame.

It may not be there with their best work, and it might be seen by some as a bit of a stopgap, but there are still times on Thrashing Thru The Passion that The Hold Steady can effortlessly remind us that they remain the ‘best bar band in the world’.

This Is… Icona Pop is a worthwhile listen because it doesn’t dumb down. It’s not trying to enlighten, either.

It feels great to have them back with us, and their forthcoming live shows promise to be awesome, vital affairs. But it remains to be seen how many moments from Hug Of Thunder will make their way onto people’s Ultimate Broken Social Scene playlists in coming years. The thing with songs for now is that they’re not always songs for tomorrow.

No weirder-than-thou fragments and rejected material here, though: this is a seven-track collection that holds a general, accessible appeal for fans of all things sunfried and fuzzed-out.

The tunes here are good enough to warrant repeated listens and when the album hits its stride, it's got a couple of proper anthems. It's not trying to be anything particularly clever or innovative--and it's fair to hope for some sort of evolution for a second album--but the trade off is a satisfying one.

The noisy production doesn’t fall into the trappings of obfuscation, and with more adventures in the world, Dub Thompson should iron out the flaws of their debut into a more conceptually realised sound.

It is clean, polished rock with a vaguely punk edge that stays within a clear set of boundaries but in doing so manages to appeal to indie-kids and metal-lovers alike.

The middle of the album is weaker, with Cupola Smelt Mill’s coda being far more interesting than the rest of the track and Slack Sley & Temple’s arrangement so bare that it starts to feel like a mind-numbing endurance test.