This album is, however, a huge amount of irreverent fun, and provided you approach it with that in mind, you'll get plenty of enjoyment out of it, especially when turned up loud at a party.

At times, you may yearn for a bit more colour and energy, but if you wish to take a 38 minute relaxing break from the hectic rush of the world, Silence could be just the record you’re looking for.

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.

Dying is a fine debut that suggests Spectres have a lot more to offer.

Ultimately The Century Of Self won't trouble the charts and Trail Of Dead's status as a cult act will be assured. But there's enough here to keep their small group of followers very happy indeed.

It’s by no means flawless, with tracks such as Going Nowhere and There She Is too earnest for their own good, while his political comments are not hugely controversial – which is hardly surprising considering he was burned for his views on socialism back in 2012. Despite this, however, the record is refreshingly honest and delivers a timeless message with passion and plenty of anthemic hooks.

Running For The Drum has a lot to offer, and is sure to stand out as one of 2009's more rewarding oddities.

The big success of The Melodic Blue is in its versatility, proving that while Keem is most known for a somewhat goofy style, he can also emote authentically and cater to different moods.

So, while you couldn't call this effort beige, it is still clear to see that it is lacking the necessary punch to make it a classic.

Harvey’s talent on Four is to mix impressive arrangements with obtuse lyrics yet still add something to the debate on a well worn topic.

This whole album holds together in a way that their debut didn't. It's a bold step forward that commands respect and suggests that they may have some longevity.

There is also swagger to it all that suggests Holub and Led Bib are still, on their fifth album, trying to prove themselves. A little more space would have made for a more fully satisfying listening experience.

Spector readily admit they haven’t created a classic with Moth Boys, and are only aiming to create a ‘good’ album. And that’s exactly what they’ve achieved; it’s a step up from Enjoy It While It Lasts but it hints at so much more to come.

You can’t help but feel that See Through You is also an evolution – for all the right reasons. “Crazy-noise-rock” is at its core, but with some interesting curveballs peeking through the onslaught, perhaps the band are approaching their greatest adventure yet.

The band’s second coming arrives with some added grit, mostly to the guitar and bass sounds, with more distortion in evidence than previously, even if it stops well short of out and out rock. Present once again are their appealing syncopated rhythms and riffs, above which the slight husk of Jack Steadman’s lead vocal offers shots of warmth and positivity.

The tracks continue to balance deep, droning synths and fuzzy percussion with Marling’s folkish phrasing and occasional, vaulting shifts in pitch, to not much effect.

Sometimes their creativity leads them astray into territory that should best be kept in the art room, but otherwise Axes is a delicious listen.

While At Best Cuckold is an album of entertaining truth and teenage legitimacy, and while its sprightly sound and pleasant air create a funny kind of optimism, it does not offer material that will sustain itself over time.

For all Fagen's obsession with precision, this still feels like a remarkably relaxed, quietly confident album--sleek, urbane and sophisticated.

This might not be the album that everyone wanted from Lorde, but it’s a solid, dreamy effort that deserves exploration. There’s plenty here worthy of attention if you can focus for long enough.

Spokes have certainly left a little room for improvement. It must be a good omen though, to produce something good and suggest at something great.

It’s a pastel water coloured effort that’s like The Byrds with less shimmering jangle, The Beatles with less melodious catchiness, The Velvet Underground with less fuzz and Lou Reed drawl: but it works.

It would appear that every step he takes is another step in the right direction; his is a remarkable talent worthy of wider recognition.

The overall feeling is of a Drake record weirded out to its absolute extreme.

If there is a critique to be made it is that the bass is sometimes a bit muddy, as the production can contain bass notes that clash with the lower notes of Lattimore’s harp. This is not an overwhelming flaw, however, as the mix is on the whole clear and pristine, and as the final piano and harp notes fade out at the end of On The Day You Saw The Dead Whale the lasting effect is one of calm contentment.

Admittedly there are a few misses (Changing All Those Changes for example), and it is sometimes a little too languid, but generally Peyroux’s homage to a masterful musician finds the right tones.

Portico have certainly succeeded in reinventing themselves, and they sound like a completely different band to Portico Quartet. The flipside of this is less positive: with their synth textures and post-dubstep influences, they don’t sound all that different from much of the pop music being made at the moment.

Hibbert’s voice certainly sounds older, perhaps even a little weaker, but it still has a communicative power that sometimes allows it to sit at the forefront of the music.