The album sees a succession of warm, hushed acoustic guitar textures provide an accommodating bed in which Nadler's flawless vocals can rest. The hazy sound and crepuscular feel to parts of the album recall fellow vocalist Hope Sandoval, or occasionally a more fragile and more gothic Cat Power.

Narratively cohesive and relatable, it is in celebration of where he comes from that ultimately makes Last Man Dancing the essential, repeatable work that it is.

If you've any common sense, plot a listen soon.

They've succeeded in making an album that does well to second-guess its listener, whilst never disowning the sound that first brought Greene to the foreground. "Chillwave" might be dead and buried, but Washed Out has only just set foot in the water.

Glutton For Punishment is nothing if not cathartic. Thankfully, Orme’s quite phenomenal songwriting means that she has somehow made the pains of life sound like something that we should embrace and celebrate.

Oozing fun out of every pore, this record is the perfect tonic to the increasingly troubled times that 2009 brings with it and will most likely feature on many of those Best Of lists come December.

While The Terror feels at first glance like an exercise in noise and disintegration, repeated listens reveal it to be a dark, challenging, and ultimately rewarding work of genius. It may be their best yet.

Faithfull’s warm gravelly tone imparts a real fullness to each one. Sonorous and calmly delivered, it’s indeed a surprising joy to let the words wrap around you. A large part of that gratification comes from Ellis’s charismatic score. Unobtrusive to the point of almost being fictional, piano keys are soothingly caressed with the slightest of touch, violins tremble thriftlessly and the watercoloured melodies all but turn to vapour.

You could make a fair case for it not even being as good as Funeral – but my oh my, it's close.

Psychic 9-5 Club is a rare, gentle masterpiece, and to paraphrase Kurt Cobain, this album definitely won’t let you forget your ex-girlfriend.

Brothers & Sisters sees him build on these long established musical interests but, importantly, also add new elements to the mix to deliver a compelling listen. It comes out of the blocks impressively quickly, with each track building on the former to create a formidable initial run. ... In terms of musical statements it’s hard not to see it as his most vivid and vibrant to date.

With Dawn FM The Weeknd has demonstrated a vision that the vast majority of his peers would be incapable of, and has executed it with finesse and a slippery, enigmatic charm.

The Penguin Cafe’s conviction that it will be fine before eleven is clear in this album. Its sunny musical disposition, vibrant rhythms and eloquent melodies make it their best since Arthur Jeffes revived the name.

It’s not an easy listen and will send hipsters scurrying for their bobble hats and fake specs, but this is the sound of a band pushing themselves, challenging their audience and making something to be proud of.

This record is fun, it’s exuberant, and it’s diverse--and yet nothing sounds unnatural or feels crowbarred in.

To come back after over two decades and casually produce an album that sounds like it could have been made in the band’s heyday is quite some achievement.

Even if you don’t buy the concept though, that hardly matters – this is a startling record that, even at its considerable length, never collapses under the weight of its own ambition. It also serves to formally introduce Lava La Rue as one of the country’s most foremost talents.

This is an astonishing work, one that highlights Kanaan’s remarkable worldview, that you’ll unconsciously find yourself gravitating back to, time and time again.

Jon Hopkins has created something rather impressive, a work of symphonic dimensions that is compelling from first drone to last – and which achieves his stated aim of taking the listener on a journey. In this case the journey is akin to a voyage through space and time, creating a special musical experience.

The Something Rain sounds like a band in their prime, switching between styles effortlessly and enjoying a new lease of life.

The guitar sounds throughout Salad Days are pristine, the lyrics sublime and the vocals... the Lennon-isms are often befuddling but they can only be applauded.

While it stands apart, this is an evolution that will please both Wild Beasts' early adopters and the many converts that will surely follow from what is, without doubt, one of the stand out releases of the year.

What really makes The Invisible Invasion excellent, better even than that oft-feted debut, is what they achieve when they go a little bit crazy.

It's a cleverly and thoughtfully composed album, bereft of filler and loaded with style and substance.

With simple, delicate moments of memorable poignancy such as Banjo or Amen, he has now made a late masterpiece.

Ultimately, there is no getting away from the fact that WMABMT is a remarkable album. In fact, it is hard to think of anything else quite like it.

Fallon's understanding of the redemptive power of music elevates American Slang from being a good record to a great one.

I Forget Where We Were is an album to grow into rather than one of instant satisfaction, one that blossoms upon every subsequent listen, one to clutch close to your heart and cherish forever.