Big Wows is highly polished and lacks the intimacy and fragility that made Into Their Diamond Sun such a compelling listen. The pay-off is a more distant but fascinating record that charts their evolution as a band.

It's fun while it lasts, but it's easily forgotten once over.

Although unlikely to ever achieve anything anywhere near their most clear points of reference, they have created a decent debut that may be the springboard to considerably greater success, should Dimou not suffer from cold feet once again.

It's not quite the tour de force they seem to be capable of.

It may never be regarded as his best work, but for certain fans at certain points in their lives, it’s all they need to hear.

G I R L may not be breaking many new boundaries, but it’s guaranteed to keep Williams in ludicrously large hats for some time to come.

Given the impact of All Our Ends, that may be intentional - but it means the album is best experienced as a whole rather than in snippets. Then it can fully reveal its power.

Boys And Diamonds is a madcap trek around the postmodern musical landscape of a world on the brink of catastrophe.

It may not make the strongest impact initially, but repeated listens reveal more in the way of deep thought and renewed optimism for tomorrow.

There are enough highlights here that make this a very enjoyable, if unvaried, record.

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.

With Images Rolling he has made an intriguing and, at times, inventive step up from his previous work.

Only the slightly lightweight nonsensical The Ram-A-Lama-Ding-Dong Song fails to land (thankfully, Zimmerman’s opening request of “does anyone have a kazoo” is met with a negative) but otherwise this will serve as a fine introduction to Zimmerman’s music.

At some points, you listen and think 'my God, this is actually better than The Strokes'.

The amount of painstaking effort that’s evident on Anything In Return suggests that he’s in this for the duration.

So the debut album is done, and it’s a good one.

Whilst it is certainly unlikely that Key To The Kuffs will do much to alter prevailing opinion towards his work, the record will serve as a worthy addition to Dumile's increasingly fascinating discography.

If LL was aiming to re-establish himself as a living legend in the rap scene, THE FORCE accomplishes this in spades as he sounds as fired up as ever. All he needs is a bit more polish.

If nothing on Everything Was Beautiful feels truly essential to anyone with the Spiritualized back catalogue, it’s also a glowing example of their aesthetic.

Ozanne has stayed true to his roots and is peddling a gloriously emotional torrent of untamed electronica, soul-pop and darkwave. It’s both uplifting and tormented, both grandiose and intimate.

It’s not some big reinvention, more like an expansion. And honestly? It’s better to have it than not. It could have done with a couple more rockers, though. And some guitar solos.

With Apple A. G. Cook shows plenty of potential, but ultimately more consistency is needed with his songwriting if he is to really make his mark.

Despite its promising start, the album sags in the middle with Harcourt indulging, not for the first time, his love of Tom Waits.

Christopher comes across as so eager to please that parts of the album lack vim where it’s needed, despite the luxuriant polish that’s been spread across all 10 songs.

A thoughtful debut on which art is sorrow, sorrow is art and Eastern influences are incorporated deftly. Most of the time.

Venus In The Zinnia is an engaging duet with Welsh musician and kindred spirit H. Hawkline. A lot of the other songs may be less immediate but still have their strengths.

The double album is a difficult thing to pull off, but considering the anticipation before the release of Biffy Clyro’s sixth LP, the trio have done a fine job.

After the crossroads moment that was Present Tense, Boy King is undoubtedly a powerful statement of intent from a talented, ambitious group of musicians clearly keen to explore new and bold territory. Yet by making this call, they have also sacrificed some of the crucial nuances that made Wild Beasts stand out from their peers in the first place.