One can't escape the feeling that, for a writer and performer of Banhart's undoubted talents, this album sees him rather treading water, and failing to match the originality of his persona with correspondingly original or engaging material.

This record is recommendable to the happy, the loved-up, the chemically-stimulated and the drowsy. If you’re one of these, Awake could be the record of your summer.

The heart-thumping energy of their first records is not in evidence, and Given To The Wild feels like a wasted opportunity.

At best, When You See Yourself is the finest collection Kings Of Leon have put out since their peak years, and at worst a collection of good tunes to listen to this spring and never hear again. That’s a win-win, no matter how you look at it.

It’s a good solid album, but far from essential when it comes to Justice.

Here, we've got an album that kind of sums up Yorn's journey; this scruffy batch of songs is as exciting as anything Yorn's done in the last decade.

As singles, most of these songs would fly off of the shelves, but taken as a whole album it can get a bit tiring.

Ultimately, Haines has once again succeeded in producing a surreal, engaging and magnificently wry collection of songs that provide a satisfying conclusion to his concept trilogy.

Ultimately, Creation does not add anything drastically different to The Pierces’ back catalogue. At its best, the pair’s fifth LP familiarises us once again with their pitch-perfect harmonies and tightly constructed, polished melodies.

It's a deserved retrospective, and serves a reminder of how, in the mid 1990s, the band had album buyers eating out of the palms of their hands.

Compelling to some, maddening to others, it should be said that at least Gray's voice is tuneful.

Soulful, sexy and captivating, Mind Of Mine hints at the flexibility, focus and character required of the brightest solo stars.

There’s an edge to these performances that couldn’t have come from a more rehearsed band. Slightly fudged lyrics, instruments not turned on, and a palpable sense excitement give every single one of these songs a sense of electricity and vibrancy.

Unshowy, slowly revealing its pleasures, this is subtle, and clever, but rather too downplayed for its own good.

This record probably won’t change the world in the manner that Van Gogh’s art did, but fans of quiet, unfussy acoustic music will find much to enjoy.

Flesh And Machine is a record made with an abundance of indulgence; a collection of sounds that requires cynicism--and hopes for instant gratification--to be checked at the door.

They manage to create a hefty mass of synth'n'guitar led sound, while remaining friendly and accessible.

In the unlikely event you needed any more demonstration of the woman's talent, this is it.

That they can create such a heavy sound with just two people is nothing short of genius.

Far from being a band at a crossroads, as might have been implicated around the release of "Funf," they reaffirm themselves here as one of our unsung independent music gems.

A heady amalgam of Ibiza chill-out anthems and Carnival bangers, with poignant choruses and repeated minor chords, ACR Loco is a stomping reminder to celebrate the eccentric pleasures of life in multicultural cities and the liberating night life they offer.

With Lex Hives they not only add further credence to their reputation, they also spit in the respective faces of their many lesser contemporaries.

Sure, they may have lost their vulnerability, but School Of Seven Bells suit their new found assurance, and in doing so win our hearts for a second time.

With songs that face the pain and torment of neurotic fears, John & Jehn have crafted an absolutely stunning album of beautiful and noisy sounds placed atop slow, steady tempos and invigorating dance beats alike.

There are some excellent tracks on the album but all in all this is a serious disappointment from a band of whom much more was expected.

Witty and blessed with deftness Citizens! may well be, but we're still a bit bilious from our musical diet during the noughties to thoroughly appreciate it.

There have been some excellent debut albums out this year already, and Love In Arms stands comparison with them.

On the whole, Momentum is a solid slice of radio friendly pop-rock, and sadly, it’s truly deserving of that particular set of epithets.