Miraculously, the whole thing hangs together perfectly, each song complementing the last and what should be a mess of disparate influences, becomes a cohesive whole.

Amongst the other songs of Spring Tides it only serves to pull you further under the hypnotic spell of Jeniferever.

Morrissey's non-album material has traditionally been impeccable, but Swords is not complete in terms of extra material from the past decade. Nevertheless, taken only as a somehwat arbitrary collection of songs, Swords still excels.

This is a collection of solid, excellently-produced and sporadically brilliant alternative songs, and nothing more.

Overall, this is a fine debut album that does exactly what it says on the tin. While they won't win any points for innovation, Two Door Cinema Club are going to find their way into a lot of people's hearts during 2010.

Shadow Temple is a very interesting album. But it's also very demanding. It's as if you need a doctorate in Brooklyn Hipster Music Studies to fully appreciate the band's ingenuity. Several tracks amble on interminably, and often they're so dramatic as to add up to a collection of music that feels more like a film score than an album.

What elevates this album beyond the simply cerebral is the simultaneous pop sensibility that pervades through it.

Paddywhack is probably too unassuming and restrained to make any impression on the wider public. That's a shame, for if you can be bothered to seek it out, there are some genuinely gorgeous moments that sound like nothing else out there right now.

Hawk flits between moods with such frequency as to both delight and confound an audience split between enjoyment of his variety and desperation for Hawk to repeat the feat of the LP's finest moments.

An evocative album of considerable depth that beautifully completes the triangle.

There is something beautifully moving and enchanting about NZCA/LINES' music, and his debut album is a wonderfully assured and measured collection of forward thinking electronic pop.

The Pines ably achieves what it sets out to do, but somehow you're left pining for that little bit more.

There is still a huge amount of enjoyment to gain from Boys Noize and that overrides some of the consistency issues.

The album is certainly imaginative, if not entirely coherent, and this is perhaps what makes the band a unique presence.

It’s a strong start to the record, which becomes even stronger when Wandering Eye is taken into consideration.

In sum, A DFA artist such as Gus doesn’t have to be dancey to be catchy, but he has to offer something to which one can willingly return. In that aspect, Gus succeeds a few times, but he still has a way to go.

The album, then, is a bit of a mixed bag but does enough to deliver on its mission statement.

None The Wiser is a highly enjoyable, infectious piece of upbeat indie rock that will surely see the band scale new heights.

Gibb continues his experimental combinations of genres and sounds while ambitiously weaving them into an album with a story about growing up, resulting in something flawed yet consistently captivating.

Occasionally there are moments of insignificance amongst the rocking gems and although these fall short of the band’s best tracks here, the contrast is another element that will likely add longevity to the album as a whole.

Darlings is a record that feels simultaneously cerebral and carnal--and things don’t get much sexier than that.

Malachai have made some good listening choice even if this has not translated into a wholly successful listening experience.

Those seeking a new fix of good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll from the ‘70s need look no further, as Howlin Rain provide an ample return of sorts to that era.

What King Of The Mountains manages to achieve isn’t particularly new but there’s a fair amount of admirable craft going on that doesn’t come across as too robotic or synthetic. But it feels too safe, and lacks cohesion and structure.

It’s a glorious anthology of affective, brutally precise top notch electronic pop.

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.

The whole album is a new frontier for Necro Deathmort, and it’s one worth exploring with them.

Unfortunately, overall the record is unable to match the consistency of its predecessor. That the trio started work on Friends without a label is certainly telling, as the overriding impression is one of a band in transition.