There's a confidence obvious throughout that suggests Sparro will build on what is a strutting debut, even if at the moment he's a big voice with too many small songs to sing.

Overall though, this is another wondrous album from a band at the height of their considerable powers.

This is what could be termed a healthy dose of parent-friendly hip hop, though now and again it threatens to spoil its reputation as it comes close to one of those dreadful ‘friend chip' adverts.

Sure it's self-indulgent, but sometimes indulgence is no bad thing, and that is certainly the case here.

Lookout Sea paradoxically Silver Jews' most complex and most accessible work to date. Better yet, it improves with each listen, as more and more nuances and links are revealed.

While this doesn't quite hit the heady heights of "A Rush Of Blood To The Heads," it's a huge improvement on the beiger than beige "X&Y," and if their next album (apparently featuring a Kylie Minogue duet!) continues this trajectory, we could have something pretty special on our hands.

Where it hits the mark, One Of The Boys is sparky and accomplished--though entirely disposable--pop.

In contrast to the potty-mouthed numbers that precede it, the song's ['Heartbeats'] starry-eyed optimism is contagious and solidifies Tilly & the Wall's status as an indie band with dance-floor aspirations.

Richly melodic and beautifully performed, A Piece Of What You Need deserves to be a big commercial hit.

The confidence of a band that took over a year to record the album is notable, and theirs is an assured voice.

It may not be particuarly original or challenging, but there's enough positive signs here to bode extremely well for the future. The sound of 2008? And beyond, we'd imagine.

There are certainly highlights but not enough good songs to give the album a big impact overall.

So Tim Burgess still has attitude, the kind we saw on One To Another but one that doesn't surface all that often in Charlatans songs.

Yet by the time the final notes of the acoustic closer I Wish I Were Here have faded away, then you're more than convinced that this is yet another triumph for the Wainwright family.

Evil Urges represents the creative peak of a band that has shown glimpses of greatness in the past and will hopefully continue to evolve in the future.

If Alanis lacks breadth in terms of her subject matter, and she does, she makes up for it in the rich variety of styles that have influenced each track.

They've produced a solid second album that is sure to succeed for them as long as they can maintain a good level of exposure.

Joan Wasser has shown herself to be an assured torch singer and original artist. To Survive is a challenge at times, but ultimately rewarding.

No new ground broken. No glo-stick/daft haircut stabs at credibility. Some old haunts revisited. Shameless? Perhaps. Anyone else doing a similar musical pot pourri to such goofed-out, quality chill? No. as the good Dr described it, this is simply a follow-on from their biggest album UFOrb, which was a timeless classic.

In short, the album is great but you do wish these bands could learn to dress better.

Exotic Creatures of the Deep is a substantial, if inconsistent treat. Even when they're treading water Sparks still cut it better than most bands half their age.

Even the moments when Harcourt just falls short are infinitely more interesting than most people's failures.

Snark aside, it's a shame that aside from a couple of notable exceptions, the album title is just about right.

While this probably won't go down as Adem's greatest work (he's too talented a songwriter in his own right for that to happen), it makes for a nice curio.

It is, amazingly, surprisingly, spectacularly, their best record yet.

The softness of Helen Marnie's voice against the rocky, stark landscape of Velocifero gives Ladytron its edge (something that doesn't work as well with the two tracks sung by Miro Aroyo in her Bulgarian tongue), but overall, it's never really enough.

The Red Album brings forward everything they do best, with hooks aplenty, emotive and funny lyrics, all washed down with the odd frisson of self doubt. It's a potent mix, and keeps them a step ahead once again.

A stunning debut then, and one that will make Fleet Foxes one of the most sought after bands of the year.