He has made five albums, at least three of which are very fine indeed. But concern was growing that he might have peaked creatively. Bleeds refutes that notion emphatically, within a minute of the start.

Ultimately, the whole album is a triumph of collaboration and should be seen as a celebration of the artistic vision of Rob Marshall. There’s not a misstep on a single track, and there’s a depth here that rewards repeated listens.

Created by two genuine outsiders and made with a refreshing lack of irony, Album is a welcome addition to the very best albums of 2009.

Surely nothing tastes as delicious as this music feels.

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

One of his best albums and deserves better, confirming Damien Jurado to be an artist operating at the peak of his powers.

While existing fans are catered to generously, the band have brought their sound on in leaps and bounds; an achievement that is testament to Mount's evolving songwriting prowess. They don't come much better than this.

On first listen, it seems unfocused, rambling and at times impenetrable, but given time, it unfurls into something utterly compelling and all encompassing. ... It’s a difficult and traumatic journey at times, but it is worth taking.

Slow Focus is unmistakably Fuck Buttons, the logical continuation of the music produced by a duo who never strive to do something expected.

Something wonderful and terrible has happened in the world of Shabazz Palaces, and there’s no choice but to join the wild ride.

Pop Levi is an oddball, an eccentric in the finest English tradition and a man who evokes the effortless, timeless cool of many and varied heroes of modern music's life and times.

Shifting perspectives and clever juxtapositions are all over this album, Middleton and Shrigley have created an album that on the face of it appears to be simple, but there’s untold depth here, as well as some endlessly creative swearing.

Héloïse Letissier’s synth-driven record is a more subtle, catch-you-unaware affair.

Without boundaries but with form, experimental and noisy but always totally listenable, III is one hell of a record. Psychedelic, maybe. Fantastic, most definitely.

The National have pulled off a neat trick here - an immediate, commercial album that grows with each listen. While High Violet is patently as good as its antecedents, it is also very much its own beast.

Átta is an album which demands to be listened to in its entirety, a 56 minute journey which ebbs and flows magnificently. It’s exactly what you’d expect from Sigur Rós, with a few surprises thrown in, and without doubt one of the more welcome comeback stories of the year.

Sunbather is an emotionally overwhelming but truly absorbing listen. But best of all, it’s cleansing.

Body Talk shows just how easily she can churn out hits more frequently than labels can process production teams.

This is an album that demands attention. An album that is experiential--at once lo-fi and richly textured--where the listener is a fly on the wall, mesmerised by minor-chord introspections that come in waves – some lap gently; others overwhelm.

They’re constantly trying to better themselves, and provide their listeners with new ways of looking at old feelings. As Long As You Are is an endlessly rewarding listen, and it’s certainly worth the wait.

Its aching honesty and immaculate balance prevents About Farewell from being just another break-up record, as Diane presents something to us lyrically raw but unafraid to sport obviously produced yet sentimentally appropriate musical flourishes, from strings to harmonizing female choruses, when the time comes.

May is a professional, measured and refined debut--and a near-perfect record.

Tthe Icelandic trio has now adopted darker musical stylings to create a record that’s every bit as transcendental as their best work.

Unlike other overhyped albums that have achieved similar fame, Making Mirrors is the real deal.

Welch is often unfairly accused of being too bombastic, but on Everybody Scream she channels that energy into something truly epic.

Anyone interested in music of whatever form, the work of any of the contributors who are present here, film scores, or Tiersen’s early work specifically, will surely find Portrait to be quite the perfect picture.

A collection that contains no weak links, no fillers, no afterthoughts and almost no mistakes.

We knew Sky Larkin had potential. It’s been more than followed up on with Motto, surely one of the best albums of the year.