Neither John nor Carlile overshadow the other – when one’s on lead, the other is always ready to back up with some harmonies. They really do work extraordinarily well together. As you would expect, the sound is very much middle of the road. .... It also means there’s a warm familiarity to many of the songs.

Pressure Machine is a decent attempt at a concept album of sorts. Some mountainous peaks would take it to the next level; without them it feels as though it could soon, somewhat disappointingly, disappear.

An album with bangers like Drag [Crashed] is easily redeemed, however, and I’ve Seen A Way winds up being the most exciting debut in recent times, recommended for fans of the electronic and the industrial.

An album that takes a lot of creative swings – some of which don’t always connect, but is never less than entertaining. It acts as the perfect shake-up of Haim’s formula – still comfortably familiar, but one hinting at an intriguing new direction.

Mental Wounds Not Healing is a good launch point for those eager to discover both The Body and Uniform. It’s also one of those rare collaborative efforts that perfectly combines the aesthetics of everyone involved.

The simple truth is, you won't find a sadder yet more uplifting album all year.

Anderson has wrapped all these songs up in a beautifully warm, enveloping sound.

Fantasy Island is arguably the peak of their output to date, which is a strong statement to make about a band who are well into their third decade.

It is an intoxicating mix, adding another striking feather to the bow of Richard Fearless.

Thanks in no small part to the significant contribution of Homme, the shirtless rocker has created his best work since his early Bowie collaborations.

Girlpool’s debut may not be without fault, but that is ultimately what makes it such a charming little record.

Pop music needed saving and in Lily Allen we've found just the woman to do it.

A '60s psychedelic, experimental hippie-folk throwback, an invocation of lost, childish innocence delicately constructed with a deft musical touch.

Those people who want authentic, genuine soul will find much to love in His Hands.

This lack of ego lends a refreshing air to an album which is self-assured, charismatic and quite simply brilliant.

Overall, since their formation in 1997, The Dillinger Escape Plan have seamlessly fused math metal with aspects of pop and jazz, a trend that wholeheartedly continues on One Of Us Is The Killer.

Hellfire is a superb and strangely seductive album that adds another gem to the crown of a band who are fast becoming one of the very best of their era. Mystifying, terrifying, essential listening.

When Pearl Jam shocked the world with Ten and Vs, there would have been few that believed the band were capable of an album such as Backspacer--an ostensibly traditional rock album that, at times, feels contented and at others strays close to emotional equity. The shock this time is that they nearly pull it off.

In Ghost Colours finds the band brimming with confidence, delivering their catchy choruses and synthesizer hooks with a conviction that's difficult to resist, staying true throughout to a groove that fits in with early house music.

The Land Of Hell is always interesting and always moving in many directions at once. Of the artists who can pull off that kind of randomness, Ono remains pre-eminent.

A record unlike anything else you will hear this year.

What’s left is something truly fresh, barely recognisable, a shuddering, bending feast of sound.

Home is a groovy, infectious and deeply listenable record, recommended for all fans of repetitive electronic beats.

The upshot is a record freewheeling in scope which unfolds tastefully, never once losing sight of the forest for the trees.

Last Summer pulls off the impressive feat of being luxuriantly listenable while retaining Friedberger's avant-garde roots.

Metallic Life Review is one of their finest achievements, an elemental album that never loses touch with its human origins.

Most of the songs have plenty to give in these spheres, so for fans this can be viewed as a qualified success, if never quite approaching previous highs.

This is an album which bears repeated listening, and which deserves to become more than just a summer soundtrack; but rather one of those releases that can be revisited again and again, with each listen revealing new details and delights.