Fans of Joan Wasser's previous releases Real Life and To Survive will find plenty to fall in love with on this third album.

At times, it is a little overwhelming over the 17 tracks, but there are plenty of beautiful moments here, the sort of moments which continue to propel BOC well ahead of many of their IDM contemporaries.

It’s a rich, rewarding record, which should see Laura Burhenn and The Mynabirds progress to the next level of established American songwriters.

If you're a fan of Burnett's sound or just plain curious you'll find this a welcome project that does exactly what it sets out to do.

An epic album, one that is occasionally repetitive but never less than one eye on the future, one eye on the road and the third eye gazing in awe at the heavens.

An album of gorgeous, lush songs.

Souls Alike is what Bonnie Raitt does best - superb bluesy rock, with Raitt on top form, both vocals-wise and on her beloved slide guitar.

It’s an album that needs to be immersed in fully, and played loud, preferably on headphones to appreciate its many depths. Some may also find the relentless discordance a bit too intense to fully concentrate on. But for those unafraid to dive in, Mandy, Indiana’s second album is an exhilarating, almighty jab to the senses.

Consistently melodic, it’s packed full of hooks and almost suspiciously on-trend.

So, an unexpected turn from our commentator on urban squalor with this dreamlike, abstract paean to Mother Nature and the great outdoors.

By now, you know what you’re getting with Tunng – this may be an album with few surprises, but it’s one that seems to greet you like an old friend.

This is a ‘supergroup’ refreshingly free of ego and filled with supremely listenable songs.

Fans of grunge, hard rock, and various types of metal will find a lot to like about these songs. Ladyfinger (ne) blend elements carefully and in such a way as to avoid kitsch.

He’s lived it long and hard, and with this album Bradley continues to lay out all the goodness and badness of life and love, with soul to spare.

Falling Down a Mountain: enough classic Tindersticks to keep die-hard fans more than happy; and enough new stuff to everyone else think twice about relegating them to the cabaret circuit.

Slow Club have always reinvented themselves with each album, and this is another example of the talent of one of this country’s best kept musical secrets.

So the album sees Interpol trying some new things, leaning on some preconceptions and loosening some of the ties which have previously bound. And it makes Marauder an extremely rewarding listen.

For a debut album, this is remarkable stuff and hints at even better things to come.

Gelb has produced his most focused work in ages.

To describe it as the best Strokes-related work since 2003’s Room On Fire might be damning it with faint praise: better to say simply that this is one of the year’s most easily-overlooked gems.

His major label debut good kid m.A.A.d city solidifies his burgeoning reputation and stands out as a landmark contemporary hip-hop album.

When you hear the body of work in these sessions, and witness at first hand the musical creativity and bond between them, it only leaves you wanting to hear more.

They appear to have hit the ground running, and have kickstarted their year delivering a cocksure record which welcomes repeated listens.

The Power Of Rocks is a deceptively calm affair, so feel free to roll up your jeans and wade in. Just brace yourself for how crisp and punchy you might find it initially, because it takes a while to get acclimatised. But once you are, you’ll want to dive down to its murkiest depths.

10 Futures may sound like a collection of individual tracks on the surface, but the more you listen the more it all begins to make sense.

Overall though, it’s the sense of place that gives Earthstar Mountain its considerable charm. Some may find the pace a bit too languid at times, but if you want to be transported to the Catskills Mountains for a time, this is the perfect soundtrack to do so to.

The past is somehow devoured, processed and regurgitated to form a completely refreshing and new substance; this is heavenly stuff that marks a departure from the modern sound.

If you relish a challenge, and like music to brace you as much as entertain you, then this should fit the bill. Like no-one else very much, but very much herself, it is one woman's raw, open and compelling testament.