WU LYF are a band to celebrate, a DIY tour de force, and their first album deserves a place of reverence in the modern indie-rock canon.

At times doubts can surface as to whether it can fully work but against not inconsiderable odds he ultimately manages to pull it off, delivering on the whole an impressively irregular album of Latin-inflected laptop folk.

It's to Diplo and Switch's enormous credit that the style is fully authentic, the party in full swing the whole way through.

Jurado is still ultimately concerned with tales of transience and woe, but he and Swift temper Saint Bartlett with such rich benevolence--from the generous, autumnal arrangements to its thoughtful, crafted lyrics--it is impossible not to be heartened by the whole affair.

Seven years after their first release, they've gone from being That Band Who Did The Kate Bush Cover to a genre of their very own, with a thousand identikit wannabes, and The Chaos is the cherry on top of their spiky, raucous, post punk cake.

Even when they're singing about a relatively maudlin subject, the group sound positive and energetic, their brand of pop given a healthy, summery twist.

Water On Mars is a very impressive rock LP that easily takes Polizze and Purling Hiss to another level and bears comparison to the best of the nation’s numerous indie rock luminaries.

Sigrid has delivered a suite of tracks that explore a theme without becoming tiresome, with slick songwriting and polished production to help the message hit home.

Tomboy once again sees Lennox creating a distinctive, hypnotic sound-world - but it sometimes feels too much like a world from which there is a strong desire to escape.

For a first solo work, Serpentine Prison is an excellent sidestep from Berninger’s vitally important and highly respected day job.

Frankly, Say Yes To Love is absolutely stunning--a blistering mission statement from a band with undoubtable promise and inextinguishable fire.

Last Place is anachronistically introverted, and its tech references don’t quite make sense in the context of 2017. If it’s understood as a more human album then it works, but it is held back a little by the vestiges of the earlier, broken down and burnt out, Grandaddy.

Overall, Postcards finds Manic Street Preachers at the top of their game, even 22 years after their first single. It's not for everyone--though pop radio will undoubtedly spin several of these tracks hourly for the foreseeable future--but longtime Manics fans will likely find plenty to love in this polished, grandiose "last attempt at mass communication" from an enigmatic rock 'n' roll institution.

Its gentleness is affecting and transporting and the whole album is carefully constructed and beautifully performed. It is also brilliantly sequenced--a work that very much needs to be digested as a whole.

Shelter has plenty of moments of understated genius, and it’s fun to watch a producer find what works for him or her as their game just begins.

This album is a pleasing, mature release, though a little more freakout wouldn’t have gone amiss.

His invention for beats and riffs is remarkably fertile throughout, and he applies careful and often striking shading.

Holding the eclectic mix together is Tabor's characteristic raw yet tender voice, which carries the weight of the world while looking out from a rugged and brutal shore across a bleak, grey but ultimately beautiful ocean.

He's well able to marry insightful lyrics and memorable melody to a genre not always associated with such qualities.

For him, music is all about expression and collaboration. On The Visitor, he has crystallised those principles into a richly beguiling and inventive work that crosses musical boundaries effortlessly.

It is perhaps the most immediate and musically diverse album they’ve recorded.

If anyone was intrigued but underwhelmed by Chairlift's debut then they will find much to be impressed with on a second album that is focused, coherent and, more importantly, absolutely chock full of excellent pop songs.

Elly Jackson firmly takes control of her career and delivers a tremendously confident second album, one that repositions La Roux and has a whole lot of fun while doing so.

It may put people off who were more attracted to Adams' more tortured side, but Ashes & Fire makes for a compelling reboot for a man who could, once more, become a contender.

That he has bared his soul without revealing his identity is perhaps the hallmark of the modern singer-songwriter, but don't expect him to remain hidden for too long. With emotions this strong, the mask is bound to slip some time.

They're making music for people who love dance music, which makes them part of their own audience. If you fit the demographic, you'll feel right at home.

Jens sticks to what he knows, combining his spry guitar playing and razor sharp pop sensibility.

Yes, Heaton’s Rolls Royce analogy is a good and accurate one. The engine purrs again.