The more you listen to this record, the more it falls into place and traps you under its spell.

A compilation of soundtrack pieces shouldn't work on paper, but these evocative tracks stand up well after being separated from their original context.

It's far more fun, however, to sit back and appreciate the album as the dawning of a new, unique voice which, through its influences (both obvious and not-so), is blending styles and carving a niche in to the increasingly crowded canon of independent and original female artists.

Option Paralysis may be considered a side-step by some, but there are so many exuberant flourishes and cleverly thought out harmonies that it's probably better to consider it a mind-boggling step over. The Dillinger Escape Plan isn't out of tricks just yet.

This is an album that requires immersion; many of the themes and motifs are barely there and need the blanks to be filled in. It is a sonic adventure, scary, exciting and otherworldly.

There’s plenty of returning to old ground, but this is not a derivative record, and neither is it a return to form. It finds Metallica rediscovering what makes them tick.

Think Belle and Sebastian or a touch of Aberfeldy and take that east over the North Sea to Sweden, adding exquisite touches of orchestration and a touch more wistfulness as you go, and you have a rough template for the sound of Loney Dear.

With its frequent emotional crescendos, then quiet dying away, Ma Fleur is more than a match for its predecessors, and will undoubtedly cement The Cinematic Orchestra’s reputation as intellectually sustaining performers of beautiful, emotive music.

La Vita Nouva is a deeply personal and cathartic album and is certainly one that requires more than one listen. Each time will lift you up into a higher state of consciousness. A dramatic and unbridled return to a new beginning.

Those familiar with Modern Studies’ previous two albums won’t find much in the way of surprises here but overall, The Weight Of The Sun is the most developed and assured they’ve sounded to date, very much falling into the ‘rewards deep listening’ category.

More than anything it's just a relief to see this rare talent back from the brink, still, as always, one step ahead of the game

As the vocals get filthier, the beats get glitchier and it still consistently exudes class.

It is no doubt a big risk leaving behind many aspects of the sound that made her name but on Interstellar, she advances her sound so expertly and compellingly that it is a risk that was well worth taking.

Their music loves to have a good time and get a sweat on, but can’t help flashing a thought or two in the direction of life outside the club. Add a healthy sense of humour and you have a tried and tested album right up there with their best work.

Overall, New Build's debut is one of subtlety and finesse.

This release was unusual for the band in that it was accompanied with the lyrics in the liner notes, however, so the words that are sung, muttered, chanted and whispered are available if needed, on this most beguiling, dream-like and ultimately just-out-of-reach release.

Keys has pitched this album as genreless and, although the sonics are manifold – reggae, R&B, funk and even country – you get the sense that Keys has her eyes more on the narrative. There is genuine hope, despair, frustration and even ambivalence. In a world more in need of a key change than ever, we need this Alicia.

Although this is undoubtedly a niche record, the sound of Smith and Unthank singing together is always a spine-tingling delight.

DSVII pulls off what it sets out to accomplish with aplomb: it is a pleasant album full of lush instrumentation and suites of sound that are gently evocative. If at times the record feels a little too safe, this feeling is punctured before long by an irresistibly cute melody or a chord sequence that resolves in just the right way, and the listener is drawn back into the pastel world that M83 create here.

A dense, intelligent and rewarding album.

Now might be a homely, undemanding listen in places but it’s also rewarding, a set of songs that will certainly appeal to long term fans but one that also deserves wider appreciation. It feels like a classic case of Nash making music for himself and if others enjoy it too, well that’s a bonus.

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.

TRST is a hell of a debut. It's also a reminder that as ubiquitous as they may become, there's plenty of life in the old synth yet.

While the album does weigh heavily on its dark themes--possibly too much so at times--The Avett Brothers have never sounded better than they do on The Carpenter.

If you've never even considered owning a Tom Jones record before, give Praise & Blame a try. It may well surprise you.

It's practically a soundtrack for pool parties, clubs, and makeshift living room dance sessions. The album knows exactly what it wants to do, and accomplishes it with grace.

While it may not hit the meteoric heights of It’s A Wonderful Life or Vivadixiesubmarine, Bird Machine does act as an emotional and evocative farewell to one of the most missed songwriters of our age.

This is an album that definitely deserves your interest, one of the best that New Weird America has thrown across the Atlantic in a long, long time.