Though it has become something of a tired old format in much incidental music for the moving image, Greenwood shows how the string orchestra remains a descriptive force in the right hands.

In among these sporadic highlights, however, are numerous slices of tossed-off nonsense.

There’s more than sentimentality to these songs; they resonate at a more fundamental level.

Although each track sounds different, there's an admirable flow across the whole album.

As ever with Amos’ more recent albums, it’s a bit overlong and some songs, especially in the album’s mid-section, float by without ever making much of an impression. ... Yet when Tori is on form, she still sounds as vital and exciting as she did 25 years ago.

Unsound is a smile-inducing slab of post-punk awesome.

In both being muscular and sparkly, they have made a brilliant album that makes being in a band sound like the most fun thing in the world.

Ultimately Into The Lime is a fun, if rather unexciting album.

It’s difficult to find much at all wrong with Hooton Tennis Club’s first long player. In fact, it’s ace.

This is a beautiful album, a lovely complement to the best of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra and a strong statement on the part of the new generation, reaching greater emotional depths and expanding the structures impressively. The penguin isn’t out of its comfort zone after all.

Encores is a clear illustration of Nils Frahm’s ability to work both in small and large structures, with plaintive piano nuggets and broad electronic canvases enjoying their proximity.

Dreamers Are Waiting is a very welcome return for a band who have been away for far too long.

He’s going for a darker sound, one which explores different themes than he is used to, but some of the resonance is negated by a reliance on grandiosity. Some judicious editing and pruning might have been preferable.

Complex yet accessible, and best experienced when fully immersed in it. It’s possibly Braids’ best record since their debut Native Speaker – a record that reveals more delights the more times you listen to it.

The acid test for an album such as this is to play it on a grey day and see if it can still work its magic. Begone Dull Care certainly does that, and is all the more remarkable for doing so with only eight tracks to draw on.

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.

This is the most professional, mature, clean-sounding hit of saccharine pop the band have ever delivered, and it’s certainly their best album since Day & Age.

It is a hugely exciting album that forges new ground for its maker to stride forth over.

It would seem that Destroyer Of The Void is an album that manages to both impress initially and continue to reveal virtues well into repeat spins; a trick that ensures the satisfaction of all manner of listeners, and one that reflects Blitzen Trapper's growing reputation as something of a must-hear.

You'd have to say that III is a good Crystal Castles album. But given that II was a great Crystal Castles album, the trend isn't going the way that you'd hope.

No matter how classy, considered or stylish the album is, it’s nothing more than a curio, designed for those fans that hang on her every word.

Two Suns is a dense, intricate album that features at least six brilliant songs, two of which are pure pop gems.

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming may have its flaws, but minor niggles aside it is a testament to the fine songwriting skill of Gonzalez.

Lost Girls is hardly uncharted territory, yet Khan manages to embolden it with her canny narrative, some truly beautiful sonic touches and her trademark gorgeous harmonies.

Much like their debut, it'll take a few listens to be pulled towards Myth Takes by the force operates at its core.

Choice Of Weapon sees The Cult back to doing what they do best, which is producing slightly dark and remarkably catchy rock 'n' roll.

Shriek is a powerful reminder of how refreshing and affecting bands can be if they have the confidence, self-awareness and ambition to look beyond their usual horizons.

Ultimately, Inter only solidifies Obsidian as an album with independent parts that are quite inspired on their own but only form a seemingly infinitely confused whole.