It may not always work, but when it does, M.I.A. can still sound like the most exciting pop star on the planet.

The album, then, is a bit of a mixed bag but does enough to deliver on its mission statement.

In general, you want McCartney, the least experimental Beatle (yes, including Ringo), to stick to what he does best. And on New, he mostly obliges, making it one of his better recent efforts.

DJ Rashad indulges in his own tastes and viewpoints, ultimately creating an album’s worth of songs that are exciting on their own but exhausting and at times dull when listened to from start to finish.

There are still creases to iron out, but Antiphon marks a significant step as Midlake move on to the next phase of their career.

It’s the perfect break-up album as there’s no wallowing--rather, there’s a steely defiance running through these songs that make Tall Tall Shadow a surprisingly uplifting experience.

Thankfully, the songs are varied and powerful enough to sustain the album, and their balls-to-the-wall approach is both refreshing and entertaining.

Reflektor is not the vintage record the hype would have us believe. But it will, if nothing else, get your feet moving.

There’s the archetypical vulnerability lurking beneath each track, but their sound suggests something everyone from that mid-2000s period has (hopefully) done--matured and become more assured. With it, indie pop mk II has as well. Excellent, this.

Pain Is Beauty not only shows Wolfe’s penchant for atmosphere but for stylistic diversity.

This is a remarkable debut that fairly sizzles with confidence and attitude.

While unlikely to change anyone’s life, The Head And The Heart have produced a record that’s richly enjoyable and well performed throughout, establishing themselves as a worthy addition to their home town’s roll of honour.

There’s certainly a market for anodyne, unthreatening, middle of the road pop, and Blunt appeals to that market very successfully. Yet those who look for music to move them, be it through the feet, heart or brain, probably won’t be surprised to find that there won’t be too much to appeal to them here.

The 10 tracks that make up Arrows will wrap you up, hug you close and tell you stories before placing you back gently, where they left you.

It doesn’t quite always work, but it is a promising reinvention.

The album has been patiently developed and refined over the last few years and it shows.

While the album is unmistakably Hecker’s vision, it’s the listener’s experience.

Unfortunately, without much to grasp onto in terms of tunes, hooks or discernible lyrics CFCF can slink away into the territory of background music, albeit prettily and inoffensively.

Shulamith can still be considered a worthy addition to the band’s back catalogue, even it just doesn’t quite reach the heights of their excellent debut.

There is no doubt that Prism will do exactly what it’s been created to do (sell millions, provide the backdrop for a lucrative tour and make a lot of money for a lot of people) but it’s safe and cold where it should have been daring and involving.

Childs doesn’t always find the music industry an easy place to be, but when the end results are as likeable and appealing as those found on Situation Comedy, you hope his restless creativity never truly goes away.

Quarters is such an inventive, smartly composed album that complaining about its lack of emotional clout feels like nitpicking rather than the exposure of a serious flaw.

The ingredients might be mixed correctly, but the cake hasn’t quite risen.

His compositions are conceptual and carefully planned, but the resulting performances also have the strong sense of freedom and spontaneity that comes with the musicians’ experience in jazz.

Static isn’t a perfect album, but it contains enough promising signs of evolution to predict a long career for Cults.

Fanfare is the sort of album Jonathan Wilson was bound to make, immaculately crafted and perfectly defined.

With lyrics in the languages of Turkey, Kurdistan and Iraq all included, with the express aim of engaging listeners throughout the region, Souleyman’s mission to bring a more positive view of his country, and its thrilling musical forms, to a wider audience continues unabated.

It’s a story (almost cinematic), a journey, and far and away the greatest album they’ve done so far.