With a little more focus and a natural approach, he could find himself a unique voice that sits outside of the styles he is trying to embrace.

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.

His dedication certainly pays off, Friends & Family grabs ears almost immediately--but as his tropes wear down, it can't help but feel a little hollow.

Little Dragon clearly weren't broken, so they haven't tried to fix themselves; they have instead filed their art into an incisive point, and with Ritual Union stand at the top of their trade. This is far more than instantly-forgotten ad fodder.

Unfortunately, as the album progresses into its latter half, attention wanes.

As it turns out, music of surprising intricacy and beauty lies within these canvases, but you'd be well advised to consult your musical doctor before opening up fully to them.

It is at times a little too simplistic, and you have to be in the right mood to accept songs about cakes, capybara and economic meltdown. However, when the world starts to look too serious, spending your free time in the day-glo world of Shonen Knife can only lift the spirits.

Konkylie is a vibrant, often intense, mix of house and pop, infused, wonderfully, with both a spiritual glow and a dark clubland soul.

The curious would do best to avoid, and die-hard Robbins fans better advised to watch one of his multitude of films.

y may want that you are always happy, but, while there's much for the listener to enjoy here, they will need to be more concise to achieve their obvious potential.

There may come a time when Crystal Antlers' potential coalesces into a great album, and will be greeted with true accolades, rather than a better-luck-next-time send off--unfortunately for us all, Two-Way Mirror is still pre-natal.

A brave experiment then, and more than likely a fabulous live experience too, but ultimately more of a novelty for the curious than an essential purchase.

Until they're discovered by a big primetime television programme--and that day will surely come--those who know can rest assured that Buffalo is another strong entry in their impressive catalogue.

It's an overheard confessional, or an electronic diary entry from a very sad masked man, and an artistically impressive and musically satisfying one at that.

Gardens & Villa, though, is an album that casts light on its creators' vices as much as their virtues, and, for all the honesty that implies, remains a drawn-out suggestion that the band ought one day to generate a long player more worthy of their principles. Still, not bad for a first go.

They've succeeded in making an album that does well to second-guess its listener, whilst never disowning the sound that first brought Greene to the foreground. "Chillwave" might be dead and buried, but Washed Out has only just set foot in the water.

With its often complex textures and patterns, much of The Secret could represent a challenging listen for those unfamiliar with music of this genre. Yet it's unquestionably a triumph; building impressively on Vieux Farka Toure's promising work to date and making good on its creator's promise to "dig deep into the secrets of my own history and my country's culture in order to move the music forward. "

Of its kind, Bakesale is a classic, and well worth reappraising.

Skying feels like a watershed of sorts for the band, because if they now want to be seen as more than creators of masterful records, the whole package will need to reflect that brilliance and artistry.

Best listened to in silence on a home stereo with cinematic projection; this is a remarkable achievement from Johannsson, and a welcome change from the string-drenched sound that has become ubiquitous in modern film scores.

Ultimately, this is a nice, pleasant debut album which will make the perfect accompaniment to a fair few summer barbecues this year, but which may not be listened to much once the grey skies and dark nights of October are upon us.

For those with open minds and without unfair expectations of artists, it will be another fascinating addition to a long and exceptional career.

Hawk flits between moods with such frequency as to both delight and confound an audience split between enjoyment of his variety and desperation for Hawk to repeat the feat of the LP's finest moments.

The moments that do shine are thoroughly warm; warm in a natural, pretention-dropping way, which seems to be where they're aiming. If The Donkeys can recreate that feeling a few more times they might be wonderful. For now they're merely salvageable.

This is an album which bears repeated listening, and which deserves to become more than just a summer soundtrack; but rather one of those releases that can be revisited again and again, with each listen revealing new details and delights.

Future Heart is the album's standout moment because it represents a rare moment of cathartic release, the band finally letting their brooding rhythm swell into something nearly anthemic. Young Widows do it well, but a little less restraint would do them one better.

It's that subtle interplay between humour and sadness that makes for meaningful, lasting music, and VanGaalen walks the line with the best of them.

Rare Bird Alert is every bit as good as its predecessor, and it's a delight to hear Martin and his band on form.