Remember that We Have Sound was an impressive debut, but it wasn't quite the flawless diamond of popular memory. So it is with Leisure Seizure.

It never quite matches the standard of its predecessor and ultimately it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that their sound is just a little too different and unconventional to see them rise above the status of a minor cult band.

Mostly, though, it is the unusual, the artificially-generated and the unexpected that characterise this music. Where this works best--as, indeed, it does on most of this compelling album--the band manage to corral the diverse elements together into something that is more than simply cohesive.

Bejar has relaxed his vocal delivery a little here, perhaps to better blend with the rich, shiny detail of his music.

After the divisively funky Evil Urges and Z before it (which quizzically drew comparisons to Radiohead, of all bands), Circuital feels somehow both grounded in the soil that spawned it and operatic in scope.

Hardy's undeniably a talent, and Songs Lost & Stolen is a tasteful, better than average folk record that many aficionados will enjoy, but it lacks that extra ingredient to make a lasting impact or reach a broader audience.

While it's not a classic album, Ukulele Songs is a lively and enjoyable LP that easily warms the cockles.

This is Vernon leaving the seclusion of the forests and, as many of the track titles suggest, moving through towns, cities and open spaces.

For those unwilling to ride his digital wave of collapse and partial reconstruction, Farmer's mythological re-enactments will seem essential.

Since Gelb started working mainly as a solo artist, these collaborations have arguably been his strongest, most convincing works. His collaborators have provided challenging but appropriate accompaniments for his florid musings.

No embarrassing side-project, Let Them Talk turns out to showcase heartfelt and sensitively handled musicianship from one of our finest all-round entertainers.

For all the humming and picking, the songs feel too similar to each other to hold interest throughout.

In writing this stunning, emotive album Sarabeth Tucek has not only dealt with her own grief, but will undeniably help others in a similar situation, a perfect way to commemorate her father.

The album's coda lacks snap--as if 13 tracks was too big an ask--and while increased cynicism lends One Thousand Pictures extra weight, it is not a catch-all. Still, here be treasure... and a little sand.

This album will bewitch with the impact of a classic and sets a benchmark to progressive singer-songwriting that doesn't compromise. Moore has created a thing of wonder.

The record is blitzing, happily ludicrous, and plenty of fun for a while, but at the core there's Gaga, singing beautifully but clouded by all the readymade pop around her.

Paddywhack is probably too unassuming and restrained to make any impression on the wider public. That's a shame, for if you can be bothered to seek it out, there are some genuinely gorgeous moments that sound like nothing else out there right now.

In trying to make himself standout as an individual, he may have gone too far on his album GOB and scared off any potential mainstream listeners with his far-out style.

While it's unlikely that Neptune will have quite the sort of chart success Adele's 21 has enjoyed, it's a fine example of Eliza Carthy's huge talent.

In the end, then, it's as if Austra are old hands; Feel It Break could be them overcoming difficult second album syndrome with aplomb. Goodness only knows where they can go from here; such peaks represented the end of the road for The Organ.

his is a very heavy listen but with enough subtle dynamic changes to keep it interesting and fresh and proof that there is still plenty of life left in a genre that will, at some point or another, burst into life.

Still, for all its buzz and energy, Women's Studies does feel frantic and maybe even a little cluttered, as if Murderbot has felt compelled to insert a passing reference to every genre of music he has ever appreciated.

Those who have managed to adjust to the attention deficit techniques of FlyLo or Prefuse 73 should have little problem in embracing Lynn's new approach, particularly as it appears to have resulted in one of the best albums of the year so far.

On the remainder of Time Travel, Alessi's Ark sounds like she can achieve mainstream success purely on her own terms.

[Cellist Alexandra Lawn's] expressive and engaging vocal contribution on You And I Know--along with its woozy, waltzy rhythms and shoegazey guitars--make this the only truly memorable song to be found on this otherwise disappointingly, frustratingly ephemeral collection.

W is the work of a restlessly experimental yet surprisingly accessible maverick at the top of her game, and may well herald the breakthrough to a wider audience that its creator richly deserves.

Colour Of The Trap may not spring any surprises but it's easy to get caught up in Kane's beguiling web of '60s sound.

By introducing the concept of rap as therapy through expansive, rambling tracks (that are admittedly a bit too trying on the patience to be played repeatedly), Tyler has certainly set himself apart from the endless sea of new young rappers.