The songs in this collection serve for a timely reminder that hope and consciousness through music still contains some currency - with the added bonus that it's also a fine piece of work in its own right.

$O$ is mostly forgettable, not working as either a comedy piece or as actual, you know, music

All of this makes Metallic Spheres warm and fluffy, nowhere near as cold as its name suggests, but ultimately it's worth little more than a warm smile, bringing together the favourite comedown musician of the late '80s/early '90s with the stoners' favourite of the decade before, but not really doing anything with the opportunity.

Nevertheless anyone wishing to appreciate not simply the overwhelming skill of a drummer at the very top of his game, but also one of the cleverest, best-constructed, most arresting releases of the year, should certainly pay this album a visit.

Elton and Russell, having come together for The Union, have made an album that delivers as a confident enmeshing of their talents

New Chain is unmistakably chillwave, undeniably fashionable within the American music scene right now, but doesn't half make you yearn for a bit of sunshine.

Whilst Living Proof is very much the blues, Buddy Guy's solos give this a rawness that swells with discord, and the result feels more akin to the avant-garde guitar days of Sonic Youth and Shellac.

Pritchard is a revelation, and someone of real songwriting talent, not just a mere lucky soul who got picked up on the streets by Presley and told that she had the looks and just needed to supply the talent. This is a pop star who knows her roots and knows where they may take her.

It might not be the explosion many were hoping for, but Progress sees Take That exploring and experimenting.

The music has a thoughtful, reflective quality in spite of its brevity. Popp claims he is not an "anti-musician", and given the lush, enveloping atmosphere of much of O, his claim seems fair. He is, however, very much anti-convention.

Barn Owl are adept at handling their equipment though, and have crafted a sound world in which the effects are essentially instruments themselves. It's an impressively broad palette too--whilst this music is undoubtedly slow to unfold and demands considerable patience from the listener, it does not feel one-dimensional or short on ideas.

While it's admirable that they're supporting indie label Bright Antenna, their songs run like sold-out singles with all the real hooks replaced with lesser ones. The annoying screaming that Lopez completely misuses comes off manufactured and whiny.

If there's a bundle of stereotypes preceding any singer-songwriter of Scandinavian extraction, it surely includes the following: glacial beauty, whispery vocals, tenderly picked guitars and perhaps a touch of glockenspiel or synth. Silje Nes's second album Opticks delivers all of the above, but that doesn't diminish its thoughtful loveliness.

All this adds up to a qualified success, but it will certainly split opinion among his fans.

Lewis has made a striking debut that delights in the most surprising of ways.

It's not everyone who can give Slim Shady a run for his money, but Minaj more than holds her own here, sounding both menacing and cartoon-like and even dropping into an approximation of a cockney accent at one point.

The Promise is what got left behind, and the quality of these 21 songs serves to remind the listener how brilliant Darkness On The Edge Of Town really was, and how discerning its craftsmen must have been to leave so much in the dust.

It doesn't have any pretenses about being great and achieves in the most basic way possible: by being impeccably organized, well-sung, and well-written, with not an ounce of filler in sight.

Body Talk shows just how easily she can churn out hits more frequently than labels can process production teams.

Musically, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is a nice blend of Kanye's older and newer styles.

One of the most eagerly awaited soundtrack albums for years is a laudable success, provided you approach it in the right way. It might not give up its treasures immediately, but if you provide widescreen sound or a pair of expensive headphones, the sonic treats are considerable and mighty.

If The Black Eyed Peas want to sing, dance and rap about having good nights and getting laid, that's fine; but expecting a discerning audience to buy this bottle-rocket crap as an album is pure delusion. If they're truly trying to achieve more, The Beginning is a pretty awful start.

In contrast to their previous record, on which they felt the need to dress up as some sort of 'shadow band' straight out of Disneyland for the sake of getting a message that got lost amongst the bombast and OTT nature of their sound, this is a refreshing change.

Endlessly is like many successors to huge-selling albums: the attempts to break with the artist's trademark sound are tentative, and the result is a record that hedges its bets to only limited success.

Not all the singing is charged in this light but the moments of unabashed, emotional melodies are akin to that of the endearing two-piece garage rockers, Japandroids - and in a world of indifference, it's a refreshing change.

While Violens draw from strong influences, they capture their potency only fleetingly. Amoral is a worthwhile listen, with stand out tracks that hold much promise. As yet, though, there's too much that leaves you, like that promise, unfulfilled.

Rihanna's latest collection Loud is another sure fire assault on the charts and airwaves. It highlights exactly the best and worst of today's pop aesthetic.

There's no doubting that sounds are placed together, weaved and treated expertly and Small Craft On A Milk Sea can, save its more aggressive moments, flow over and around you therapeutically.