In short this is a album that you put on for instant and disposable thrills.

A real mixed bag, then--M83 still show plenty of guile and in their best moments present music of hidden power and grace.

It will no doubt be the soundtrack of the summer for many people, but the lack of originality, warmth and soul may well leave some feeling rather underwhelmed.

They asked, so we'll tell. Does it offend me? No. Does it bore me? Yes.

With material as good as this, we can bear to do without Pixies for a while yet.

They do make thoroughly exciting music that becomes quickly airborne, able to move the listener to a different plane with disarming ease.

It doesn't match its predecessor but it's a banquet of sound well worth feasting on.

Far from being a band at a crossroads, as might have been implicated around the release of "Funf," they reaffirm themselves here as one of our unsung independent music gems.

Fans of him and the band will love the intimacy and relish the chance to hear him without all the trimmings, but for everyone else, it would be wise to take him with the excess before going without.

His continually entertaining and tuneful approach should pick up many more fans over the summer, and those that found their way in through tracks such as 'Eany Meany' won't be in a hurry to up sticks either.

In Ghost Colours finds the band brimming with confidence, delivering their catchy choruses and synthesizer hooks with a conviction that's difficult to resist, staying true throughout to a groove that fits in with early house music.

The result is fun, easily listenable, entertaining and good material for weddings, 40th birthday parties and, for those of you who weren't there the first time round, any '80s theme party you might want to hold.

An album of murky depth, of seductive charms and no end of style.

This is perhaps not the classic Definitely Maybe has become, but with their army of live followers accumulated since Christmas, combined with that ready made clear charisma and cocky confidence--if anyone can revive Manchester, it is the Courteeners.

X is more filler than killer.

Their debut album is a riotous cacophony of perfectly sculpted indie boisterousness.

Overall this is an unpretentious and varied album of rave stompers, hands-up disco and sedate moments of beguiling ambience that combine to form probably his best and most cohesive album since "Play."

On Accelerate R.E.M. sound like men less than half their age, ripping through 11 songs in a mere 35 minutes that contains great chunks of just about everything that made them the biggest band in world back in the 1990s.

There are admittedly a few throwaway one minute efforts dotted around the tracklist such as the piano and melodica-tinkle-tinged Thank You Very Much and The Oasis, but luckily the highlights far outweigh them.

This might be a ride through familiar territory but The Proclaimers specialise in steadfast song writing and this is sure to satisfy their legions of fans.

There may be nothing on here Funplex that will challenge the likes of Rock Lobster or Love Shack, but Funplex is a consistently brilliant party album from a band that knows the value in simply having a good time.

Considered as a whole, or even as two self-serving parts, Saturday Nights And Sunday Mornings is so generic and unenlightening that you will probably not remember hearing it within an hour or so.

White's second fling with The Raconteurs is quite the party, and perhaps one that may leave Meg a bit jealous.

While there could have been an effort to eliminate some of the canned percussive elements and other recording anomalies, Elf Power have crafted a wonderful album, filled with plenty of catchy hooks and interesting musical ideas based on simple progressions.

So-so is, sadly, exactly the problem with a lot of the rest of the album, which veers from ho-hum to shoulder-shrugging acceptance without any real sense of originality or development.

Twenty One is an excellent album replete with brilliant, clean, original production and instantly memorable songs.

There's not one duff moment during the album's 50 minutes - it's pop music to be treasured, loved and listened to for years to come.

They've managed to inject 15 punk songs with youthful energy and just enough variety to keep things interesting, crafting a goofy, yet determined record.