Fortunately, there are a handful of songs here to be able to do that [listen and enjoy], if only fleetingly and not particularly in the original Hurricane #1 mould; for most of us though, we’re just happy to still have him around.

Disc 2 is a largely inessential collection of insipid dance remixes and the Massive Attack tracks. Disc 1 is a succinct summation of Thorn’s doleful, soulful voice and writing career that gives balm and bathos to those on the sidelines that, through their bruisings, let the brasher, flasher and more empty briefly succeed, but through doing so endure and become stronger in themselves.

For all its challenges and provocations, Garden Of Delete may actually be more inclusive and open than it first appears. It might be that its moments of hope and beauty (Lift) linger longer in the mind than its very varied assaults.

ts concise nature, glossy finish and sense of clarity (something that even extends to the band photography) suggest that, as strange as it might seem, this is not a return to Sunn O)))’s metal roots, but is instead, for all intents and purposes, their pop album.

Kubrick is an ambitious project, but one that works just perfectly as a showcase for the wonderful songwriting and compositional skills of Machin and Glover. It proves, as if it were ever in doubt, that their strength lies not in the skills of their collaborators, but in their music and ideas.

In its best moments, Right On! is a dark, bewitching début that is bound to appeal to fans of Warpaint. Too often, though, its formulas are repeated and sketches left uncoloured to cumulatively less engaging effect.

The best parts of A Head Full Of Dreams are where the band cut loose and play around with expectations.... However, those who hate Coldplay with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns will also find plenty to grease their wheels on A Head Full Of Dreams. There’s the lyrics for a start, which are almost universally terrible.

Me is a brilliantly confident album that fulfills--and builds upon--Rodriguez’s early promise. Recommended.

To describe it as the best Strokes-related work since 2003’s Room On Fire might be damning it with faint praise: better to say simply that this is one of the year’s most easily-overlooked gems.

Consistently melodic, it’s packed full of hooks and almost suspiciously on-trend.

This is music that has gloriously outgrown its unfamiliar origins and deserves to be embraced wholeheartedly.

Those for whom Enya remains a musical taboo are unlikely to be tempted by Dark Sky Island. More open-minded listeners might, however, find themselves surprisingly captivated.

25 is very much Adele playing safe.

It’s an album that may not crack the Top 10, but to those who succumb to it’s beguiling atmosphere, this is a record that will live with you for some time to come.

There’s no denying this is a heavy record, not at all easy going mood music you’d lightly slap on whilst performing menial tasks. But the mix of gentle moments of reflection amongst muscular foreboding sounds save it from being overly doom-laden. And the fact remains, it is a genuinely exciting listen.

The patchiness of the album is perhaps a consequence of Kylie trying to placate the disparate portions of her remaining fanbase. Still, seven keepers out of 13 is a decent hit rate. A merry little album.

There’s just enough experimentation and intrigue within the 10 songs to make Chorusgirl’s debut one to explore.

It’s a lot of fun, for band and listener both (not always the easiest of tricks)--a ‘concept-less concept album’ shot through with just enough self-aware humour,

An immersive listening experience is guaranteed.

Some people may see Songs In The Dark as a curio, simply recorded for in order to keep the legacy of the McGarrigle canon alive and well. Yet it’s the black humour and obvious love for the material that lifts this into another sphere.

The demanding nature of One--a persisting, unrelenting jolt of energy--gets tiring after a while, but there’s no doubt that the highs are incredibly high.

Asher is manifestly talented, so perhaps Aquaria is best described as a tentative testing of the water before his next big production job. But there’s not a lot of fun to be had by the listener here.

While the anodyne Around U and the UK garage stylings of Devotion could easily be jettisoned, lessening the stylistically jumbled, overlong effect. Ultimately, though, Goulding’s experiment with carefully crafted but impactful Big Pop was a success.

The result is the sound of a band at the top of their game. The potential has always been there, but Mirrors harnesses it.

Boucher’s pleasingly scattergun approach means that it doesn’t hold together as a fully coherent album. Yet after a couple of plays, the weird and wonderful world of Grimes soon starts to seep into you, and soon you won’t be able to imagine an ‘albums of the year’ article without this being on it--no matter what the sleeve looks like.

The record doesn’t just match the standard of their first, it surpasses it.

Vulnicura Strings probably isn’t an album you’d want to listen to much on a regular basis, despite its undeniable excellence. It does, however, make for a beautiful and fascinating companion album to one of the year’s very best records.

As delicate as these songs are in terms of construction (simple guitar parts, barely-there percussion and Hayman’s vocals--it’s the first album he’s done as a truly solo artist) they really pack a punch.