The opening song Love Is, which he sings with a touch of the Gaelic, could almost be a track by The Waterboys and might easily soundbed one of those ghastly Irish cider ads where implausibly airbrushed Hibernians flaunt their trendy facial hair. He recovers from this false start to concentrate on some ex-pat musings with a side order of standard US FM rock punctuated with bursts of mariachi on Please.

This new compilation focuses on projects she released under her own name plus sundry collaborations, remixes and assorted feature spots. Above all else, this 34-track assemblage highlights the fact that Thorn’s trajectory has been an unpredictable and surprising one.

Chorus collects Lush’s entire back catalogue and presents it bound in a beautiful hardback book. Its contents remain highly desirable too.

For while it’s hard to begrudge any quality new release by a band of Beach House’s eminence, for a fan base still attuning itself to the subtle charms of Depression Cherry, this flawed follow-up might have been better served up refined and polished at a later date.

Whether all this is owing to a slight change in line-up (on bass and violin) or just increased confidence, it’s impossible to tell, but whatever the reason, Lanterns On The Lake are shining more brightly.

With BJ Cole on pedal steel, backing vocals by Gillian Welch and Bernie Leadon alongside numerous other top notch contributors, there is no doubting the quality of the music on offer.

Angels & Ghosts won’t draw you in immediately and it does contain several lumbering, repetitive tracks that neither move nor entertain. But after a few listens, you may begin to see the light.

This is an exquisite interpretation of an exceptional album.

West Kirby County Primary sounds like it was recorded anywhere but. It’s a beautifully performed and produced record, tender, intimate and close, yet with moments of real physical power.

With just a couple of standout tracks, this isn’t earth-shattering stuff--but it will resonate with existing Warpaint admirers, introducing Lindberg’s intoxicating siren call and reminding of the unique potency of her pin-sharp bass playing.

The cumulative effect is one of a dizzy America, and one that would make even less sense if ever unpicked. Much like the Americana of McCombs; gloriously messy.

While some will still view the album as a 30-minute intro to a track that never starts, others will want to pull this cacophonous duvet up to their chins and luxuriate in what might just be the most sumptuous, atmospheric and varied SunnO))) album to date.

While the music is frequently revelatory, capturing the post-Cale line-up chilled and stretching out, as on the 40-minute Sister Ray with Lou’s guitar on overdrive, most tracks have appeared before; on 1974’s 1969 Live, 2001’s The Quine Tapes and the third album reissue.

Live In Paris 2014 is a superb introduction for the uninitiated, as well as a welcome souvenir for the experienced. Warm, potent, invigorating and liberating--it’s difficult to imagine a better live band existing this side of the Sahara.

It’s certainly a series of striking and original composites, if a slightly meta one.

It’s A Holiday Soul Party is both celebratory and socially astute, comprising originals and traditional songs.

This reissue fails to add much to entice fans other than packaging.... Anybody hoping for a dramatic discovery of a high-quality version of this long-bootlegged show [ Live At Second Fret, Philadelphia, 1970] will be disappointed; it’s hard to discern any real improvement from the frustratingly bad quality of the circulated boot.

It’s only when the tracks pass all-too quickly in a live-sounding, bass heavy blur that Modern Dancing feels anything less than exhilarating.

Despite the addition in places of cello, e-bow guitar, banjo and synthetic choirs, little has really changed in Eric’s sound or style of delivery, but that’s no bad thing, and the songs are as exquisitely quirky and personal as ever.

The inclusion here of iconic tracks such as the aforementioned Little Johnny Jewel and Richard Hell’s Blank Generation shows that their label was indeed instrumental in documenting the birth of NYC punk, but elsewhere Chris Stamey & The dB’s Big Star-esque power-pop and The Student Teachers’ quirky, synth-driven art-pop prove that Ork and Ball were equally comfortable promoting bands who had little truck with the three-chord revolution.

A couple of the tracks may catch Tom in booming mode but there’s a pleasing variety of delivery, plenty of sensitivity and a whole load of rocking. Quality control is top notch throughout and the backing musicians are never less than superb.

The addition of Hammond, fiddle and nicely understated guitar make So Familiar one of the strongest tracks with Edie Brickell reining in the often drawly mannerisms of her singing style to accompany with great effect. Other songs are not so successful in marrying the feel of bluegrass with the sweep of a big song.

Lament For Nepal is one of three love letters to the earthquake-ravaged Kathmandu Valley. A stark Nepali bell opens and closes this haunting piece, though as is so often the case with Chapman, the English pastoral qualities of the composition are equally compelling.

While his delivery remains pleasingly rough roud the edges, Lewis has come a long way since initially finding recognition as part of the “antifolk” scene. Pleasing aspects of Manhattan are the lengthy likes of Back To Manhattan.

A no-frills, 10-track set that’s almost permanently cranked to the max.

Unusually for the average album (which this is decidedly not), every track here is distinctive; a cinematic, mind-scramblingly complex yet cohesive mini-epic.

Second LP Seems Unfair offers the kind of melodic prowess, lyrical wit, sensitivity and social awareness that harks back to the days of Felt, Hefner and The Smiths with the band capable of effervescent, wonky guitar attacks more in keeping with the early material of Stateside benchmarks Weezer, Pavement and more recently, Waxahatchee.

They’ve now created an album which towers above the nostalgia market which could easily have been their fate.