Gleams and glances of Albarn’s potential are almost omnipresent, yet never really come into fruition.

Whilst not enjoying the same amount of attention or hype as her first few releases, My Wild West finds Lissie experimenting but still within the confines of her slick pop writing. It's an album made by an artist who is still top of her game.

In terms of the surface tones and textures, the tracks in question are interesting enough--pretty, even. The underlying structures that govern these tones and textures, however, don't allow for anything approaching the band's typical intensity.

Tears in the Club acts as yet another testament to Kingdom’s skill as an innovative musician; many try to fuse inspirations from numerous styles, eras and artists, but few do it quite so effortlessly.

PeteStrumentals 2 is exactly the album you'd expect it to be. Similar to the '78 Fury, we aren't chasing the latest here.

This is music full of heart and imagination and it is well worth investigating, even though some long standing fans of hers may be puzzled at first.

This album is just a few puzzle pieces shy of being great, and that’s a damn shame.

The mix of hollow percussion, melancholy synth drone and further bird sounds on ‘Crying Fountain’ add up to a conclusion that seems to aim for open-endedness, but is mostly just half-hearted. This phoning-in is concerning, but the other eight tracks are as good and as interesting as ever.

The record with a chirping synthesiser in the background that sounds like the dawn's birdsong. Tomas Barfod may not have produced a perfect album, but then when has love ever been about perfection?

This is perhaps the most simply alive Baths has yet sounded on record, retaining enough of his emotional heft, while allowing for an entirely new collage of flashy, elated songcraft. This is Baths triumphant.

Lower Dens have the right ideas for their music, but they’re not always the right ideas at the right time. This album, flawed as it may be, is still worthwhile for when the latter happens, like with the heated guitar work and wailing vocals of ‘Two-Faced Love’.

Never does this album sound more genuine than when it's low-key, because it's then that Clipping. foregoes the satire--the very lifeblood that runs through CLPPNG's veins.

Although sonically ominous, Relfection of Youth possesses a sophisticated breed of optimism which embodies itself through realism.

As a whole, Gulp’s new long player is a very pleasant experience from start to finish, and reminds you that Gruff Rhys is not the only member of SFA to have played a major part in delivering so many classics over the last near-three decades.

It may not hit the mark every time, but her adventurous, unapologetic approach to driving pop forwards to exciting new ground should be praised.

As If Apart will still add a few gems to your chilled out summer evening playlist, but it certainly leaves a little to be desired in regards to the evolution Cohen was clearly striving toward.

Whilst it's certainly performed with skill and respect for the golden era of soul music, there's a sense that it's a bit too tightly controlled.

Mulberry Violence isn’t a letdown because it doesn’t live up to expectations of what a Trevor Powers album is supposed to sound like. It’s a letdown because an immensely talented and creative spirit is struggling to let his instincts speak for themselves.

It doesn't stray very far from this template, but does just enough to suggest Genders has a few more strings to his bow.

The message behind the music is much more clichéd, and much less interesting.

This record’s three parts, separated by the gender of the narrator and little else, are muscular, repetitive, exhausting pieces of psych-math riffs that hardly let up. They make me feel like I’m stuck on an endless dancefloor, forced to nod my head into eternity.

Beach Music, which is a deceivingly simple title for an album of such depth, is the best collection yet from a young musician who has clearly honed on something truly worth noting.

Certainly their best record since 2001's Standards, here Tortoise sound revitalised--concise, playful and sharp. They may move slowly, but when they do, it is always with renewed purpose.

While there are elements to Days Gone By that still don't sit right, the album is an honest exploration of moods, and Bob Moses' unique combination of dance movement and introspective songcraft engages.

This collection of tracks could be spunked on by a Joe Satriani-type noodle, and individually each member could break free and have their moment to shine, but instead they shun solos and move as unit, maintaining collective power and defiantly sticking to their modus operandi.

Just about every song on Marble Skies is successful. The unfortunate outlier is ‘Surface to Air,’ which features Slow Club’s Rebecca Taylor on lead vocals. The second track on the album, it’s a full-length number that feels like an interlude that outstayed its welcome.

While not as immediately apparent in its charm as say Cerulean Salt, it’s another fine addition to what is fast becoming a vital collection of music from one of the best songwriter’s around.

Although it brings nothing new sonically, Jellies is a magnificent example of how a déjà-vu doesn't have to be a mere repetition: it constructs instead of occupying, pays tribute instead of mimetising, carries on instead of resurrecting.