Where ideas are intelligently pursued and the power is more restrained, the result is a delicate beauty, as in the enigmatic delight that is "Stellar", an almost static piece that turns gracefully on a beautiful keyboard sequence, concluding fittingly. It’s the highlight of the album and works much more effectively than the long title track that promises much in the first third but then lacks clear direction.

While psych may offer an altered experience, a shifted perception, a rarified reality, Dead Meadow’s take on it this time around is an occasionally wonderful, momentarily beautiful, but largely confused and confusing experience.

Ultimately, those adamant that the mid-Noughties garage-rock revival was the most important thing that's ever happened to music might find something to enjoy from The Making Of, but for the rest of us The Bohicas have produced remarkably unremarkable first effort.

Law and Order attempts to restore some sort of musical faith, but comes across as sounding like a narscisstic debut that only Jonathan Rado really understands.

All the components are there, Joey Santiago’s guitar work is still impressive, Lovering’s drumming is still vigorous, but the problem is Black Francis himself. The compelling songwriting that completed Pixies is no longer there.

In short, Trials more or less achieves the goals the band set with Fear.

Smith’ sugary falsetto comes across a tad one dimensional and inexpressive on his solo debut In The Lonely Hour.

Wild Things does get it right in parts, especially when the approach is that of slightly anxious pop.

At times, it verges on saccharine, but these heart-felt, jubilant moments are so unexpected they are actually endearing.

On LOVE + FEAR, Marina shoots for stripped-bare big pop, and for the most part, she achieves it, but various clichéd lyrics occasionally stop her sincerity in its tracks.

As could be expected, Someday World has a flair for inventive interlocking compositions, but these are out of step thanks to its uneven pacing and are often palmed away by an enthusiasm for accelerated, busy instrumentation.

The key problem with Sing Into My Mouth, though, is that this willingness to go against the grain of the cosy sonic identity that the pair have carved out for themselves is all too rare, and inevitably, more often than not the covers sound uninspiring in that form at best and plain wrong at worst.

It’s hugely to Owens’ credit that he’s turned his hand at a slew of different styles in assured fashion to date, but neither this album nor Lysandre really hold the universal pop appeal of Girls’ output, either.

Encyclopedia might not be a record to soundtrack cheery bank holiday getaways, but it provides enough counter-attack to its own bleakness that it's not an inherently malicious listen (although it does have its moments).

They’ve not quite mustered the courage to take the plunge yet, and instead what we have with FM Sushi is a band teetering on the cusp of greatness.

This particular realm of music expands, and you need to expand with it, or remain interesting enough to survive as you are; Courteeners have unfortunately done neither.

Big Deal's third album is pleasantly dreamlike and fuzzy, but lacking focus.

While they aren’t designed to make pop bangers, they clearly have an ear for the kind of instrumentation and production tricks that enable them to cut to the feeling much faster than naked piano. Let’s hope the future holds a bit more exuberance and a bit less niceness.

Desire is the sound of a group who have thoroughly found themselves and sees them standing supremely confident, whilst retaining elements of older material including “Wonderful Life” and “Miracle”. Seemingly, 2017 is the year of the upbeat indie dance record, and it belongs to Hurts.

I Love You So F***ing Much sees Glass Animals navigate a tricky tightrope between the ascendancy of their last album and a self-knowing tricksiness that accompanied other works – taunting energy that belies ten tracks showcasing the band at their most introspective.

Through a well suited use of room mics, live tracking and the odd vocal take from Gano’s demos making the cut, Jeff Hamilton and the band have successfully fuelled We Can Do Anything with the scruffy-but-vibrant spontaneity that made all their earlier records the much loved works they are.

Rousing, downtempo pop to soothe a troubled soul.

Whilst there are echoes of the bluster of Florence and the Machine and the minimalist soul of Jessie Ware here, Soft Control is a distinctive take on modern pop and an album with crossover appeal.

Feathers excluded, art abstracted from the man, Black Panties is one of the finest albums of the year.

There might well be a genuine intention on Ebert’s part to produce something of real artistic worth, but so long as he remains as verbally vapid and as musically undisciplined as he has been on this record, it’s hard to see his output having serious appeal to anybody who wants to be engaged on a level beyond mindless singalong.

It’s not until Meteorites broadens its scope a little that it begins to offer up genuine highlights.

There's no doubt that Spaceman offers guilt-free pop with a tinge of R&B. Unfortunately, this doesn't make up for the lack of depth and emotion which means, despite being Jonas’ strongest work yet, the album still runs the risk of being forgettable.

Surrender, accordingly, is the sound of a band in the throes of an identity crisis.