What makes Manipulator one of Segall’s strongest releases to date is less to do with the energy he brings to proceedings, though, and more about just how evident his keenness to experiment is, from start to finish.

Alias is by no means a bad album--on the contrary, it highlights the maturity and progression of four highly talented and much loved British musicians--but it’s just not that fun.

[A] fantastic sophomore effort.

Great Divide is a definite step up from the flab of Free, blowing out its cheeks impressively hard at first but it does run out of puff all too quickly.

It is thanks to such a diverse roster of musicians that the album is as rich in instrumental character as it is in lyrical depth and intrigue.

It’s probably their most listenable, and that alone makes it highly recommended.

You have to admire the experimentation and musical audacity demonstrated on this album--i’s a shame that it doesn’t always work in jj’s favour.

Over ten short years, Hyperdub has managed to cultivate itself a reputation for quality with such style and consistency that it is difficult to think of another UK independent label that commands such a universal level of respect from devotees of its genre. Hyperdub 10.1 is predictably solid evidence of this.

When the Cellar Children See the Light of Day is in many ways an astounding album; unflinching in its tales of abuse, murder and death it marks Mirel Wagner out not just as a musician of immense talent, but also as a story teller and poet who’s able to weave gripping tales from bleak reality.

It’s simply not striking enough to elicit a stronger response than this, as well polished as it may be.

We never quite reach the mind-blowing heights of the first instalment’s greatest discoveries, namely Larry Jon Wilson’s “Ohoopee River Bottomland’ and Jim Ford’s ‘I’m Gonna Make Her Love Me’, although Donnie Fritts” does-what-it-says-on-the-tin “Sumpin Funky Going On” comes very close, but the quality remains very high.

The sheer variety of genres in this remix collection is just one indication of the breadth of influence that N.O.W has exerted over the past two decades.

Lacuna is a euphoric, ecstatic and effortlessly cool record which warrants your undivided and immediate attention.

This longform escapade is the real McCoy, and where the magic happens. The honeymoon period is over.

The Beyond Clueless album stands on its own merits; it is as much a soundtrack to your own memories/current experience of tennagerdom as it is to Lyne’s documentary.

Much of the album carries this sense of being a showpiece for one of its individual elements--more often than not, it is Ronald Lippok’s shuffling percussion which breathes life into Instrument.

Drumless and bassless, L’amour is as intimate as a late morning lie-in--bum notes (and there are an endaring few) are left completely in tact, you can hear shirt sleeves swipe against guitar strings, and the almost wordless vocals sound almost like Lewis is too scared to make his feelings known.

Although the album is perhaps two songs too long, Angus & Julia Stone succeeds because the whole outnumbers the sum, and does so with a light-touch intensity. Rubin might not be breaking new ground here but he’s mining precious stones.

[A] beguiling, all-too-brief album.

Brief as it may be, Frozen Letter covers a lot of ground for Spider Bags--it has them gleefully offering us tasty kibbles of what they’ve always excelled at while also boldly paving themselves a new path forward.

No matter how many times she’s labelled ‘the next Grimes’, there’s nought they can do about the fact that this one, well, she’s really one on her own.

Time Is Over One Day Old use a less is more approach, the understated subtlety of which results in their best album to date.

Gist Is shows a lightness of touch that’s few and far between on debut records.

They just make fantastic, intricate albums that sound like they’re not even trying. Spoon are a band with nothing to prove. They Want My Soul proves everything.

Incredibly enduring and undeniably influential, Anthology is a culmination of everything that prevails from this often omitted, golden era of music.

Hypnotic Eye is little more than a decent record with a few ideas above its station.

Overall though, this still feels like a missed opportunity; a more inspired roll call of contributors could have pushed Song Reader into essential listening territory. As it is, fans might well get more out of playing these songs than listening to them. Then again, that was always the point.

If your faith in the concept album is failing, The Grand Tour will restore it. And if you have any long, trans-national train journeys coming up, this album will be great for those, too.