Songs like “Give Up”, “So Long”, “Terrible Youth”--all of them, really, there are only nine--are fuzzed out and unfussy, but not just simple pleasures. They kick in the door but then make themselves welcome for a long stay.

This is an assured step forward in every sense--Honeyblood are back from the brink and there’s a new sting in their tail.

For many of their ardent followers, it’ll be no surprise that this nine song offering fits comfortably within the band's back catalogue, rich as Third World Pyramid is with all the hallmarks of a BJM release.

When it works (and that's most of the time), FLOTUS proves the wisdom of risk-taking over crowd-pleasing complacency.

It’s a disco ball in a downtrodden pub that occasionally shines a light on the ashtray angst of early Iceage, while remaining focused on the wider picture.

It’s certainly the sound of the band taking a step forward and trying to find its feet, sliding a little on the frozen ground but still heading towards the sun.

It’s pop music of the highest calibre, music for the head, heart, feet and everywhere in between.

With the tactful musicianship of Holland Baroque thrown in for good measure, Confessions is a record of bottomless charm.

Strands isn't so much about anything alien as it is about the sublime frontierism we project out into it, built as it is upon an awareness of our many Earthly sins. It's what we'll play when we try to escape out into the void, only to fall inexorably back to our sordid reality to dream once more.

The credentials are there, the ability is clearly there, but for now these emperors are yet to truly shine.

There's nothing particularly wrong with Clear Shot. It's a perfectly acceptable album, only it sounds like they're holding back a little.

Sometimes you can lose yourself, in the twists and turns, but ultimately, this is unashamedly fun music from two of the most interesting musicians around, and being brought along for the ride is a worthwhile experience.

Welchez and Roswell have proven their creative resilience with Dreamless, an album that illuminates the painful moments that plague all of us, while also providing hope that creativity can keep the shadows at bay even in the darkest night.

Masculin Féminin offers a fascinating trip down memory lane for a band which has quietly--or rather more loudly, in the case of these songs from 1994 and 1995--made their mark on modern music.

There are many highlights, to the point where it's evident this is just an exceptionally consistent record.

There are a few outright duds on the record.... Hopefully the next NxWorries LP sees .Paak challenging himself a bit more, because the duo have the talent to put out a truly transcendent record.

It's not a perfect record and finds Gaga pulling in so many different directions, but these are songs tied together by a common feeling. There is so much warmth here, so much that's human, and a lot to love.

A step toward the intimate clarity of Front Row Seat to Earth, it still didn’t foretell the use of more ambitious instrumentation on “Diary”, “Used to Be” and “Do You Need My Love”, embellished with brass, wire and ivory. Mering counterweights the classic touches with ambient drone here and electronic manipulation there.

Running Out Of Love isn’t the sound of hectoring; it’s The Radio Dept. getting on with the business of making important records, being one of the most challenging, uncompromising and rewarding bands we have and proving that political music is as vital as ever.

The album is fresh with synth, bells and whistles that could be part of an actual gameshow. There are some cracking verses and screeching guitar sections that will sound great live.

It shows a remarkable advancement in the band’s no-holds barred approach to making loud music. It may sound much more slick. And the mix is a lot less noisy and raw. But don’t be fooled – the tunes are just as brutal and punishing as ever, while that superior production allows the tunes to breathe in a novel way.

The distant rumble of the crashing sea and the odd squelch of moog provide a thrilling climax to a superb album.

The result is a record much darker in tone than previous outings, yet still harbours the sardonic wit that endeared us to them all those years ago

We get the usual fan service on discs two and three of this new version. The second CD is a largely charmless collection of odds and ends.

While it does skew a bit more electronic, Every Now & Then maintains the psychedelic spontaneity of the group’s first record and adds in even more refined percussion.

Although wrestling with Sport, at first, may prove to be a challenging affair, it rapidly becomes a wholly rewarding and thorough sonic work-out.

It’s fun, it’s weird, and like nothing you’ve ever really heard before.