On Excerpts, as Ensemble, Alary presents a newly defined sound and with it, a precarious skill in honing in sharp classical strengths for a successful release.

The sonic pastiche of certain songs can be unwieldy and perplexing, with unsubtle shifts in musical styles or tones, an erratic rhythmic pace, and flat aural space. What sounds right though is Caroline’s mutable vocals that run the gamut from the eccentric, exclamatory delivery and word-twisting of Karen O to the soft drift of a subdued Polly Jean Harvey or Chan Marshall on the more serious numbers.

Minor misgivings aside, All I Intended To Be is another assured latter-day Emmylou Harris long-player.

As a whole, To Where The Wild Things Are is very much a headphones-record, as its richest details can only be absorbed with closer-than-close listening.

Whilst the reference points are sometimes more discernible than the strength of the melodic hooks, there is still something inscrutably summoning and stirring about Pink Noise that suggests there is more to Echo Ladies than just picking-up batons from a time just before the Britpop steamroller flattened out the sense of artistic adventure for some.

Takes us on a tour of how things got started and where they could be going.

Taken as a whole, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea stills far short of the Silver Jews’ seminal statements--namely 1998’s "American Water" and 1994’s "Starlite Walker"--but its mix of mischief and melancholy provides more than enough to keep David Berman in the game he continues to reassuringly and unpredictably play on his own terms.

Passive Me, Aggressive You is novel and refreshing, even with overt pop influences.

Spirit Stereo Frequency is an entirely mature album that is not afraid to have fun.

Aptly an entire side-project, rather than a one-off on the electronic producer’s next album, the idea is fully fleshed into a discovery of solid notes.

Compared to the wild noise they made on albums like Milk Man and Reveille, Deerhoof vs. Evil is definitely a different kind of wild noise all on itself. Don't expect the crazed madness of the former's title track but don't expect to be disappointed either.

It's by no means a progressive statement for a band long revered for its innovation and influence, but Earth Division is still a fine compendium of Mogwai's prowess with more sedate atmospheres.

Track for track, From Here We Go Sublime is mired in some of the simplest beats in modern electronic music.

It is refreshing to meander through the songs without any clear lines to cling onto or boxes to fit it in.

So much of the music here — stripped-down mixtures of pop and punk, with a Big Star emphasis on the pop side — merits a listen or two, its forgiveable that you’d get some redundancy in this completists’ collection.

While it may lack the aggressive and occasionally caustic momentum of "Playing The Angel," Sounds Of The Universe succeeds primarily because of its ability to make a nostalgic nod to past successes while still looking to the future.

While the band is always fun and catchy, it can be a bit much after a while.

Akin to AM era Wilco matched with Big Star's #1 Record.

It's unabashedly retro, fuzzwop guitars bleeding psychedelica all over the place, crossing three decades of a never-ending summer of love and hate, but it's not revolutionary.

On its own, it has some great moments, and it is a very good pop/rock record.

There is a heavy Krautrock /post-rock vibe going on with Little Joy, which works for, and against, this album it at times.

The first two songs eclipse any other songs on the album, but I'm not saying the rest of the material is weak.

This is an updated version of Drive Like Jehu, often faster, angrier, and, conversely, more sparse and peaceful.

A little less density and a higher level of self-restraint might have made for a more balanced collection admittedly but the irrepressible refreshed conviction is still impressive.

Its occasional awkwardness and complex narrative arc may deter true devotion. However, there are still many miraculous highpoints within, which should give Joey Burns and John Convertino a sturdier and braver platform for Calexico to step-up from next time around.

Keep Your Eyes Ahead is certainly a rewarding venture as it contains enough amiable and alluring dream-pop, with ample atmospheric charm, to overlook it's few weaknesses.

Watch The Fireworks is undoubtedly a determined and brave step-outwards for Pollock.

Despite all the bleeps and blurbs of this album’s electronic window dressing, it’s still Oberst’s emo-tive honesty and lyrical daring that makes up for the album’s forgettable moments.