It will take a few spins to fully appreciate it--the songs are not always compelling in the way that they should be--but there’s plenty of proof that they have uncovered a bit more depth, both musically and lyrically.

Full of subtle moments of fragile beauty, this is a lush and sumptuous album. As soundtracks go, it is a very lovely one.

Often interesting and occasionally moving, and at a compact 40 minutes, Maze Of Woods certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome and steers well clear of self-indulgence.

In sum, there’s enough varied, interesting and accessible material here to make Butler’s sonic manifesto worth paying attention to.

Yet, for all its flaws, there’s something undeniably addictive about Rebel Heart, and even the songs that don’t work so well are still a million times better than anything gathered on MDNA or Hard Candy.

With a bit more definition, a bit more purpose and just a bit more consistency you wonder if it could have been great.

Soft Control is an album of neatly constructed soulful pop songs that anyone who likes the artists it references would enjoy.

There’s not an ounce of fat to be found. It might be a little lo-fi in places, but it doesn’t matter, this is the definition of an album that is all-killer-no-filler.

There was a lot of pressure on Matthew E White to deliver something as good the second time around. Yet the expectation appears to have hardly phased him, as Fresh Blood reaches similar heady heights.

Final track aside, this is as close to blissful shoegaze perfection as is possible.

While there is clearly some cathartic work going on here the rhythms in particular can be too clinical and processed, creating a tension against the expansive orchestral arrangements that in sound too rigid and processed. Yet this is nonetheless a strong and often stirring album, and the voice sounds fantastic.

Evans The Death have come of age and produced an album that sounds like them, only lots, lots better.

It’s a honey-coated gem of funk-infused pop, and when it shines, it’s a disco ball, a ’70s disco full of glorious hooks, where Gikling and Santos’ vocals balance one another in the most beautiful way.

There’s no doubt that Pile have made a bruising record, but it’s also one that is rich with off-kilter melodies, roaring guitars and moments of variety.

For all its blaring noise and sneering obnoxiousness, its probably ATR’s most accessible album; playing Reset feels like lighting a fuse and detonating something.

Vessels took a bold step in experimenting with their sound and Dilate not only proves it was the right decision, but suggests there is much more to come.

Tinged with jazz and various world music, this is aware and absorbing music, conscious in a broad sense, sometimes circuitous, but mostly questioning and satisfying.

Gallagher has done a very competent job of producing the album by himself, but his High Flying Birds glide effortlessly at mid-altitude rather than aiming for the heights.

Shadow Of The Sun marks another triumph for the rapidly becoming essential Moon Duo, or Moon Trio as they should now be known.

This first outing is subtle, but somehow it packs in drama and poetry in a way that’s tender yet fascinating. It’s been well worth the wait.

Heavy Love is a fine, if ultimately inessential, summation of what Garwood does best.

Sour Soul doesn’t quite push any boundaries, but ultimately it doesn’t really matter, because even if there was potential for it to be so much more, it still just about ticks the right boxes.

Dying is a fine debut that suggests Spectres have a lot more to offer.

Restarter is not the sound of a band starting with a blank slate it is more akin to an artist simply darkening their palette briefly.

It might not be wholly successful but that could be due simply to our unfamiliarity as listeners with music that manages to be different in an instinctive way.

The Republic may not be an album that will make headlines but it shows a musician immersed in his art achieving a real consistency and equilibrium of sound.

What really makes Gliss Riffer stand out in Dan Deacon’s discography though is the feeling that you’re being allowed in to his own personal, private world.

The overall feeling is of a Drake record weirded out to its absolute extreme.