Here, Pritchard and company aim for an even more mainstream success than Konk, and they will likely succeed in selling a boatload of albums. But they've lost something in the process.

Like most tribute albums, Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited is a rather hit and miss affair, but it may just persuade people to rediscover a man who was somewhat misunderstood throughout his life.

It’s by no means a bad album, but at this stage Chairlift are strictly second division.

Escape From Evil feels like a case of one step forward, two steps back.

While this probably won't go down as Adem's greatest work (he's too talented a songwriter in his own right for that to happen), it makes for a nice curio.

Kweller's talent as a pop-rock songwriter is plainly evident, but despite the consistent cheeriness that's offered across Go Fly A Kite, it never manages to shake off the feeling of being merely an appetiser for a main course that never materialises.

The album experiments and draws on a number of electronic genres to bring together something that is at times mesmerising, even if it doesn’t always hold perfectly.

Yes, it’s Elton John by numbers, but it’s his talent as a songwriter that has solidified his stature in popular music and that wide appeal will only be further cemented by Wonderful Crazy Night.

So while a cautious welcome is given to this near-flawless interpretation of soul music, it is done with the observation that another record of such polish will be ultimately empty, and more than a little disappointing.

Overall, though, The Stars Are Indifferent is a quick listen, filled with nice hooks and effortless melody.

If it weren't for the big three singles... and the habitually contagious Golden Skans standing well above the rest of the album, there would be nothing new or interesting about Myths.

Tracks such as the title song and She Lays Down are redundant, bringing down what is otherwise a brave and eclectic comeback from The 1975, one that is sure to divide opinion once again.

It means that while O’Donnell’s work is hopeful and evocative, and will undoubtedly calm the troubled mind – a very big plus in the current climate – it may also leave its audience wanting more by its end.

It Won’t Always Be Like This has its moments that suggest something promising is within their reach.

A little more focus and coherency would've made it a great record rather than a good one, but as an intriguing curiosity it is another excellent addition to Albarn's ever-growing list of projects.

He can doubtless get a party started every bit as effectively as either of those two [Paul van Dyk & Diplo] but, on this record at least, in dance terms he finds himself rather falling between two stools as he enlarges the walls of his big tent.

The duo neither pretends to revisit its successful past nor claims a faux renaissance, instead opting for an honest, if solid, collection of songs.

MONSTA X, formed through a reality TV programme, display versatility, emotion and style on their second English-language album. If their third is a tad more ambitious they’ll really be onto a winner.

It’ll never go down as a classic of the Crosby canon, yet it is quite unlike anything else he’s ever done. Perhaps it’s best summed up in four simple words--one for the purists.

It is a subtle work that may not blow you away but provides lovely succour if you care to wallow in a soulfully translucent daze.

Despite its serious flaws, it is nice to see Eno making this kind of music again since his relative absence in the noughties, and for Hyde it is a hopeful stepping-stone to a productive, engaging solo career.

Die-hard fans can rest assured that the band have certainly not gone rave but, sadly, there’s really not a great deal to rave about either.

Some may find Tuttle’s hushed vocals a bit too insubstantial to last over the course of a whole album, and others may be turned off by all the psych trimmings. Yet fans of MMOSS will find much to satiate any need for a new fix and there’s enough evidence on this debut to suggest that Tuttle could well start to emulate those he holds in thrall, given time.

We have an album that opts to cater for the variety of fans that flock to support Rihanna in her time of trouble. It's a diverse work. But this so happens to be its biggest setback.

Nathan Fake is technically skilled, and on tracks like Hawk his creative verve really shines, but some kinks could be ironed out on this rose-tinted trek.

Playtime Is Over is miles forward from the Wiley of 'Wot U Call It' and 'Who Ate All the Pies' but it sits uneasily behind Sway's One For the Journey and Kano's The Mixtape projects

As enjoyable as it all is though, it’s hard to escape the lingering feeling that Lidell is best when balancing his desire to mine the rich seam of electronic music’s past with a more innovative perspective.

From this you'll gather that Ferndorf charms and frustrates in equal measure.

It is unlikely to be held in the same esteem as its predecessor, even if there is enough here to confirm that The Last Shadow Puppets are more than just a side project.

With less excessive production and better songs, this could have been an accomplished return--her voice is still there. As it is, we’re picking up some signals, but it requires some real tuning.

It’s a good solid album, but far from essential when it comes to Justice.

There’s certainly a lot to take in on Ben Howard’s fourth album – not all the ideas work in fairness, and there’s a few too many moments which feel like half-sketched ideas. Yet Dessner makes a decent foil for him and for those who have joined Howard on his career journey to date will be more than happy to continue travelling with him.

Part of the difficulty with this is, simply, that--taken as a body of work (album) rather than a collection of individual tracks--interest can start to wane. This isn’t helped, either, by the chiefly indistinguishable lyrics: that character-and light/shade-drenched vocal might be enormously listenable, but for most of the time we aren’t able to make out what it is articulating.

Overall, this one's largely forgettable, and plays primarily as a jokey--if not well produced--one-off continuation of The Red Album.

A painstakingly constructed and constantly challenging work, Mirror, Mirror requires considerable perseverance to allow its unorthodox appeal to slowly seep into the listener's consciousness. Its sheer relentlessness and absence of hooks will undoubtedly deter the less adventurous, and runs the risk of alienating and confusing some of their existing fan base.

No Compass Will Find Home is yet another curious listen from Merz.

This is not necessarily a needless welding of two disparate musical styles, more a lost opportunity for a magical fusion of two sonic diviners.

Rewild is a decent debut album with enough promise to justify keeping a watchful eye for the future.

Skull In The Ice is an exception; perhaps the most tender of all the songs, it begins with a stripped-down strum and evolves in the chorus with luscious, rich surroundings. It's the sort of crescendo all these tales deserve, but the hungover state of affairs that rings supreme in this record seldom allows for this to happen.

Overall, Sound The Alarm is an experiment that sometimes wildly succeeds, sometimes pleases, sometimes bores, and sometimes crashes and burns.

There's a feeling that This Is My Demo is just geared too much towards the commercial audience.

A slight whiff of missed opportunity perhaps, but this is by no means a stinker.

In stepping outside of her recent comfort zones Kylie sounds so relaxed and liberated that it's difficult to escape the sense of untapped potential.

The Happiness Waltz may not be the most exciting record you’ll hear this year, but it does exactly what it says on the tin.

As an homage to bands that paved the way, though, Fuckbook succeeds.

As a whole, this EP is not a disaster by any means, and as such it's perhaps an exaggeration to call it a disappointment. But for those familiar with a body of work that's to date shown an impressively high quality control there's cause for concern.

The final few tracks have an appealing sense of character to them, harnessing the potential of organic and programmed elements intertwining. The rest of Eyeroll is so abrasive that it’s hard to love, but fans of experimental electronica could certainly do worse than give it a listen.

On The North Sea Scrolls, Haines stays true to his own brand of dark, surreal mystification and harnesses two other individual talents to create something that some will find highly satisfactory.

They will remain a formidable live proposition, but Maximo Park's third album has to go down as a disappointment--especially given the band's previous high standards.

Hardy's undeniably a talent, and Songs Lost & Stolen is a tasteful, better than average folk record that many aficionados will enjoy, but it lacks that extra ingredient to make a lasting impact or reach a broader audience.

Pretty, but ultimately uneven record.

The album dips when they try too hard not to be pop.

Halfway through a song like Blouse (think Our House by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young but resolutely uncatchy) this reviewer begins to yearn for the Clairo that worked with Danny L Harle and Mura Masa, though Sling is an album that at least works on its own terms.

While The Golden Record is far from perfect, and occasionally falters and fails to make the impression it should, there is much to recommend here.

Hughes isn’t about to change that with Eirenic Life, but this work offers a warming, soothing relaxation state that is a welcome antidote to the troubles of everyday life currently engulfing us, and may appeal to fans of Brian Eno in particular.

Lesser Evil is an album that is a bit too cluttered and patchy to stand out as a classic debut.

Mr Oizo is not a man with a long attention span, and that shows as each track zips between styles and moods relentlessly, entertaining but sometimes maddening.

There’s nothing here that has not been done before, and it’s almost too polished for its own good, but she sounds more at ease with her sound than ever before.

If you’re a fan, you’ll still be a fan and if you’re not, you still won’t be.

Overall then, Chunk Of Change is several steps short of greatness, but the debut full-length (due later this year) should be worth a listen.

Clearly Sheff is at something of a crossroads in his life and his world view is changing; perhaps he doesn’t quite know how best to make everything fit together just right. Given time, there are moments of this album that will shine, it’s just a shame there’s so few of them. 


It comes armed with a pocketful of melodies and great musicianship. But yet somehow it doesn't convince. It's hamstrung in part by its length.

There are enough excellent moments on War Stories to judge it a success, but there's another sense of missed opportunity hanging over the album.

Interpol mostly deliver on this album with what they do best, sprinkling some of their most creative moments across it. If this is a schism, it'll be intriguing to see what happens when the pieces eventually do settle.

Some of the songs are a little dull and a few of the lyrics can be a little embarrassing, but the better tracks make up for them.

Rostrum is probably destined to stay a cult interest for now, but if you’re looking for dance music with a pulse and a brain, then she’s guaranteed to be your new jam.

On their own merits some of these tracks are classy pop songs, but there needs to be more depth and scope to Grouplove's sound if they are to look forward.

As nice as it is (and this is a very tasteful album, seemingly tailor-made to be bought for Mothers Day), Angel Face doesn’t give us much idea of who Stephen Sanchez is, apart from a seemingly nice young man with an extraordinary voice.

Temples’ piercing synths certainly perplex and distract but probably not in the way they intended. Any emotional or meaningful messages that may be in these songs are completely lost. Some lovely moments do manage to fight their way through.

There’s much to admire about Savage, but it’s definitely one that you have to be in a particular mood to enjoy.

Like Oberst, the strength of her songwriting sometimes overshadows the rather interesting things going on in terms of production.

Comparisons with his subsequent work are inevitable and this feels like a disappointment when put alongside the more accessible likes of Donuts.

The album rallies later on, as I Love Your Girl and When The Party’s Over are impeccable tunes that more than deserve their place, but Mabel’s dedication to the pure pop that gave her big hits in 2019-20 is now threatening to leave her somewhat faceless.

Canning's voice is not the strongest--indeed, it often stays buried deep down within the mix--but if you're a fan of Broken Social Scene, you'll know that it's atmosphere that's all important. Which is something that Something For All Of Us has in spades.

Foxx's music and range of vocal techniques are not unique, but perhaps this added touch of genuine, heartfelt realism is what will see the actor make a successful jump into the music industry.

Those seeking greater musical challenges will probably want to look elsewhere, but there is much here to praise and enjoy.

Yet despite the lyrics providing more comical punchlines than your average Adam Sandler film, the lack of variation means Funs Cool comes up just short of being a great début.

In their search for pop perfection though, they do actually hit the mark a couple of times; it’s just a shame that the best moments mostly appear at the album’s commencement because they far outweigh the vast majority of what follows, meaning you could be tempted to drift off in conversation before the album’s conclusion or, worse still, fall asleep.

Sounds drift in and out of the mix, but rarely in such a way that they have much of a lasting impact.

THR!!!ER has plenty of moments that live up to its self-hyped billing, but it’s the love of the gimmick, that old friend Shtick Shtick Shtick, that will always be the thing that both endears and estranges.

What we're left with is a sincere, patiently crafted musical statement that is high on atmosphere but rather hard work.

Half-Light is a good introduction to the solo sound of Rostam Batmanglij. It’s likely to remain more of a cult interest than establish Rostam as a star in his own right, but even when it becomes a bit unfocused it’s clear that Batmanglij remains a major talent.

It is a straightforward and solid return from a band who sound unsure whether to stick or twist.

Go Dig My Grave might not hit the heights of some of her earlier albums, and is certainly a more uneven collection, but it shows Susanna to still be fascinated by the power of sad songs and in possession of a distinctive, singular ability of re-presenting them.

As it stands though, Barking is a mostly-solid album let down by a couple of weak links.



A Productive Cough is not a bad album, but it’s not Titus Andronicus’ greatest moment. Part of the problem comes from the high expectations set by the band’s previous work, and to some degree the drawn out jam sections that occasionally go on just a little too long.

So Tim Burgess still has attitude, the kind we saw on One To Another but one that doesn't surface all that often in Charlatans songs.

Like its predecessor, The Boy Who Knew Too Much is an eclectic work, lurching between exuberant pop, vaudevillian knees-ups, disco and sombre ballads. Mika would probably describe the album as 'kaleidoscopic', but it can come across as scattershot and unfocused.

An album of gentle, if sporadically confusing, beauty.

There's enough humour in the words and inventiveness in the production to keep coming back to these songs, though you can only hope Wolf will sound a little less broken the next time around.

Bella is a decent album, but one that is more likely to attract appreciative nods than the slap-me-on-the-patio lust that Thompson needs to raise his career to the next level.

It’s not perfect, but it does point towards promising a future.

The commitment to developing their sound into urgent and strident rock is commendable yet the execution leaves you cold at times.

Sub Verses may be genre hopping, but it’s not a particularly challenging listen as compared to its predecessors, albums that were both challenging and fun.

In succeeding for much of Human, Brandy makes a committed and surprisingly emotive return.

Violet Cries isn't an easy album to get into, and it may well prove too impenetrable for the casual listener. They may not signal a Goth revival, but there's enough promise here to justify keeping an eye on this Brighton trio.

Overall, No Romeo does a good job of laying down some promising foundations and confirming what Solo Dancing had already suggested--that Indiana is far more interesting than most of the uninspiring pop artists dominating the charts at the moment. Where the album suffers is in its baggy running time and lack of standout tracks to match her most recent singles.

So while Cuomo might be frustratingly stuck in himself, Everything Will Be Alright In The End shows that he’s taking the first trepidatious steps into an earnest reflection on what it’s taken to be the man he’s become.