Hook-laced in all the right places, melodic, rhythmic, intelligent, addictive and slightly quirky: they don’t skimp on any of the ingredients here.

It is when the album starts to sound like a Saint Sinner record produced by Tycho that the problems arise, but it remains worth a listen for those who appreciate immaculate soundscapes.

While Wonderful Wonderful certainly isn’t The Killers’ best record--or even their second best--it is a welcome return to form after some time in the wilderness.

The album’s sense of propulsion is so strong even the weaker tracks don’t drag at all.

Pressure Machine is a decent attempt at a concept album of sorts. Some mountainous peaks would take it to the next level; without them it feels as though it could soon, somewhat disappointingly, disappear.

As debuts go, this is fairly solid stuff, but it’s hard not to feel that Real Life should be so much more than the sum of its parts.

You might feel like you’ve heard it all before, and you probably have, but it’ll still rock.

The density of its production and the slipperiness of its song structures ensures that this album isn’t for everyone. But for those with a high tolerance for psychedelic whimsy and the time to invest in repeated listens, Wondrous Bughouse offers ample pleasures.

MCIII might fail to live up to its billing as concept album, but it absolutely doesn’t fail to provide a steady stream of big-hearted guitar-pop songs.

Vår manage to save a plodding midsection with tracks like the creepy, droney and dark Boy, proving they’re jacks of multiple trades.

There is a notable step forward, turning more towards a traditional soul style at the album’s core. There is a more natural groove, and the piano steps in more to complement the voice, even if this does sometimes lead to congestion on the instrumental side.

In truth, the only weakness to Choir Of The Mind is its length – at 13 tracks and clocking in at just under an hour, it’s a long time to spend with an album that’s so resolutely downbeat. Yet there’s a lot to admire with Haines’ second solo effort (not least the quality of her production) and it makes a decent calm counterpoint to the swirling storm of Metric.

While it doesn't quite account for the storied legend of the band behind it (these guys wrote Sonic Reducer, Ain't It Fun, and Final Solution, after all), Barfly is an album that sounds immediately important.

To Believe is a worthy return for The Cinematic Orchestra, developing their sound while keeping the trademark fusion between electronic and orchestral that Swinscoe and co. do so well.

It’s probably their most ambitious effort since Brain Thrust Mastery, delivering a sprawling and colourful collection of pop songs which are sure to leave a smile on your face.

It’s a great release by one of the UK’s most promising bands, and lays down a foundation for them to build on being melodious and aggressive.

We're not reviewing the single, rather the accompanying album, which after all that promise is something of a minor let down.

It's a competent disco celebration of an album, but Holy Ghost! will need to dig a little deeper into their souls and diversify their influences to make more of a mark in the long run.

Furling is a collection that rewards repeat listens to allow it to fully embed into the consciousness but once it does its soft, rarefied treasure has much to offer.

Sometimes it feels a little one-paced and, on the first few listens, disinterest is but a stone's throw away. Luckily for Secret Cities though, the more listens the album gets, the more enjoyable it becomes.

Bonxie doesn’t contain too many surprises, and it doesn’t really have many answers to the bigger questions, but it does have a number of brilliantly written songs.

Maps & Atlases have produced an album with some real bite. It's a collection of tracks that needs proper digestion in order to pick through the intricate layering and amalgam of styles that mix the band's longstanding math influences with a clear inclination towards African rhythms.

Concrete And Glass is a fine piece of architecture, typically classy and emotive while providing some very necessary warmth and light for the January darkness. We may well pine for something new from Air, but in their absence this will do very nicely indeed.

It’s a goldmine of catchy power pop, with the odd misstep, but anyone claiming to find little here in the way of feel good factor is likely to be deaf, ignorant or just sitting within their own sound-proof forcefield.

The band have fully reasserted themselves, taking equal parts past and future to make a record that fits the present day like a glove. Twenty years in and the fires are still burning brightly.

Furfour is not an album that will change the world. Tracks come and go leaving only occasional ear worming melodies and are largely bereft of sing along moments. It is, however, quite possibly the most interesting listen you’re likely to get all year as each play will reveal something you didn’t catch before and for that reason alone, it’s one that needs to be heard over and over.

Odin’s Raven Magic captures the group reconciling their actual genius with the mountains of praise heaped upon them.

It might not be as cohesive as some of her earlier work but The Age Of Pleasure is still an album that bristles with energy and boldness.

It sounds a hefty record to contend with, but it's actually an easy listen; her voice, while pouty and oozing sex, lures the listener in with the promise of fascinating, wide-eyed stories.

Move In Spectrums is a very good record but it’s not a great one. The reason for this is quite simple: the album is lacking the one absolute killer track that would elevate the album to a higher status.

As a concept Top 10 Hits… is frequently confusing, often brilliant and at times downright awful. Ultimately, it adds up to a very intriguing album by a band that is quite impossible to pin down.

There are many joys to be found within its brittle, opaque sounds but it’s undoubtedly an album that must be lived with for an appropriate length of time for these to fully surface. Yet, this isn’t a bad thing.

The album occasionally forces longing for something more grounded in sobering reality, but it's the romantic view of France that it exudes which will capture the hearts of those from these isles.

This soundtrack is a successful exercise in painting pictures with music.

In short, it’s another set of beautifully crafted sound portraits, rich in detail, in which to both decompress and luxuriate.

When Wildflower works, it works beautifully.

Closing track The Dogs (featuring Moby himself on vocals) does stretch things out somewhat, it doesn’t spoil the notion that Innocents, while maybe not the creative renaissaince hinted at, is Moby’s best album for some time.

You might cringe at some of the words, and you certainly wouldn’t play them to your young kids or their elderly nanna, but everyone in-between might just turn enough of a blind eye and enjoy Pop Voodoo for what it fundamentally is: an enjoyable trip of danceable funk.

There’s blissful harmonies, jangly guitars and choruses that bury inside your head – and yes, while it’s not the most original sound, it’s a gloriously well put together record.

Only occasionally does the album threaten to go awry. ... This is smart, literate pop music that can tug at the heart as well as make you dance.

Quarters is such an inventive, smartly composed album that complaining about its lack of emotional clout feels like nitpicking rather than the exposure of a serious flaw.

With this album and its predecessor, he has achieved a genuine gravitas and, more importantly, a believable honesty.

It requires a few listens to grasp but after that it’s pretty rewarding.

It may well be Múm’s most balanced, enjoyable record yet.

If Night Work set out to remind listeners what they loved about Scissor Sisters in the first place, it succeeds. If it had a couple more absolute killer songs then it would be an unqualified triumph but, as it stands, Night Work will do more than nicely.

Cobra Juicy is an album that needs time to reveal itself. Like the band itself, it is a mysterious work that is difficult to get to the heart of, but with a little effort it is a rewarding experience.

This is a bruising, effective set, whatever the year may be, and one that really could only have come from one place.

It’s a tough genre to make a lasting impression on primarily because guitars are somewhat limited as instruments, but the strong presence of electronica clearly makes a difference here where it is less evident in other shoegaze/dream pop acts.

It shouldn't work at all, but the overall product--while a bit uneven--is something to celebrate.

Solo projects can be very hit and miss affairs, but Here In The Deep is an evocative and at times quite wonderful set, with some gloriously summery melodies: far more than just an album written to fill some time.

Museum Of Love lacks a big, standout track that’s likely to attract the attention of anyone not already smitten by the band’s affiliated acts. But it’s still a very good record that succeeds at being alternately funky and affecting.

All in all, it's a pleasure to listen to. However, if guitar leads devoid of vocals is not your thing, then this is going to become background music very quickly.

The album's coda lacks snap--as if 13 tracks was too big an ask--and while increased cynicism lends One Thousand Pictures extra weight, it is not a catch-all. Still, here be treasure... and a little sand.

>> is the humble, unpretentious sound of an artist pursuing a very personal and refreshingly unspectacular vision.

Breach is a fine return, but will most likely be seen as a transitional album in years to come.

It owes more to Timbaland or Mount Kimbie than the current mainstream, but this is the point – Vagabon makes this music sound so intuitive that it could well be the next big thing.

While Fidlar’s debut does have a tendency to wonder towards the mindless end of the spectrum, their eponymous album, for the most part, is actually quite accomplished.

When you think of Islam's best music, you think of his talent for direct communication, often with just a guitar to help him out--and those are the moments where Roadsinger comes alive.

There may not quite be enough highlights to keep you clicking repeat indefinitely but, for a first glimpse of a new band that’s certainly got plenty of tongues wagging, Until The Tide Creeps In isn’t a bad outing at all.

Remember that We Have Sound was an impressive debut, but it wasn't quite the flawless diamond of popular memory. So it is with Leisure Seizure.

As far as third albums go, this is definitely more of an Ultra Mono than a Skinty Fia – a consolidation of their position rather than a leap at greatness.

An album that finds Nesbitt in the midst of personal and artistic self-discovery. She’s almost there, just a few more seasons.

All considered, Minotaur is thoroughly pretty and easy to appreciate on a compositional level; the usual blend of modern-era indie pop with iconic '60s sensibilities. But it's like that particular horse has been beaten past recognition, rendering Minotaur a little too safe for its own good.

As debuts go, it’s not on the same level as their mates Wolf Alice, but it is a compelling listen and a worthy addition to any burgeoning music library.

It’s considerably better than it has any right to be, made up of a surprisingly satisfying mix of bright modern pop, standard club bangers and Billie Eilish-esque miserablism.

Encores is a clear illustration of Nils Frahm’s ability to work both in small and large structures, with plaintive piano nuggets and broad electronic canvases enjoying their proximity.

The streaming era may have killed mixtape culture, but it’s best to come into Magic 2 expecting a more casual affair – Nas is mostly just flexing, surveying his legacy while adding to it.

Hunx And His Punx are happily basic, and that has resulted in a half-hour of impeccable golden-age pop, but there's certainly no great cosmic significance here. Yet it's still easy to get excited about a half-hour of impeccable golden-age pop, and in that mindset it's well worth a few spins.

This album could easily be written off as being derivative and stale, but when you spend more than 30 seconds thinking about it, you realise just how rare and unique this sound actually is in 2018.

Liberty, her seventh album, feels like the record she’s been desperate to make for some time.

It may not rock your world but, against all the odds, The Conversation presents a Texas which you can imagine falling a little bit in love with.

Detractors might make the same comments they make about all heritage rock acts – the music is made obsolete by previous, better albums that they might not have liked in the first place – but they really can't say that Blue Electric Light isn't a considered, cohesive work.

Amongst the buzzing guitars however it is possible to detect small signs of improvement and fine-tuning, whilst it also boasts a greater melodic strength than its predecessor.

The Tipping Point manages to straddle the band’s past (the very early days aside) and stride on into present times, and that in itself should be enough to please more than one generation of Tears For Fears fans.

Overall, this is an album full of promise, poise and brio.

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming may have its flaws, but minor niggles aside it is a testament to the fine songwriting skill of Gonzalez.

The key to enjoying this album lies, ironically, in forgetting that the Pumpkins ever existed. Remove the past and the baggage, and take it for what it is; a pretty decent rock album.

It sees Vernon moving things on a touch, artistically, while still retaining much of what made his debut such a delight to so many.

For the most part however, this is a focused and enjoyable stomp.

Overall Dark Rainbow is a significant improvement on their last album, but doesn’t quite hit the heights they’ve previously shown themselves to be capable of.

It's never devoid of expression of interest, and has a colour and charm you'll struggle to find on the airwaves these days. Most of all, it's fun. Pure and simple.

It’s almost inevitable that an urban record made by an American rock classicist--especially one who moved to New York as a teenager like Morby did--will evoke Lou Reed. ... Shooting for a rawer, more stripped-back sound has left certain songs on City Music feeling under-powered and –developed, however.

Superstar doesn’t quite hit the heights of its predecessor – at times, it feels like the whole concept of the album’s theme is getting in the way of creating a fully flowing album. When it works though, there’s enough evidence that Rose is still very much a superstar herself.

There certainly seems a lot to unpack in Father Of The Bride, and at times there almost seems too much crammed into the album.

It would be apt as the soundtrack of a credit scene in The Inbetweeners, or to accompany an advert taking place on a summery day full of good times and beer. That is the image evoked by the album, which blends effectively into a complete piece instead of a compilation of singles.

Where Newcombe continues to find inspiration from, who knows, but the music still keeps on coming. And the world is a better place for it.

If one yearns for bigger and better things from Goldheart Assembly, it’s only because Long Distance Song Effects suggests they really do have the potential for greatness.

This is a good, and sometimes great album, that feels like it’s a few tracks short of being a masterpiece.

Much like some of their aforementioned peers, you might wonder what all the fuss is about, but it shouldn’t take too long before you see that there’s a lot to like.

Lyrically and (especially) musically, it’s business as usual on Will Of The People. It’s huge, over the top, and ever so slightly ludicrous – and yet, there’s an exhilaration about this band when they click into place.

Gold Panda has come up with another fine album with some standout moments, but overall Half Of Where You Live doesn’t quite have the coherence or impact of its predecessor.

Around is low-key, yes, but revealed to be full of those cries and swoops, flutters and chimes that are unmistakebly Verlaine, and weirdly engaging.

If this is just the start of an artistic resurgence then it'll be interesting to see what comes next. You feel that he's just getting started again.

All in all, Seer is an amazing addition to the impeccable Thrill Jockey canon, even if Alexander Tucker still sits atop his glittering throne at the apex of Thrill Jockey’s recorded output, unchallenged by great but not life-changing records like this.

After several listens its subtleties are revealed and things gradually fall into place, demonstrating how it should be heard independently, and judged on its own merits.

Those that have heard lead single Yummy will essentially be able to form their view on Changes without listening to it: if they find it icky and monotonous then that will be how they perceive the whole album, whereas those that think it’s catchy and well-produced are well and truly in luck.

These are songs that might sound delicate and fleeting, but are in they fact multi-layered and carefully created although admittedly they are at times almost dreamlike.

It won't be remembered for long, but in 40 minutes the album offers an amorous walk through a woman's keen strength in a style of music that will never sound dated.