It all means that Sometimes I Sit… is a likeable, enjoyable album rather than a great one. Barnett has written half a masterpiece: let’s hope that, next time round, she can complete the job.

2011’s Circuital was up there with their best work and now Jim James and company are back again with The Waterfall, which maintains their high standards.

Nothing As The Ideal never fails to entertain and covers much ground in doing so. It’s a case of which aspect do you like about the band at times, though: the metal side or the stoner rock side. You probably won’t be disappointed if you sit in either camp; equally, however, you may feel disappointed that you haven’t had enough of your preferred All Them Witches fix.

The album’s probably better than expected, so it’s somewhat of a disappointment that the band haven’t been encouraged to recreate their main strength, the brilliant electricity generated by pulsating live shows as their music builds into euphoric peaks; too often, the production strips away the potential majesty.

Once again, they have come up with a lovingly crafted tribute to the idiosyncrasies of England’s summer sport, and those who approach it as a bit of harmless fun will be humming these songs with a smile on their face at least until the final ball of the Ashes series is bowled.

While this may not be the best place to start investigating the man, it's still another reliably wonderful chapter in the life of one of the country's best songwriters.

Eels don’t do anything markedly different to what they’ve done many times before, but E’s songwriting remains in fine fettle and he still has plenty to say.

There’s nothing as immediate as Ixtapa or Tamacun here, but there’s plenty of well rounded paeans nonetheless, and you’re sure to find something to adore if you’re a fan of guitar music, Latin music or heavy metal.

Though the magic isn’t always present on This Is What We Do, there is still a creative drive that makes the case for Barnes’ continuing relevance into the 2020s.

Admittedly, sometimes the album’s ambition does threaten to trip itself up--there’s a few too many half-sketched ideas crammed in, as opposed to fully formed songs; a bit of ruthless editing might have whittled down the running time to a more manageable 50 minutes or so. However, there’s certainly more highlight than filler contained in Freetown Sound and it is, ultimately, an album that deserves to be heard.

The lyrics speak tellingly of life experience, but the tunes don’t quite have the pizzazz to match the singing voice. Yet their turn towards the dancefloor is expertly marshalled by Rodgers, whose production tweaks are always tasteful – and this return bodes well in the long run. If they can just add the winsome melodies, The Zutons will be right back up where they deserve to be.

Ultimately, Bastille’s second LP is a more than worthy follow-up, one that throws up a few interesting surprises along the way.

It's far from perfect, but Dear Reader's Idealistic Animals is undoubtedly a bold second album, with the almost cathartic outpouring from MacNeil giving it an unnerving and eerie beauty.

As excitingly promising a solo debut as any.

Astonishingly, rather than the sound of desperate barrel scraping (although surely the cupboard is now totally bare), these songs document a band that constantly sought to engage and push the boundaries of music.

While perhaps lacking the simple yet intricate beauty of his purely instrumental work, In The Furrows of Common Place is another strong release from Ghedi, and fans of Chris Wood, Alasdair Roberts, Seth Lakeman and other modern folk luminaries will find much to enjoy in this confident and atmospheric collection of songs.

True North is a decent album, but one with no real standout tracks.

When it works, The Skull Defekts are an unstoppable force, but every so often, they get a little aimless.

Though this is a flawed collection, The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett still partially succeeds in getting the message across perfectly in an accessible and honest manner.

There are far more high points than low, all of which indicates that Pixx’s third album could well be something very special.

The instrumental Summer Jam also seems a bit throwaway, and being the closing track also ensures that the album ends on a bit of a damp squib rather than a flourish. Overall though, there is more than enough on Summer 08 to reconfirm Metronomy’s position as one of this country’s wittiest, most original and purely enjoyable pop acts.

On the whole his decision to try something different is a commendable and promising move and you get the feeling that it’s a direction he could continue to explore with success should he choose.

Despite the strength of this first offering, you can’t help but feel Foxygen haven’t quite reached their full potential.

Throughout his sounds have poise and power, and although the album is too long it does not often flag, for he is careful to fluctuate the colours used.

For all its merits AIM is a muddled record, and her divisiveness is sometimes counterproductive.

As two stuck-together EPs, then, perhaps the set might be taken better as a promising if flawed articulation of a vision yet to fully flower.

While it’s a hard sell to recommend something like this in the middle of summer, those brave enough to embrace the darkness will find much to enjoy.

Sigrid has delivered a suite of tracks that explore a theme without becoming tiresome, with slick songwriting and polished production to help the message hit home.

Big Wows is highly polished and lacks the intimacy and fragility that made Into Their Diamond Sun such a compelling listen. The pay-off is a more distant but fascinating record that charts their evolution as a band.

It's fun while it lasts, but it's easily forgotten once over.

Although unlikely to ever achieve anything anywhere near their most clear points of reference, they have created a decent debut that may be the springboard to considerably greater success, should Dimou not suffer from cold feet once again.

It's not quite the tour de force they seem to be capable of.

G I R L may not be breaking many new boundaries, but it’s guaranteed to keep Williams in ludicrously large hats for some time to come.

Given the impact of All Our Ends, that may be intentional - but it means the album is best experienced as a whole rather than in snippets. Then it can fully reveal its power.

Boys And Diamonds is a madcap trek around the postmodern musical landscape of a world on the brink of catastrophe.

It may not make the strongest impact initially, but repeated listens reveal more in the way of deep thought and renewed optimism for tomorrow.

There are enough highlights here that make this a very enjoyable, if unvaried, record.

In her quest to make her own brand of gimmick free progressive pop, Santigold has made an album that, for all its faults, intermittently works. And when it does hit the mark it does so exceedingly well.

With Images Rolling he has made an intriguing and, at times, inventive step up from his previous work.

At some points, you listen and think 'my God, this is actually better than The Strokes'.

The amount of painstaking effort that’s evident on Anything In Return suggests that he’s in this for the duration.

So the debut album is done, and it’s a good one.

Whilst it is certainly unlikely that Key To The Kuffs will do much to alter prevailing opinion towards his work, the record will serve as a worthy addition to Dumile's increasingly fascinating discography.

If nothing on Everything Was Beautiful feels truly essential to anyone with the Spiritualized back catalogue, it’s also a glowing example of their aesthetic.

Ozanne has stayed true to his roots and is peddling a gloriously emotional torrent of untamed electronica, soul-pop and darkwave. It’s both uplifting and tormented, both grandiose and intimate.

With Apple A. G. Cook shows plenty of potential, but ultimately more consistency is needed with his songwriting if he is to really make his mark.

Despite its promising start, the album sags in the middle with Harcourt indulging, not for the first time, his love of Tom Waits.

Christopher comes across as so eager to please that parts of the album lack vim where it’s needed, despite the luxuriant polish that’s been spread across all 10 songs.

A thoughtful debut on which art is sorrow, sorrow is art and Eastern influences are incorporated deftly. Most of the time.

The double album is a difficult thing to pull off, but considering the anticipation before the release of Biffy Clyro’s sixth LP, the trio have done a fine job.

After the crossroads moment that was Present Tense, Boy King is undoubtedly a powerful statement of intent from a talented, ambitious group of musicians clearly keen to explore new and bold territory. Yet by making this call, they have also sacrificed some of the crucial nuances that made Wild Beasts stand out from their peers in the first place.

The Archer Part 3 is the work of a band fascinated by sound and the possibilities of contrasts. Here are two musicians who never seem to go for the easy, comfortable option.

At its best, Motordrome serves as a reminder of why she deserved that success, and why she still deserves attention today.

A collection of gentle, sun-kissed pop guaranteed to be easy on the ears.

Gibb continues his experimental combinations of genres and sounds while ambitiously weaving them into an album with a story about growing up, resulting in something flawed yet consistently captivating.

Lyrically the album is an intriguing cocktail of emotions, veering from insecurity and vulnerability to assertiveness and outright feminine power.

It’s often difficult to know whether these songs are rushed and off-the-cuff, or whether they are in fact meticulously planned.

Could be the soundtrack to a blissed-out tropical holiday.

Peace On Venus is arguably the band’s finest (half-)hour since Dilate.

An album that merits--and rewards--repeated listening, this is further evidence of a band not simply in it for the short haul. Certainly no one-trick ponies, it will be interesting, exciting even, to see where Abe Vigoda take their music next.

The songs often look upwards, preoccupied with celestial bodies as they speak of the moon, the sun and ultimately the stars, for which the music often pines.

Catching A Tiger has its moments of spontaneity, marking Lissie's talent for songwriting and blending genres, but also of calculated engineering, designed to make her into the Next Big Female Songwriting Sensation.

While undoubtedly a bit too long, The Time Is Now reaffirms Craig David’s standing as a fine and flexible pop songwriter with all sorts of hooks up his sleeve.

Bluefinger is, then, a simple, accessible and enjoyable album of rock and blues by a formidable artist rediscovering his scream while maintaining his cultured songwriting abilities.

Needless to say, Yours, Dreamily can occasionally represent a more challenging listen than other Auerbach-contributed music. Occasionally though, these guys soar.

The more ‘ambient’ tracks (entitled Hent I-VIII) are scattered throughout the album and simply consist of Tiersen tinkling around on his piano over the sound of birds chirping away. ... Yet this can’t distract from the beauty of the main piano tracks on Eusa.

The steady pace of mid-tempo tracks might deter some listeners; although there are tinges of mischief, a sudden shift in pace would certainty elevate the listen.

Locus, then, is an intriguing beast, one that enjoys experimentation but doesn’t forget to please its listener through driving rhythms, colourful sonics and powerful musical statements that might be derivative but are a sharp blow to the consciousness, especially if heard loud on headphones.

While Peace does not quite finish on the bang that would have really rounded off a great record, there is no doubt that it reflects the band at their most natural.

It is a surprisingly refreshing listen.

Ghost On Ghost is a relaxed, unburdened work that should please most fans and generally be viewed positively elsewhere.

If you're in the wrong mood it can be a touch wearing by the end, but more often than not this is 21st century funk gone right.

In order to achieve the greatness within their grasp the bicycle club need to do some free-wheeling instead of all this furious peddling.

The overall feel of JackInABox is summery and light, and the album flows quickly and smoothly from song to song.

In The Thread That Keeps Us, Calexico have learned to let go a little, to let nature take over. The result is surprisingly comforting.

Over the past decade Ghostpoet has crafted his own niche, one in which dramatic instrumentation is paired with his inimitable drawl, and this record further solidifies the style that he’s known for, albeit with a few missteps along the way.

There are some bumps along the way, though, with Art Deco and Religion sounding almost too lackadaisical for their own good.... That said, when she gets the formula right, the results speak for themselves.

The album comes to a far too sudden close with a rendition of the old Warner Brothers standard As Time Goes By, Aphek distractedly strumming her unplugged instrument as the tracks air of optimistic wartime reverie prevails. Giving a cheeky wink to those who’ve found themselves silently swept up in her thrall, she leaves everyone hoping that’s not all, folks.

Clocking in at under 25 minutes, Do You Wonder About Me? is just shy of feeling like a fully-fleshed project. But with bags of potential, it’s an album that makes you excited to see what self-confessed “slop pop” exponents Diet Cig choose to do next.

Elton and Russell, having come together for The Union, have made an album that delivers as a confident enmeshing of their talents

With razor sharp, expletive-ridden lyrics and tight beats aplenty, it's undoubtedly Odd Future's most accomplished album to date.

Ewan Pearson (who’s also produced Thorn’s recent solo works) adds a lovely, warm sheen to many of the songs, giving a classy final touch to an album that has more hidden depths than its MOR surface may suggest.

Themes For Television might not be the most dynamic album, but for fans of ambient electronic music it hits the spot.

As it stands, Golden Suits is a lovely record, but one that could benefit from loosening up a little.

It is not quite playful enough or quite inventive enough to truly excel, but it is a largely fine effort from a man who anyone with an interest in UK electronic music would surely find to be well worth investigating.

A more brisk runtime and shorter tracks – as on 1981’s Lustwandel, for example – could have elevated the record to greatness, but as it is Wahre Liebe is a diverting collection that showcases Roedelius’ sonic prowess well.

With so many talented people involved, Humanz was always going to have its moments, and it is undoubtedly an engaging, intriguing and bold record. Yet when compared to Demon Days or Plastic Beach, one cannot help but feel just a little underwhelmed by the songs here.

This is a startling new direction, and while not entirely successful, it confirms Cornell as a vocalist of versatility and strength.

For those who have enjoyed Grubbs’ wide-ranging career and don’t mind taking a 45-minute detour into the mind of a clearly talented guitarist and singer (complete with painful violin), The Plain Where The Palace Stood is good enough to demonstrate how great Grubbs can be when he hits the mark.

On the title track, Steve asks, "Don't you got nothin' better to do than listen to a man from another time?" The album presents itself as a fitting answer to that question, and an appeal to anyone wanting to look into the distant delta past.

Sometimes the music is too comfortable for such strife, but there is more than enough here to satisfy. The voice still sounds great, too.

As uneven as Hey Clockface can become, there are still enough reminders of Costello’s genius scattered across the album. After all these years, his aim is still mostly true.

Compared to Big Conspiracy 3 years prior, Beautiful And Brutal Yard displays more ambition and an admirable desire to experiment, resulting in both career-defining moments and unfortunate missteps.

In general there is less percussion than previous Austra albums, which heighten the intimacy in songs like How Did You Know. The exception is the clattering set of drum fills towards the end of It’s Amazing, which disappears in a swirl of harp-like ripples. Yet HiRURiN, as with previous Austra albums, is all about the voice.

While the album's opening single, Sentimental Dishes, is far from the endgame--its jauntiness an awkward fit for the album's wider angst--there's a recognition in its pace, and the broadening ambition of the sound, that PS I Love You may be ready for more.

Yet, despite these slight missteps [Fear Machine and Delusion Pandemic], VII is a fine addition to what is already a solid musical canon.

Many of these songs are a delight to listen to; most could easily be a single.

It’s well crafted and well paced, and features more than enough discordantly catchy riffs (at least two corkers in Beat alone) to sustain the listener’s interest. But for all that, it’s an album dusted only lightly with genuine greatness.