What this three-hour opus does is show Matmos to still be intrepid sonic explorers, pushing the boundaries of musical orthodoxy and consolidating their unique position within the avant-garde.

A sensational album of varying degrees of pleasure and pain. ... Ultimate Success Today is their most cathartic statement to date.

Clever but debauched, silly but serious, this is the best album of their career thus far.

It's appealingly uncompromising and right on the border between lucidity and madness.

In each of the 21 songs there is something to draw from, an instrumental colour to enjoy or a sentiment with which to relate.

The results might not always work--the dreary "Disturbed This Morning," for example--but when they do, it is almost always exciting. By no means is this a classic album, but there are plenty of worthwhile moments to be had.

Keeping the intensity and power of their previous work, but much more agile and versatile in its approach, The People In Your Neighbourhood feels comfortably like Led Bib’s best work to date.

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

Those expecting freedom and discordance may come away disappointed, but this is, none the less, a driven and impressive album from a band in fine, but different, form.

There’s just enough experimentation and intrigue within the 10 songs to make Chorusgirl’s debut one to explore.

Some may miss Taylor’s presence and powerhouse vocals, but Slow Club fans will still find plenty to enjoy--and the uninitiated will be able to hear a truly talented songwriter coming into his own at last.

Coupled with mostly low-key guest appearances, The Pool isn’t an album that jumps out at you. It’s an easygoing record that has a sophisticated yet soulful centre, and that’s where its appeal lies.

It’s a fine showcase for Tunng’s strongest set of songs in many years--happily, this seems to be one reunion that’s working out just fine.

While there’s no denying that when they hit their default groove – as on To the Nth, for example – GoGo Penguin are a mightily tight, impressive unit, this album does leave you wanting more from a very talented band clearly capable of greater things.

A compendious set of cinematic, soothing and poignant songs, showcasing a deeper maturity not only in Melua’s voice, but also in her songwriting.

Above all, though, there’s McAlmont’s voice, which has lost none of its sexiness and agility in the years since he arrived on the scene in his partnership with Bernard Butler. ... While all of the musical elements may have a strong element of reminiscence about them, the lyrics are bang up-to-date, and not always as cheerful as the sound-world suggests.

Brothers & Sisters sees him build on these long established musical interests but, importantly, also add new elements to the mix to deliver a compelling listen. It comes out of the blocks impressively quickly, with each track building on the former to create a formidable initial run. ... In terms of musical statements it’s hard not to see it as his most vivid and vibrant to date.

As well as the unexpected guest stars – Damon Albarn! Chaka Khan! – there’s also songs about arcade games, an instrumental, and experimental tracks based on vocal repetition. It’s a far cry from the band’s usual breezy guitar pop, but it works beautifully well.

It would have been very easy, at such a young age, to restrict himself to a particular sound, but What Happened To The Beach? demonstrates an impressive range that bodes well for his long-term success.

The 11 songs collected here are all among the very best of his career, enlivened with a vividness and warmth that offers something new with every repeated listen.

It’s simply another good collection of melancholic indie-rock – and sometimes, that comfort in familiarity is just what you need.

With its often complex textures and patterns, much of The Secret could represent a challenging listen for those unfamiliar with music of this genre. Yet it's unquestionably a triumph; building impressively on Vieux Farka Toure's promising work to date and making good on its creator's promise to "dig deep into the secrets of my own history and my country's culture in order to move the music forward. "

While not quite as immediate as its predecessor, All The Time is an enjoyable collection of bops and ditties for those who like their tunes retro and mischievous.

It’s a story (almost cinematic), a journey, and far and away the greatest album they’ve done so far.

Not only is the music a step forward, the songs are too--and Coombes revels in their delivery.

Proto is a very distinctive record, and its sound design is as astounding as we’ve come to expect from Herndon. It’s also deeply powerful, as its crystalline tones call to mind the ghost in the machine, and leaves the listener wondering what further symbiosis can be achieved.

Her engaging lyrics remain her true strength. But in her quest to perfect this mission statement, the urgent spark present in her debut has dimmed just a little.

Another six-minute effort closes the album, Ducter, and like all the album’s best tracks it manages to navigate all the band’s best checkpoints of note, showcasing those spellbinding vocals and extraordinary percussion as they tread a truly staggering path. Schlagenheim will open up a whole new bottle of weird, if you let it in. It’s Troutmask Replica for a new generation, or perhaps it’s Can attempting to recreate the madness that Captain Beefheart’s enigmatic classic contained.

Some of these tracks are cruel in their brevity.

To paraphrase Public Image Ltd, this is not a love album, in a form that most would recognise. It is, however, a powerful rumination on its presence, absence, and the power, both good and bad that love holds over us. Oxbow understands the power of love.

It probably won’t be to everyone’s tastes – at times, it all becomes a bit too doomy and inaccessible, such as on Theme From Muddy Time – and newcomers to his music may be best pointed towards Your Wilderness Revisited instead. Nevertheless, this is another fine example of Doyle’s talent – and, considering he only turned 30 earlier this year, indicates a lot more to come in the years ahead.

It is full of sadness and hope, but ultimately it is a celebration of human spirit and the unique talent of Roky Erickson. This indeed is special and magical music.

That they emerge victorious is a tribute to the strength of these fine songs as well as some seriously glamourous production attitude.

It’s rare that you get an album by an established artist that genuinely shocks and irrevocably repositions them. Blank Project is one of those albums. This is a hugely significant return.

Particularly impressive is that the music never feels incoherent or thrown together. The band always, somehow, emerge with a compelling and coherent voice, albeit a strange and often dark one.

Overall, Pearson has produced an album with very few weak spots. It’s a record that takes the strengths of Return and builds on them, resulting in a work that, from the very first listen, you know you’ll be going back to again and again.

This is effectively Hebden's Balearic album, and while it may not please everyone with its relatively conventional outlook and lack of experimental tendencies, few will be able to deny it as a thing of beauty.

Perhaps, but there do seem to be less of them these days, and Being Funny In A Foreign Language represents a gradual, encouraging maturation for the band.

Brothers is a woozy, murky album, fat as a tick, and riled up like a kicked hornets' nest. Whatever growing pains they've gone through as a pair has been worth it; Brothers hits harder than either of their solo albums.

It's lyrically depressing, but if you're down in the dumps about the ills of the world and frustrated by a lack of personal achievement, there's surely not a better companion piece to have to hand as you wallow.

Pain Is Beauty not only shows Wolfe’s penchant for atmosphere but for stylistic diversity.

They make up an entire color palette of music and lyrics, of sounds and themes, that when combined on Rutili’s canvas make up truly original territory.

If there's a more surprising album this year, we'll be, er, um, surprised; Primary Colours is one of the best albums of 2009 so far.

Simply put, no one does electronic music quite like Autechre.

With all the ingredients for success laid bare, Sempiternal comes as the lightbulb moment--the clicking into place of every cog and spring, Bring Me The Horizon more than ready to accept the gauntlet thrown to them.

It’s a vivacious, impactful beginning which appeals both to the heart and the body. Yet, there’s also plenty of evidence of skilful management of sounds, elements being introduced and withdrawn at the opportune moment.

Gwenno is doing important work here, and for those willing to open their minds and step into the mythical land of Le Kov will find that they may not want to leave.

All in, this is quite a cathartic affair, as Ferry weaves in and out of his enviable back catalogue with vim and vigour and with dashes of melancholy and darkness. Symphonic, cinematic and touching.

Leading The Raconteurs, the restlessly inventive maverick White and the sunnier, more straightforward tunesmith Benson really do complement each other well, mixing thrilling aggression with focused sweetness. White may have a much higher profile, but Benson brings a positive, restraining influence to some of his partner’s self-indulgent tendencies.

It’s an assured, charismatic release with a consistency that sets her above her contemporaries.

Its aching honesty and immaculate balance prevents About Farewell from being just another break-up record, as Diane presents something to us lyrically raw but unafraid to sport obviously produced yet sentimentally appropriate musical flourishes, from strings to harmonizing female choruses, when the time comes.

For a debut it’s a remarkably confident and assured album, while hinting at even greater things to come in future years.

Fading Frontier is probably Deerhunter’s fourth best album. It’s still an excellent record, but it’s just ever so slightly underwhelming.

Like its predecessor, every single element on The Midnight Sun appears to have been carefully and painstakingly thought out, but serene closer Window is a perfect demonstration of just how effortless it all sounds.

The release of The Next Day would have been one of the biggest stories of the year no matter what its quality--the fact that it also happens to be one of the best records of Bowie’s career to date just makes the comeback that much more triumphant.

If only her music might just occasionally match the freeform, flighty, extravagant nature of her words.

Whilst there are a few darker moments (particularly towards the midsection) there’s are also a number of delicate and beautiful moments too.

To ears trained on western classical harmony, rock and roll, or even much of the jazz tradition, this will sound fearsomely complex. What is truly impressive about these three players is how confident and effortless they make it all sound.

Some moments here do veer into the more predictable end of indie-rock territory.

He remains a formidable wordsmith, and a fast mover by the looks of things. However his career develops, it will be crucial for him to keep a tight hold of the bewitching elements that help make not just his debut, but also his latest, a refreshing listen.

The Randy Newman Songbook Vol 2 is an invigorating celebration of the power of music, and a delicate declaration of the power of one man and his piano.

It feels engaged and defiant, but perhaps more inward looking than the inevitably direct political feeling behind Albala.

It’s not the sort of record you look to for big surprises or revolutionary moments, but if you’re looking for an excellent pop-soul record from an artist who’s going to be around for years to come, you can’t go wrong.

While Wolfe’s incredible vocals are the main draw, her long term collaborator Ben Chisholm deserves significant recognition too. Not only does his fuzzed-to-fuck bass make these songs feel genuinely threatening, his manipulation of sound and creation of washes and collages provides unsettling backgrounds for Wolfe to weave her magic over. Without him, the oppressive atmospherics of the album wouldn’t be nearly as effective.

Whether John Wizards’ debut album has lasting power is impossible to know, but for the moment, they’ve wholly succeeded in at least making something to appreciate.

Anyone looking for party bangers may be disappointed (apart from Natural Skin Deep) but Broken Politics is the sound of an artist growing and maturing very nicely. These are intelligent, beautifully crafted songs to sink into and luxuriate, and tracks like Black Monday and Synchronised Devotion will live with you for months after first hearing them.

Whilst R.I.P. certainly has some of the cold detachment that often characterises electronic music, it is also a remarkably thoughtful and creative work that has clearly benefited from a more personal and human compositional approach.

While James Blake came good on his Mercury prize winning second album, William Doyle as East India Youth has delivered a stunningly exquisite work on his very first go.

The band’s third album has a raw power which has the ability, at times, to stop you in your tracks. It’s also their best work to date.

Cerulean Salt was a tough album to top but, with this bleak yet beautiful follow-up, Crutchfield might have done just that.

It will be intriguing to see where he heads next on his musical tour, adapting as he does to different styles, though time and again the music of True Meanings feels like the most naturally sourced for him as an artist now. It is very much a case of a little less being a whole lot more.

His music is inventive and intriguing and has that special quality where you’re never quite certain what will happen next. Shelley’s On Zenn-La only adds to his increasingly impressive reputation.

Though it adds no innovation to the genre, Lay It Down's tried-and-true approach should appease longtime soul fans

Like all ambitious double albums, [Aerial] is not without its flaws, but even Bush's moments of failure are much more interesting than those of her contemporaries.

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

Slight quibbles aside, there is plenty of gold to be found here.

This is a diverse collection of quality melancholia by two intuitive veterans with nothing to prove except their ability to create music to invest your soul into.

Coxon has come up with an album full of raw guitar licks, killer hooks and heartfelt lyrics.

This is an odd gem of a record that should be cherished in a class of its own.

While the days of the indie dancefloor hits from their first two records may be long gone, the Arctic Monkeys we’re left with now are undoubtedly at the top of their game.

There are some mis-steps--California English employs Auto-Tune about two years too late--but overall this is a fine follow-up to their successful debut.

So put aside your disappointment at the lack of squealing guitar solos and take Get Behind Me Satan for what it is - another massive step forward in the evolution of a truly great band.

It stops short of SMD's effort by quite a way, but it's a fine and much welcome showing for a pair of self-professed amateurs.

For those that can stand the fact that this lot really do possess some talent, this might be another slice of Sub Pop to add to the collection.

It all adds up to Stern's most fully realised, most rounded album yet, and a huge step in her evolution as an artist.

Apart from a short reprise of the McNally-penned title track this, then, is how the album closes, and the lasting image that it leaves you with. It is a fitting summary of all that is great, and troubling about this unique, uncompromising band.

Even if Settle quiets the unreasonable expectations surrounding it by offering a solid collection of smart dance tracks, some songs do not fully live up to the hype.

An immersive listening experience is guaranteed.

Lush and atmospheric, with shades of the paisley funk of Shuggie Otis, the laid-back, freewheeling early ‘70s Marvin Gaye and Todd Rundgren’s cosmic mishmash (with centrepiece soul medley)--A Wizard, A True Star, Green Twins demands your attention, in a subtle but compelling way.

There are no low points in this relentless record. At times it is beastly, baring its teeth. At others, it’s divinely angelic, St Purple Green and Sky Musings being prime examples.

While Damned Devotion is not the Police Woman at her most arresting, it is nevertheless a solid showing from a performer who always has plenty to say.

Some people will bemoan the lack of a real crossover hit (there’s certainly no The Noisy Days Are Over contained on Open Here) but it’s one of those rare albums that you just know you’ll keep coming back to, time and time again.

Dead Magic is a brilliant artistic statement, Anna von Hausswolff’s best self-definition to date.

Melt Yourself Down have always had jazz antecedents and connections but they’ve never sounded more like a jazz band than they do here. While this album sometimes struggles to maintain focus in its thematic range, the music never misses a beat as it reaches far and wide.

In short, it’s an album that demonstrates the continuing merit of musical collaboration while also offering a hopeful counterpoint to a world all too often consumed by negativity and strife.

It continues a run of quality that stretches all the way back to her debut.

Becoming Undone is a twisted, thrilling ride, at once stylish and unhinged, showing that more sophisticated production techniques haven’t taken away any of ADULT.’s edge over the years.

It’s a brutal, intense listen, and certainly won’t be for everyone, but those who care to take the journey will find many rewards.