None of these versions are really necessary, at least for listeners (it sounds as if making the record was both important and cathartic for the band), and while it’s as good a place for newcomers to start as any and superfans will probably enjoy teasing out the small differences, it’s the least essential thing Tindersticks have ever released.

This all adds up to an ambitious record, the most thematically ambitious of Holopaw's discography, but it's a set that can't quite live up to those lofty goals.

An Invitation is not just classy; it’s bourgeois. And worse than that, it’s sporadically boring.

Employing bassoon for bass and a varied combination of stringed, pizzicato and electronic effects, Rossi crafts compelling if a little slapdash songs.

Season Dreaming isn’t the complete statement of a group fully formed, but a solid argument for better stuff to come.

While there are many indisputable highlights to be found on Ashes Grammar, it can be a chore to find them.

When all is said and done, The Fame Monster isn't going to win Lady Gaga any new converts, but it does prove something to her millions of fans: that she's not complacent with doing the same thing over again.

Trouble No More is good but it's never really all that exciting.

The back end is especially weak in this regard; many of the tracks could be shortened without losing any impact. Fortunately, the first few tracks on Early Birds range from good to tremendous.

It's as scrappy, outsize, and infectious as anyone could hope for, and as shrill and cloying as anyone could expect.

For all of its accessibility and open-ended melodicism, however, The Tourniquet offers few moments of sustainable substance.

The group’s first album had hooks in abundance, and they are only slightly less plentiful here. These hooks are the source of the pleasure, while Endicott’s sometimes questionable lyrics give us our feelings of guilt for being drawn in, in spite of ourselves.

There aren't too many instances of musical weakness on the record, though a few tracks are mediocre in comparison with the album's most winning moments.

XOXO, Panda really could have used some more variety. A tonal change in Bianchi’s vocals, for example, would have helped. And a few tracks could have been left off to create a leaner, stronger collection. But as a debut of his new sound, the album stands as a strong showing of his overall talent.

This is the ground those guys were born to walk on, while the new Man of Aran score can be a bit of a stretch at times. Nevertheless, props are due for the effort as I shudder to think where they could have gone with it. At least they tried.

In the gloomier, more experimental moments, Wildlife merely captures the sound of a band weathering growing pains that will hopefully pass with time.

While there’s no denying that Tapestry of Webs sounds like the work of accomplished, seasoned musicians, it’s occasionally a bit too unassuming for its own good.

It might be a better album if a tad self-edited, but overall it'll do for most Mobyites.

The Bardo Story is an appealing shot of homespun psychedelia.

There’s nothing revelatory or jaw-dropping here, but these recordings still serve as a masterclass of folk guitar given by two of the best in the business.

The consistent sound here isn’t so much redundant as repetitive; it builds a world in a way that too few records do. It’s not a particularly deep work--and it’s certainly not as important as its maker implies. But if there is a deeper truth to be found, it’s going to be in the album’s texture which conjures a beautiful night where the streets are wet, and you might be sad, but not sad enough to go to bed just yet.

Youth Is Only Ever Fun in Retrospect is a strong introduction to Sundara Karma, with some true high points and it will surely benefit from good radio coverage, a positive critical response and most importantly, strong public support that this young band can hopefully build on.

Musically, The Neighbourhood continues in the same realm as their past work. It's moody, down-tempo rock with a little R&B; tinge: think sad Weeknd with occasional synths leads and a little Auto-Tuned Kanye thrown in.

The overall structure of the album as a sound bouncing through the city is excellent, though song-to-song, the album can feel uniform in a more expected way. But that said, this is still a tight 35 minutes of pure punk rock from a band making a welcome return and refusing to go back to where they were.

As the storyteller in these songs, Ellis injects just enough emotional distance between himself and the subject matter to prove that there is another side. And that’s where he lives. It might not be airy and bright, but there is solid ground under his feet.

Intellectually and musically, it's more like a rose bush in winter: thorny, twisty, and hinting at tantalizing beauty. The more time you spend with this album, the easier it is to get caught.

For all the times Ring is successful in balancing the soundtrack and ambient elements, there’s a significant problem with the synch of the record.

What's missing on Sirena... is the fire or edginess of the work of [Scott] Walker, Pulp, or even Tindersticks.