Back to Forever moves things into the 1980s--all fist-pumping verses and “Kids-in-America”-like big choruses.

Arc is built with daytime radio in mind as much as the indie disco.

It's great.

The fourth album from the award-winning strings-and-sisters folksters is a thing of shivery and spooky charms.

As an exercise in expanded range, Shangri La is too diverse and distinct to dismiss.

Though there's no smash hit leaping out, with its consistent unity of atmosphere, The Fall is the most cohesive Gorillaz album yet.

Exquisitely poised solo pieces that subtly pay homage to the likes of fellow keyboard masters Abdullah Ibrahim and Erik Satie.

Fans of Raising Sand and O Brother...will find much to love. As – more surprising this – will fans of classic-era Fleetwood Mac.

Simon Green, aka Bonobo, has created a beguiling and compelling narrative.

The second Yelle album is essential for anyone who appreciates dancefloor-friendly European synth pop.

You know exactly what to expect: high-energy, hugely entertaining garage rock. And, with the odd exception, that's what they deliver.

It's an album which makes you feel warm.

He sets his bruised but unbowed soul against a stark musical backing and rediscovers the power of keeping it simple. Beautiful.

Give it time and the intensity of the music--the Hagar of the title is Lloyd's great-great grandmother, who was sold into slavery--comes through.

The live stuff is consistently inventive.... Randomness dogs the remixes, but that's standard.

"Yes You Do", a 1950s rock'n'roll love song updated for the synth age, is the standout track, but "Bassline" is the most typical.

It's almost boring: yet another excellent British Sea Power album.

Few bands do that thing - spitting the venom of the dumped, but somehow staying romantic at the same time - better.

It takes a few plays to acclimatise to but, once won over, whatever you listen to next will seem pedestrian by comparison. Lovely, but wholly on its own terms.

Lovely album from a true one-off.

Reuniting him with Slowhand/Backless producer Glyn Johns for the first time in four decades, I Still Do is Eric Clapton’s most assured album in ages, its understated poise and refinement reflecting the influence of his late compadre JJ Cale.

On the evidence of this [album] one can safely say that the Dø are the best French/Finnish duo in pop.

Her first UK release is a polished, bluegrassy thing of no small wonder.

There's enough on the highly politicised Macaroni to justify stepping outside to find him.

Happily, beardy-weirdy Texas psych-folkies Midlake manage to weather Tim Smith’s split with no pinch in purpose or progress.

It’s business as usual, only with a lusher production than expected and a tad too much emphasis on Western rock’s tired tropes in some of the licks.

Touching and strangely beautiful.

Listened to sympathetically, as soppy late-night jazz, it’s fine. Just don’t expect sparks to fly.