An engaging album devoid of stagnancy.

Stuffed with bomb-ass beats and rhymes that will bang from Cali to Darlington.

Imbued with a rupturing rave-punk sensibility.

A mystical brew of funk, gospel and delta rock.

Expansive and exploratory, powerful and hymnal.

First Serve holds no fear for newcomers, consolidates their legacy, and deserves at least one encore.

[Wonky has] not improved on any of their previous work. They are merely chasing the shadows cast from their own trademarked head torches.

At times it's testing, but there are flashes of phenomenal creative genius here that are destined to manifest further.

Yes, there are 'Did she really do that?' moments... But'MDNA' is mostly filled with moments when listening to Madonna still feels like the most thrilling thing any pop fan could possibly hope to experience.

This is an album self-assured in its odd-ball-ness, yet confident enough to step out into territories typically less habitual to it's maker.

[The album] adds - for the most part - a more expansive dimension to their sound.

A quality accompaniment and memorial.

What one quickly realises is that this is an accomplished record.

This is a powerful reminder of the pair's quite brilliant lunacy.

It's far from perfect - 'Ghost Note' sounds horribly like Skrillex in places - but there [are] enough interesting sonic detours to suggest that these agitators of sound are more than just another over-hyped gimmick band.

A quality accompaniment and memorial.

Studio gloss and sanitised drums too often leave things sounding a little safe.

It's got piles of ideas, some biting M.I.A.-style hooks, and all the grimy vibrancy of a night out in Soweto.

It's a gorgeous example of an album bursting with huge, dreamy songs.

Dragged down by a excess of melodrama, with some cutting and a dash of pop sensibilities The Jezabels would have a stone cold classic.

This is an absolute treat for fans of rootsy vintage soul and a remarkable statement of intent for a debut release.

This new full-length suggests that while Nedry haven't quite found their way there yet, the journey should be fascinating.

It's a joy.

The songwriting and hyper-futurism made easy are a case of Smart by name.

A gigantic album.

More Transworld Sport than Chariots Of Fire.

Some may find 'Visions' consistently eschews the same ground of super slick, layered vocals over chrome digital structures but this reductive palette of sonics hears the album fly towards its peak of 'Nightmusic' - a collaboration with Majical Cloudz that is camouflaged electro pop that'll keep you muttering for months.

When they're good, they are glorious and their enthusiasm is infectious, this band thrive when live but perhaps there's a little too much padding filling the, er, void.

The lyrics are as sharp and malevolent as they've been in ages.

The album does lose momentum towards the end but hey, here we have a relatively new band experimenting with the boundaries of their proposed genre, with generally impressive results.

A cornucopia of ideas and influences, here, Andrew Bird has created a veritable treasure trove of a record, where to equal the bare sum of its parts is a momentous achievement.

Far from dumbed down and more importantly, rap with a much-needed happy-go-lucky makeover.

Parastrophics is mischievous and atomised techno pop for listeners who think they've heard it all.

Unfortunately, the resultant package is very cleverly constructed and yet maddeningly dull.

A hodgepodge LP bound skillfully by the starry-eyed aestheticism he's become so fond of lately.

This album is a rich Norwegian delight.

An album that could be the soundtrack to the most fucked-up cowboy movie yet to be made.

This is her strongest set of songs since 2000's 'Faith And Courage'.

Therapy? have always exuded a commercial undercurrent and it's that ingredient that makes them compelling - equally now as then.

It's a win for the bedroom door-locking crew.

At times brilliantly cold and clinical, it feels like an album created for a man-made future but with Lovett's soulful croon adding the humanity, you'll feel every heartbeat.

Melodic, melancholic, at moments almost celestial, it's simply stunning work.

They could do with a couple more uptempo nuggets like 'The Kids Were Wrong'.

As You As You Were already feels like a festival anthem in waiting. Stunningly good music.

Always interesting, and with a deft use of traditional instrumentation alongside studio trickery, Fanfarlo have created another nugget of joy.

This marvellous studio-recorded successor [to his debut album] is more expansive but no less affecting.

So many of the risks taken are either unevocative or plain annoying, particularly when the tracks are structured with so little sense of development.

Listened to while watching Georges Méliès suitably trippy sci-fi spectacle, it makes for a brief, but enchanting, experience.

It's got a sweet, easy intimacy.

Armed with rich, booming backdrops, live analogue beats and rising string flourishes, she works the ever-awkward business of injecting nods to the sensitive and self-referential expertly, her words coming across more contemplative than indulgently pious... A solid return.

Smart, soulful pop.

A sorrowful, yet captivating collection of songs, ensuring that Ms. Mitchell continues to snap at the heels of PJ Harvey in the female singer songwriter stakes.

Lee ... continues his proclivity for sonic innovation with a plethora of funky grooves and drum lines - with no loops in earshot. AM's psychedelic guitar licks, basslines and vocals underpin an overriding '60s vibe.

Take it as deep dance for when there aren't enough hours in the day.

Mightily impressive.

An exhilarating and ambitious collection, it should bring Field Music a deservedly larger audience at last.

This is a confident, bold and captivating record, and one which is dominated by that beguilingly ragged voice.

She may not take life too seriously, but when it comes to making divine music, Beth means business.

The over-riding impression is that this is a tired, conservative and weirdly insular album.

This sixth album by the band is a well-rounded proficient release.

Its cleverness and humour burst like springs from an overstuffed rococo couch.

Honest, uncompromising, raw and restless, it's a rock album of some distinction.

Bold, colourful and eclectic, 'Have Some Faith' displays a vivid musical palette showcasing a band growing in scope and stature.

It's more a relic of the past than a record of the future.

A quirky and sincere collection.

Intense and claustrophobic, it's a surprisingly revelatory record that captures the highs and lows of human experience and existence.

With clean production and virtuoisitic precision, imagine a Latin, metal, jazz inspired mellow mele, on acoustic instruments.

Sounding like club music for grown-ups wanting a decadent summer of love return without wanting their troublesome kids tagging along... Likely to be a hit in the woods and beyond.

Notably shorter than its predecessor, MU.ZZ.LE is just as rich and arresting, cataloguing Sumach's echoes, mumbles and stumbles through an album of lethargic trip hop and uneasy paranoia.

The Lion's Roar is full of rich textures that unfurl around Klara and Johanna's bittersweet harmonies.

It's hard to resist.

Most certainly a bedroom record affair and perhaps suffering for this fact but the overall sentiment captured make up for whatever shortcomings may be presented.

While they still don't quite seem to be the finished article, there's plenty of promise.

An impressive debut.

It's a band comfortable with the idea of growing up but like kids trying on their parent's clothes, the ideas behind Aabenbaringen Over Aaskammen are a little oversized but not by much.

While offering more of the same, nevertheless does it with sparkle and verve.

Infuriatingly irresistible.

The three-year hiatus has been worth the largely triumphant return.

I have seen the future of dreamy pop, and its name is The Maccabees.

A fluorescent, gently psychedelic record with a fat vein of Eighties pop running through it.

A few moments of confusion and inconsistency, yet remains engulfing, evocative and mood setting.

It's upbeat, unusual and accomplished, an Asian rock 'n' roll space odyssey indeed.

100 Acres... drips with sonic gloss.

Virtually every track stands alone fine. But listened to as an album, it's repetitive and numbing.

Not an unqualified success but worth your consideration.

A blindingly good debut.

You don't even need to know about the box-set's extras: if teenage angst is the root of rock and roll, then 'Quadrophenia' is its definitive statement.

Quirky but accessible, ebullient but tragic, it's their most accomplished record yet.

Produced by man of the moment, Danger Mouse, the sound remains unmistakably Black Keys but adds further dimensions to what is already a winning mix.

Consistently surprising, fanciful and varied, each genre flip, from pop, dub and hip-hop to rap is traversed with ease.

Unapologetic, progressive and complex, it's adventurous, indulgent post jazz, brimming with spirit. Absolutely exhilarating.

The second album from this mysterious French/Finnish indie-folk duo is every bit as eclectic and unexpected as the first.

The pace is infectious and small helpings will sweeten your day.

If... is dominated by widescreen cinematic soundscapes and fabulously evocative arrangements.

The self-confessed non-DJ plays stylishly to the dancefloor's edge, flirting a little with the background before headline interjections from Bok Bok, Untold and 2562 yank you back to centre square.

A contemporary-pop triumph.

It's not always pleasant, but in a funny way, it's quite compelling.

Meh. It's alright, but I'm like... I'm like a bit bored, actually.