Whilst some hooks aren’t quite high enough in the mix and the gauziness is almost as thickly-spread as on its immediate predecessor, De Facto pushes Lorelle Meets The Obsolete’s world into subtly groovier and wider-screen realms with admirable ambition. It captures a band reaching out whilst remaining true to its belief systems, with very convincing results.

Whilst ultimately Possible Dust Clouds may fall short of being another truly seminal Kristin Hersh long-player--which will always be hard given the stiff self-competition of her own bounteous back catalogue--the renewed sense of dynamism, diversity and drive within confirms that there is still plenty of propulsive creative fuel left in the tank.

Taken as a whole, this strangely captivating cowboy-themed album is certainly not all hat and no cattle. Whilst ultimately it will probably not reach much beyond the shared bubble of Dean Wareham and Cheval Sombre’s respective fanbases, it’s certainly a curious and welcoming bubble to get stuck in.

At times of course, as with other Zedek Band releases, a little more space would have let the recordings feel a little less austere and more melodically-open. On the whole though, Fighting Season is a rousing call for gritty humanity.

There is a noticeable but not calamitous chunk of Siesta that doesn’t go enough distance to really justify the extended running time of its fourteen tracks, with ponderous cuts such as “Your Head Your Mind”, “Why It Works Out Fine” and “Closer” being too reliant on meandering jangling. Consequently, this is a clear case where a little less could arguably have meant something more. That said, fans of amorphous Scandi art-pop will still find much to enjoy here.

Packed with a convincing fusion of craftmanship, camaraderie and charm, We’re Not Talking certainly never comes close to a sophomore slump.

For a de facto second bite of the comeback cherry, Snow Bound has plenty to warrant continued active-veteran status for The Chills.

The album is a tight yet tensile affair, that shows the old dog still knows how to learn a few tricks with scholarly shrewdness.

Whilst the reference points are sometimes more discernible than the strength of the melodic hooks, there is still something inscrutably summoning and stirring about Pink Noise that suggests there is more to Echo Ladies than just picking-up batons from a time just before the Britpop steamroller flattened out the sense of artistic adventure for some.

For something put together with a supposed casualness, Bird Dog Dante is actually a remarkably industrious--albeit satisfyingly low-key--affair that stands-up as Parish’s most consistent and accessible solo album to date.

So, reliable business as usual then for The Sea And Cake but with enough under-familiarity to neuter any contempt. Long-time loyalists will have few complaints.

Whilst the cynical might ponder whether Wooden Shjips may only really have one song, at least on V they prove how well it can it be stretched and squashed into many alluring, energising and enveloping shapes with charming self-confidence.

For an album that is only 36 minutes in length, Preoccupations manage to cram in a large amount of ideas, inspirations and ambitions.

Layering blankets of synths and keyboards as well as underlays of programmed drums and effects around his evocative guitar lines, makes Innerland an immersive experience, rich with flowing gauzy grooves and elemental ambient balm.

Somewhat predictably there are a few misfires--like the distracting “A Swamp Dog’s Tale” (featuring spoken word rambling from guest Lincoln Barrett) and the detuned-skanking instrumental “Dance Of Dirty Leftovers”--but overall the quality control is commendably high for a band still so young. The potential for something even more finessed--though no less barbed--next time around is clearly apparent. Until then though, this eponymous entrée is a stealthily impressive long-form introduction.

Although a couple of things don’t quite go the distance--namely the slightly meandering “See High The Hemlock Grows” and the murky slogging “Slow Down”--Quiet And Peace holds together remarkably well for a late-career collection.

The album magnifies both Meloy’s core songwriting and the group’s gifts for bold ambitious arrangements. This brings out some dynamic juxtapositions between simplicity and elaboration that serve proceedings in a refreshing fashion.

All Nerve is still a solid enough and welcome addition to The Breeders’ still slender yet always evolving canon.

Whilst again, as with its immediate aforementioned predecessors, there is a nagging feeling across One For The Ghost that Pete Astor could be still digging deeper into his cupboard of less conventional musical arrangements, there remains a good helping of charming and curious songs that invite return visits and slack-cutting forgiveness.

Whilst Volume 8 isn’t necessarily for Bardo Pond neophytes, long-term loyalists should happily squeeze it into their swollen shelves.

Gratifyingly, despite Four Stones ostensibly being an oddments compendium, it hangs together with remarkable cohesion. In fact, its five wordless pieces segue into one another as if they’d always belonged in one place.

Keeping it loud and with some wry northern humour around the edges, Autobahn’s second album is a tour de force of resonant, power-driven, electronic alt. rock played as it should be.

Whilst certainly disjointed and disorientating in its execution, this first full Moon Diagrams showcase is an oddly gripping sonic ride that suggests that there is plenty of artistic life beyond the drum stool for Moses Archuleta.

The net result is a strong suite of compositions that canter and curl with commanding calmness.

Taken as whole though, The Singles is a strangely satisfyingly testament to the belief that most great musical ideas--even those delivered with such wilfully uncommercial and unconventional intent--can still be boiled-down to fit on one side of a 7” slice of plastic.

Taken as a whole though, whilst Jane Weaver may not have delivered quite the revelation hoped for, this is a solid enough self-consolidating affair, that should both keep the faithful happy and ensnare more latecomers.

A memorable display from a band we need to acknowledge as true greats and it’s a thrill ride from beginning to end.

The remarkably focused and eclectic The Possum In The Driveway.