Allen has fused together a uniquely acidic brand of pop, and the icing on the cake is that brutally barbed tongue.

All we need to know is, he was a master and this is his masterwork.

Ys is an exceptional piece of art in the broadest sense - give it the chance to grow on you.

Musically, the album is a triumph from first to last.

Goldfrapp and Gregory have made an album as hummably lovely as it is knowingly referencing of a certain tradition of neo-psychedelic English whimsy.

Its hedonistic groove carries everything before it, and reminds you that 'rock'n'roll' doesn't just signify a sound (and fury), it signifies an attitude towards risk taking.

Such an eclectic, ambitious record might be expected to sound disparate, desperate even, but instead it's a set of distinctive, strangely addictive songs.

The hipper-than-thou trappings mean people are talking about H&LA, but it is the record itself which is a deft delight.

Praise indeed but then these hard-nosed softies are unique and this, make no mistake, is their "Definitely Maybe," the quintessential noise-pop set of the modern age.

Drastic Fantastic feels neither brave nor raw; Steve Osborne, working with Tunstall for the second time, has produced an album of flawless pop hits.

The Pet Shop Boys' best album in over a decade, sitting neatly between their previous career highpoints of Very and Behaviour.

You know, deep down, that the These New Puritans set is the one that you'll be listening to in a decade, enjoying the fact that you can never quite decipher its codes, and probably being amazed at how many more commercially successful records it inspired.

This exhaustive project is the most impressive retro-fest of recordings, photographs, video footage and digiti sed memorabilia ever assembled.

The Canadian septet are the greatest art rock group since Talking Heads stopped making sense.

From production to persona, rhymes to flow, Public Warning is almost flawless.

The great thing about this follow-up is the way it builds on that foundation without lapsing into self-consciousness.

One of the most surprising and magical records for which Damon Albarn has ever been responsible.

An album packed with tuneful songs that would sound great coming out of radio speakers.

Virtually every song sounds like a leave-taking, though the overall mood is reflective and restrained, in places almost easy-going.

On the evidence of Favourite Worst Nightmare, the Arctic Monkeys are playing at the very top of their and everyone else's game.

Even by their own exuberant standards, though, AC's ninth album is a dizzying knees-up that makes most music, indie rock or otherwise, sound both bloodless and pathetically timid.

Crucially, Sam's Town sounds like a complete collection, with a far better strike rate than its predecessor.

Love vindicates the Beatles' status as master musicians and conceptualists.

Forget her peers or even ex-Eurythmics - think Dusty or Aretha, albeit of SW2, instead. 19 has been on constant repeat for several weeks now and will be, I suspect, for the rest of the year to come.

Once Upon a Time in the West is a well-written, well-recorded, mainstream rock record.

The result splendidly combines piety with celebration and musical tradition with creative boldness.

An outstanding musical creation... that nods to almost every known genre of American music, and some that have yet to be named.

Backed with the gusto of big horns, Young's guitar is once again a thing of wonder on this track, now slashing and burning, now playing transcendent dance riffs.