It's in the vein of 'Debut' in terms of songwriting but there are a lot more samples of foghorns on this record.

The confident arrangements throughout 'No Shouts, No Calls' are the finest Electrelane have yet committed to tape.

The Sea And Cake are ultimately an infuriatingly inoffensive band.

Lyrically, it's astounding as ever.

'Everything Last Winter' is a record by a band blithely unconcerned about any perceptions of cool.

They have made this album many times before and one assumes they will make it many times again.

Akin to Bowie's 'Hunky Dory', in its senseless but brilliant eclecticism.

'Baby 81' sees a band lose focus from what made them tick in the first place.

Rabid Dinosaur Jr fans will find plenty here to enjoy.

Unassuming, unpretentious and totally listenable too, this is thirteen songs and fifty minutes that might just make her famous.

'5:55' is a welcome addition to the Gainsbourg family's musical legacy, and we can't give any higher compliment than that.

Anyone expecting something similar to his early doom-laden musings will find nothing of the sort here.

The album sees the band moving on from the Libertines-aping chord structures of their debut and pushing in new directions.

You really won't find a more interesting, intelligent or wonderful dream of an album as 'Sensuous' all year.

It feels like a mix-tape or compilation, an in-joke or doodle between the participants rather than a completed work for public consumption.

The Champs' music is so exhilaratingly, grin-inducingly, fist-shakingly wonderful you cannot help but want more. VI delivers in spades.

There isn't a bad song on this album.

'Cassadaga' is much less of a draining emotional journey for both chief player and listener alike than Bright Eyes previous work.

As with all Blonde Redhead albums, there is no real standout track to pinpoint. Instead, they've made a terrific progression from, and succeeded in the daunting task of following, 'Misery Is A Butterfly'.

There is little to recommend here.

A decade after he first set an impossibly hard act to follow, Jarvis Cocker has returned with an album that knocks not only his ageing contemporaries, but many of his descendents, for six.

Great album though this is in it's own right, the failing of 'The Endless Not' is that it just sounds like it's happy to play safe. No shocks, no surprises... and , sadly, none of what made TG arguably, together with the Sex Pistols, THEE most important force in the evolution of modern popular music.

Timbaland has revealed himself to be a crass, stupid, venal prick who is pretty much talentless outside of production for other people.

Despite occasional thrills, for all The Twilight Sad's epic ambition and admittedly accomplished sound, this is a hollow record that struggles to fully transcend its influences.

If it's house music you're after then you won't like this because this (sorry to point out the bloody obvious) is something completely different. And that, as far as we're concerned, is the whole point.

The Fall are the best new band in Britain.

Kaiser Chiefs have absolutely no talent or taste for innovation.

When the tempo is slower on certain tracks such as 'My Interpretation' and 'Any Other World' the initial comparison is unavoidably that of one to Robbie Williams or Elton John, but there is none of the dead-eyed cynicism of the former and none of the bellowing oafishness of the latter.