Halcyon is a bold and confident step forward.

Another twelve inches of brilliance.

An explosion of Snaith's warm-yet-manic verve, this is euphoria from a new master of the dancefloor.

Mostly, it's a success.

Ultimately, though, such moments [eight-minute behemoth 'Rolling Out' and 'Free Action''s endless harping on a major seventh chord] of purgatory only make tracks like the sweetly-countrified title track and the blissful 'Trails' sound more like some kind of heaven.

The scale [on The 2nd Law] is such that you have to stand back in a kind of addled awe. Much in the same way that you might regard a 75ft-high luminous pink pissing flamingo water feature; you have to admire the size of the ambition and the craftsmanship, even if it's not something you'd necessarily want at your own house.

In short, this time, they've nailed it.

On [Strapped] they've toned down their trademark do-or-die spirit and returned with something far more considered and refined.

'Infinity Overhead' finds [Minus the Bear] pondering The Big Questions, confirming suspicions that amateur existentialism and post-millennial indie rock comprise a winning formula.

A fully realised work of intellect and warmth.

Another near-flawless piece of work.

The record overflows with the tell-tale nuances of a band who have learnt how to translate grandiosity into something more restrained, yet no less forceful.

A couple of piano-led downers bring us to a close; bruised and bleeding, but breathlessly exhilarated.

We can only hope they soon renew their collaboration; 'Love This Giant''s too big and clever, and Byrne-Vincent too perfect a pairing, to be a once-in-a-lifetime affair.

It's the frontloading of moonstruck, airy pop songs that make this album worth your time; snobs who ignore 'True' will simply be wasting theirs.

'Coexist' is a refinement and crystallisation of their debut.

If TOY are a gateway drug, you'll be too high to care by the time this one's done.

This isn't a reinvention of Dinosaur Jr. so much as a sideways glance; a new angle to help us appreciate their wonder in a new light.

Algiers, then, is everything we know Calexico to be: lucid with grit and tempered with melody, easily the equal of their career's best work.

A perfectly-crafted album rich in just about everything.

Contact is a collection of catchy pop tunes and an eclectic one at that.

As the title makes pretty clear, this is a break up record, weeping with Magnetic Fieldsy candid cynicism about love.

Some of the best material she's ever penned.

They've honed their ability to be urgent and primitive, to write songs that make boys and girls want to snog each other, and added nuance and depth. Everything feels bold, fast and confident.

An album of wonderful surrealism.

The Londoners' ramshackle summer vibes are still happy to coast along on a slacker wave rather than streamlining too directly.

On Four Bloc Party manage to make their affecting and dizzyingly devilish music sound relevant and exciting again.

Whilst possessing the rich production values Dear's typically celebrated for, 'Beams' sees its creator grow with confidence, slipping into James Murphy's grubby Converse with ease.