Dutch Uncles’ third album is easily the Manchester band’s most accomplished effort to date.

A joyous sense of imagination proves to be its own reward.

Nocturne still treads the same paths, but it finds Tatum taking far bigger, more confident, strides.

As the title track gradually morphs from delicate ballad to fisherman shanty to blissful climax it's hard not to be awed, even if those casual listeners might not find much to keep them.

By turns, If You Leave is word-in-the-ear intimate and mountain-range massive.

A complete lack of compromise anywhere. Yet, whilst that means that it takes a few listens for the intricacies to fully come through (alongside stormy brooder ‘Strife’, early single ‘Husbands’ is still the most sonically independent offering here), it fundamentally endows the record with a clarity of vision that justifies all the hyperbole.

"Milk Maid are great!" Shout it from a rooftop.

As with Real Estate, producer Kevin McMachon has coaxed the wispy dreaminess of an excellent debut into a progressive, immersive successor.

This second album is exciting rather than essential, but if it's blown-out ears you want, PS I Love You oblige in style.

This isn’t her masterpiece (that’s to come in the sixth and seventh suites), but it’s only a sliver away.

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

If you wanted a masterpiece, this isn’t it--it’s too long and stoned for that. Rather, it’s an invigorating, assertive and magical collection that’s probably cleverer than you are.

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

There's absolutely no attempt to innovate, but it's not a huge problem when the tunes are as sweetly and simply put together as this. [Jan 2013, p.62]

It's a head-swirling selection of the swankiest electro, techno and house, plus silky soul from Blood Orange, geo-political pop from Condry Ziqubu and howlin' funk from Gospel Comforters.

From the moment jumpy, garagepop opener 'Falcon Eyed' trapezes towards you, it's clear that Cate Le Bon is in carnival spirits throughout her second LP.

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

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

'Walk The River' is defiantly sky-punching stuff, chipping away at its own corner of neoclassicism between latter-day Pulp and late-80s Tears For Fears and displaying not only an excess of soaring Dangerfield vocals but also plenty of roaring guitars...and deftly-exploring haunt-pop suss.

Not exactly champion wordsmiths, then, but the ebulliently heart-warming rush of the tunes is reason enough to forgive any clunkers.

Sure, there’s clunky country passages (‘Houston Hades’), brassy crooning (‘J Smoov’) and Cream-y jams (‘Cinnamon and Lesbians’), but Malkmus’ wit remains more than intact in his middle-age.

Glowing Mouth is as emotionally jolting and cosily reassuring as a night in with a David attenborough boxset.

Casiokids received a one million Kroner grant from fellow Nordmenn A-ha for musical potential....A-ha can consider their money well spent.

Refreshingly repetitive. We love you too, Bear In Heaven.

Their kings of the beach crown may have slipped a little nowadays, but Wavves still offer plenty of no-frills fun.

The studio remains the band's fourth member and their wind-tunnel intensity is a constant. The compositions are more focused this time round, however, while quiet-loud dynamic shifts are more arresting.

In and of itself, So Long, See You Tomorrow is more or less flawless BBC; their music has always been polite, erudite and winsome, and that beat does not skip here.

While Dry The River stick resolutely--and somewhat predictably--to their 'start quiet, build to a stomping ending' mantra throughout, Shallow Bed is an uplifting debut.