‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! rewards immersive, though somewhat uncritical, listening: a glorious hymn to the visceral and transformative power of sound.
USA - and by extension, Deacon - deserves plaudits for taking as many risks as it does and coming out the other side completely unscathed.
In this globalised but fragmented world, now so obsessed with immediacy, rapidity and digestibility, Ten Freedom Summers is a visionary work of protest and power.
R.I.P. seeks to deny electronic music many of its powerful and most recognisable conventions.
Words And Music isn’t just a celebration of popular music, but a hymnal ode to a loss of innocence, an end to the passions of our childhood.
It’s a brilliant exploration of the inevitable interaction between sound, the passing of time and the active process of listening.
This is an album that deals in both violent and emotionally painful territory, but which also comes bathed in hope and compassion.
It’s safe to say that Natasha Khan has once again managed to craft an album that ticks all the boxes, while also showing a maturity and evolution from her Mercury nominated sophomore album.
Beneath the toe-tapping slices of traditional country and folk are heartbreakingly sad lyrics that defy the Soderbergs’ ages
Sun is an album that conveys the full spectrum of emotions, but at the same time it manages to never sound convoluted or patched together.
Beach House are equipped to leave the nods to shoegaze behind and embrace a far more holistic aesthetic – pop music.
This is Public Image Ltd continuing to be what it has always been: an endless, enthralling exploration of Lydon’s ever-roiling mind.
With an overall feel that suggests an ever-growing sense of confidence and belief in his compositions, it presents an intriguing picture of where he may go in future.
Any quibbles are minor here though, for Devotion is a truly impressive debut album from yet another talented British singer.
It might not be as cultured as previous efforts, but it's hugely entertaining - even more so when played at high volume.
Although it’s possible to find minor disappointments and flaws in Ekstasis’ skilfully woven tapestry, this should not obscure Holter’s manifest talents.
Some moments here do veer into the more predictable end of indie-rock territory.
It's an album to live in and love, to dance to and to wallow in.
With this record, Flying Lotus has continued his explorations of the outer regions of sonic experience whilst simultaneously creating a playful, and thrillingly visceral, listening experience
The Tarnished Gold sees them return sounding fresh and revitalised, delivering an album that more than matches their earlier output.
Lovelorn, honest, poignant and emotional in the best way imaginable.
Despite the obvious comparisons, it's not a case of simply replicating bands or sounds; above all else Field Music are rock fans who absorb and remould the noises they love.
Toy is an epic, psychedelic, droning, wonder. Every track takes the germ of an idea and then repeats it at you with ever deepening insistence and almost imperceptibly subtle evolutions.
It's an impressive work from a genuine legend and as a response to our current situation, leaves us with a pertinent message: in Bruce we trust.
One Day I'm Going To Soar still feels like a triumph, in spite of its transparent flaws.
For all of the missteps, it’s the moments of dizzying brass playing from the backing musicians, the otherworldly pomp of Byrne and the stellar chops of Clark that saves the day.
With every track having what sounds like an infinite level of care lavished upon it, Young Man In America is already an early contender to be one of the best albums of 2012.
There's endless fun picking away at each track, and it's amazing how often you can find new strands.
WIXIW is a wonder of an album of endless layers and contrasts to get caught up and lost in.
There is also something extremely fresh in the way DIIV take an age old sound and turn it into something magical and at times deeply beautiful.
A remarkably assured and instinctive piece of work, one that speaks of good times on the dancefloor while not being afraid to throw in more poignant and affecting emotions
Blondes' debut album is great on first listen, but it takes on a whole different life when you listen more closely and let your brain follow behind.
Kill For Love shows that synth/dream/chill/call-it-what-you will pop can be as visceral as rock; the synth as driven and nuanced as the guitar, perhaps more so.
This album is unapologetic in its singularity, yet listening to this record is an experience that is as rewarding as it is exhausting.
An album that’s likely to appeal to fifty quid blokes who’ll dig the retro influences, people to whom the term ‘chillwave’ actually means something, dance fans and everyone in between.
As Channel Ocean reaches its end, every emotion associated with it can be traced back to one: fulfilment.