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Henson’s stripped-back sound is almost shocking in its purity.
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Brighton band eschews cliché, sounding sleek, fluid and effortlessly modern on album two.
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Owens’ bid for a place in the pantheon of gifted greats is on course.
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Manchester-inspired Russians impress with these 10 tracks.
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Ex-Fleet Foxes sticksman gets superbly freaky on a special solo voyage.
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Hers is a shivery presence, like moonlight on flesh.
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Relaxed of groove but certainly sophisticated, this is Fagen on form.
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The Canadian-American singer has realised her best record to date.
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Superbly psychedelic second set with a very British-sounding soul.
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Dhani Harrison and company's second album plays things too safely.
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Songs of subterranean AOR, with guitars tripping the light fantastic.
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A perfect little world of mid-tempo, piano-based, chorus-heavy impressions.
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The stunning return of a prodigal son you never knew existed.
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A second helping of Cyrk, accentuating the dreamier haunts of part one.
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The Mint Chicks’ Kody Nielson flies solo with great psych-pop results.
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A more grown-up sound permeates this fourth LP from the Dundee quartet.
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There is only one Lawrence, this is his gospel, and roll on the next chapter.
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A singer with potent pop sensibilities, packaged exquisitely and uniquely.
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Hearts might well burst under prolonged exposure to this record.
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A well-researched soundtrack piece full of memorable melodies.
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A fifth album from the pop-embracing trio that’s geared for maximum chart impact.
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Presented with loads of extras, but the original 11 tracks are all anyone truly needs.
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It’s nu-folk on Williams’ second long-player, but not as you know it.
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This Alabama outfit might be the feel-good hit of the summer festival circuit.
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Moz has taken his editor’s hand to this solo debut – but does it lead to better results?
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A record with so much clever and excitable beauty, yet strangely disappointing.
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An instant hit with tasty ingredients from the Philadelphia rap duo.
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Music for those comforted by blood, sweat and tears.
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An obvious, albeit appealing, stopgap release.
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A smouldering album wrapped in velvet strings and suave horns.
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Music from a bleakly beautiful twilight zone entirely of its own design.
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A sixth LP proper that’s perhaps better titled Bands Are Indifferent to Change.
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A terrific and charming Domino debut from Frenchman Fránçois Marry.
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Welcome to Difficult Second Album syndrome, delivered in typical Big Pink style.
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Deserves to live on, and on, many years after its creation.
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The sisters’ voices, with Hegarty and Wyatt’s songs: a perfect match.
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Traditional numbers given a Rusby spin, best enjoyed with pint in hand.
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The band ignites on several occasions across this double-disc live set.
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One of the American Gothic greats reveals his second LP of 2011.
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Bradford Cox’s most coherent record to date – how badly we need more of his ilk.
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When the Irish band went to Berlin, roped in Brian Eno, and pressed the restart button.
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A triumphant fifth LP which reveals familiar strengths in all the right places.
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Mostly more of the same from a New York band in need of their Pet Sounds moment.
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The country legend’s final album, and a fine way to bow out of the business.
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The most uniquely sublime, meticulous and heroic 40 minutes of 2011.
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The sound of lying on your back, sun-basking, mentally drifting downstream.
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The ex-Beta Band man becomes the ghost in Bovell’s time-travelling dub machine.
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Lavish set covering the man’s career to date, packed with startling rarities.
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A constant threat of change makes this lovely long-player so very enticing.
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There won’t be a more sexily evil record released this year.
