Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Where would we be without our mothers? Literally nowhere, of course, given the medical facts of life. But psychologically and spiritually somewhere very different, too. Just ask Devendra Banhart, whose latest, heartbreaking and poignant LP packs intimidating strength and thoughtful themes by the birth-giving load. Here the synths that dominated more recent albums are replaced by instruments best described as "a bit earthier", with strings and woodwinds joining brass and keys. Despite its title, this album is less a dedication to motherhood itself and more a meditation on emotional ties and links in general. "Memorial", for example, is about the death of Banhart's father, while elsewhere we are told love is like "crowd surfing in an empty club". As per usual, Banhart's songwriting verges on mania, recalling the late-Daniel Johnston's razor sharp observations wrapped in innocent imagery, while the instrumentation conjures Burt Bacharach and the like.

Review: The Black Keys are back with more of that raw, bluesy-soaked rawk they do so well. The duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney wrote this new album in the studio, laying down initial ideas in Nashville before expanding the sessions to include collaborators such as Billy F. Gibbons, Greg Cartwright and Angelo Petraglia. Everything you love about the 'Keys is right here, and lead single 'Wild Child' has all the hooks and ear-snagging chorus lines you could wish for, with that dirty, overdriven guitar sound that has been their calling card since they first broke through 20 years ago.

Review: It's been a solid five years since the epic sounds of America's best plugged-in rock duo last electrified our ears. And be it a reference to the Rolling Stones or even Scorsese, the album turns it up from the start with "Shine A Little Light". Big time rhodes and bluesy folk mentalities are then wrapped up in a low-slung ballad that is "Walk Across The Water". Some fans may still be yearning for the raw energy that catapulted the duo into the limelight with Magic Potion, however high voltage sounds can still be found on tracks like "Under The Gun" and "Lo/Hi" - with gospel elements in this case edging to the fore. Overall there's a slight dance element protruding from this LP in comparison to previous records, begging the question: Can you dig it!

Review: Somehow it has now been a full decade since The Black Keys served up their still standout album El Camino. To mark the noteworthy anniversary, here comes a super deluxe edition across five slabs of wax with a poster, insert, photo book, and, um, an air freshener, just in case you own a ride as vintage as the one on the iconic cover. Musically you will know what to expect - indie licks and Americana references, anthemic vocals that are ripe for singing along to and plenty of wry lyrical wit. Listening back now, it's fair to say the album has aged well.

Review: Talk about epitomising the concept album concept. Released on 5th April 2010, Here Lies Love sees the somewhat unlikely partnership of Talking Heads legend David Byrne and UK big beat DJ and producer Fatboy Slim focus their efforts on retelling the tale of Imelda Marcos, former-First Lady of the Philippines, as told with no less than 22 guest vocalists. These include Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos, Martha Wainwright, Natalie Merchant, Sia, Santigold, St Vincent, Florence Welch, and Charmaine Clamor. An impressive list to say the least, just two male voices appear - Steve Earle and Byrne himself - with the record primarily comprising what the latter once described as "clubby dance music". Certainly at the softer, more disco-derived end of that spectrum, the result of all these ingredients is a potent brew of song and story, exploring ideas around power dynamics and drivers, and one of few releases this century worthy of a full stage adaptation, which followed in 2013.