Salutations!

To some, January 18 will be known as the most depressing day of this year). But according to our crack reviewing team, the (admittedly limited number of) releases out this week were basically all great. Woo. AND THESE ARE THEY, COMPLETE WITH CLEVER LITTLE WE7 PLAYERS WHERE APPLICABLE, plus also one monster Spotify playlist HERE.

Eels - End Times

Less than a year ago, Mark 'E' Everett was all like 'yeah, I'm a werewolf, is what I am'. Now he's all like 'divorce sukks, I'm sad'. We know which version we prefer.

Read Kevin EG Perry's 8/10 review HERE.

Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool

Some people have muttered something about this being the record to take the Italo disco revival overground. Which would be a bit weird considering the original movement was hardly hitsville in the first place. Anyway, unless you're a dangerous idiot you'll enjoy this a lot more than Lindstrøm mind-boggling 'Little Drummer Boy'.

Lostprophets - The Betrayed

While the not so nu-metallers have suggested that fourth album The Betrayed is a departure for them then, erm, well that's basically what everyone says with every album, innit? DiS's Richard Wink wasn't quite so sure about the new ground broken, but still offered up a rollicking 8/10 thumbs up, declaring 'consolidation has never sounded so good'.

Read the review HERE.

Robert AA Lowe and Rose Lazar - Eclipses

Please sir, can I have some more haunting analogue minimalism sir?

Owen Pallett - Heartland

What do you get when you hand indie's most renowned string arranger the national orchestra of a former Soviet country to play around with? Why, you get Heartland, and as sonically ravishing a 45 minutes as you're liable to hear all year.

Read Andrzej Lukowski's 8/10 review HERE.

Paperplain - Entering Pale Town

Promising if not perfect mini album debut from youthful Brit folkstress Helen Page.

Read Josh Heller's 6/10 review HERE.

Race Horses - Goodbye Falkenbuerg

Ditzy, melodious psyche pop from the mythical land of Wales.

Read Will Metcalfe's 8/10 review HERE.

Spoon - Transference

Still giving Modest Mouse a solid run for their money in the 'erm, are these the caretaker staff or the guys with the top ten album?' stakes, Britt Daniel and his hangdog chums return with another fine stew of thick, melodic indie-kraut.

Read Neil Ashman's 8/10 review HERE.

Sunburned Hand of the Man - A

For those who like their psychedelia hard, Four Tet-produced, and a bit nauseating (IN A GOOD WAY).

Read Bob Ferguson's 7/10 review HERE.

These New Puritans - Hidden

While The State Of British Indie is a matter up for debate, it's fair enough to say that cliches about skinny jeaned four pieces rather fall by the wayside when faced with TNP's second and its beats the size of small islands.

Read Bruce Porter's 9/10 review HERE.

Various - Ambient Pop 2010

The latest in Kompakt's now decade old compilation series conspicuously fails to disappoint.

Read Noel Gardner's 8/10 review HERE.

Various - Elevator Music Volume 1

Now that it's been established we're not allowed to simply refer to all bassline tastic dance music of a grime derivation 'dubstep', what are we to do? Those nice people at Fabric have tries to make sense of it all with this here compilation.

Read Rory Gibb's 9/10 review HERE.

Laura Veirs - July Flame

After realising major labels aren't half so romantic and kindly as their press would make them out, everyone's favourite spectacle wearing Decemberists collaborator has returned to the Bella Union fold for this fiiiiiine, Jim James assisted offering.

Read Gideon Brody's 8/10 review HERE.

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And there we go. If you’re a PR or somesuch and you had an album out and it didn’t get mentioned, please drop me an email at andrzej@drownedinsound.com and we'll make sure it NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN.