The moods vary according to her travels and the people met along her journey. Her infectious pop style and soulful delivery combine with well crafted songs. It is sure to get people excited about her potential outside Australia.

Imagine isn’t as terrible an album as its first three minutes would suggest, but it would be much stronger if Van Buuren had less of a tendency towards the extraneous.

At The Soundawn‘s debut offering isn't an ear shattering effort, but based on what they've shown on 'Red Square: We Come In Waves’; they definitely have some promise for the future.

…this album rollicks through an exquisite collection of songs about love and misery in which Adamson contemplates the afflictions of the modern world.

It's a welcome sight to see another singer beginning to fulfil the potential and “The Rise” serves notice that Carl has a fine future ahead of him.

What’s impressive about this album is that you can detect different genres and feels in the different songs in the album, despite it being an indie rock record

Add to the terrific musicianship, a purposeful and raw vocal output, and there is really something to behold as Cydney takes listeners of her special journey. Cydney pushes the creative barrier to energise and captivate.

But speaking personally, this album is another strong sounding release from a band that have yet to make what could be considered a bad album.

Some may criticise Destinity's decision to abandon their death/black metal roots for a more melodic Swedish influence on their latest album, but when it's done this well, you can't help but enjoy the French act's latest release for what it is - a quality kick ass melodic death metal album.

Four-piece band Dirt River Radio bring one of those rough-edged blues sounds in their debut EP. Etched in guitars and harmonica the band articluate their experiences very well.

Amanda and Brian combine to form one of the original outfits in music today, particularly in America. Don't try too hard to pinpoint a genre for them. They are in a style of their own and you'll never get bored with Dresden Dolls.

…Dyscord have returned once again with their debut full-length effort ‘Dakota’. And quite simply, Dyscord have seriously improved, with the album more than matching their output on the stage.

A very colourful vibe and style of metal and electronic influences, it has seen the outfit do much of the production and bringing in guest players of various musical talent.

Many established artists would love to compile a set of consistent and quality songs like these. Overall, this is a very sophisticated set, covering various styles (R&B, soul, pop, rock) and showing Gabriella's versatility. It's an outstanding beginning to her career and one of the best Australian releases in recent years.

The latest single “Australia” comes at a good time when economic worries need to take a back seat for some patriotism. It shows how one can embrace our culture and live a full life.

…Hermano have rethought their direction, and delivered something completely different on their third full-length effort ‘…Into The Exam Room’.

'Digital Versatile Doom’ features a stunning seventeen track performance from the five piece act, who are all clearly on fire throughout the entire performance.

The music brings forth so much life and character; it’s just a joy to listen to. Cocker’s vast talent means any of his albums will be a sure fire winner amongst fans.

Kaki's vocals have begun to play a larger role within her compositions and, although it seems as though it comes across as something uncomfortable, there is a charming quality and it provides a context to a more effective record.

Essentially a covers album – featuring Maroon 5’s She Will Be Loved and Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars, as well as songs by artists actually worth covering such as Roxy Music and Simon & Garfunkel – listening to it brought forth images of those assembly performances with painful clarity.

…‘Fractures’ is a little more daring in the song writing area, which has allowed the band to broaden their sound.

Little was I to know after hearing “Magic Tree” earlier this year, that this was just a taste of how good Kirsten is as a singer-songwriter. The album is intense, provocative and captivating.

“Anarchy Monarchy” is a blend of electro, dance, pop, rock, jazz and experimental music, while each song tells a different story. The result is a delicious musical smoothie which caters for everyone’s tastes.

We hear the street anthems and sentimentality amid the sharp turntable scratching, yet there is a vulnerable side too that will inspire women.

For a debut effort, Lower Definition has certainly produced a solid album. And while there’s not a real lot of difference between what they do and what a hundred other bands on the scene are doing, ‘The Greatest Of All Lost Arts’ is at least a consistently enjoyable listen from start to finish.

Recapturing the original feel and sound of an album after twenty years is almost impossible. But somehow, Magnum has done exactly that, with ‘Wings Of Heaven Live’ a live album that every Magnum fan should own.

…McQueen have released a strong effort in ‘Break The Silence’, and one that more than hints at bigger and better things for the band in the future.

…there is much to be enthusiastic about. The classical wonderment and jazzy sophistication will grab your attention in a vivid and powerful way.

…more than sixteen years on, Misery has consistently produced some of the best death metal to emerge from the Australian metal scene.

Two years on and the band are back with their third effort ‘Controller’, and thankfully the band have once again pushed themselves into new territory.

…her album is one of strength and purpose, deeply personal to those around her life.

While I was expecting some changes on ‘Watershed’, I certainly wasn’t expecting the band to push their sound this much, and succeed as well as they did. I was happy for the most part with ‘Ghost Reveries’, but this album has reignited my excitement about Opeth.

Jazz, edgy in its prime, is more often than not easy-listening in the 21st century: a label that chafes sorely with artists determined to push envelopes. If we assume that Petrucci isn’t trying to push anything, the record plays very well.

Fourteen years on from ‘Dummy’, while they still create a buzz for their long-suffering fans, it'd be fair to say most of us have moved on, replacing Portishead with other bands and music to fill that long void they left. But this may have worked in their favour,…

Her background probably lends itself to writing warm-hearted and captivating songs about the Australian landscape and her tales of the family and nature around her.

Santogold’s secret weapon is her charismatic persona. She embodies her songs, breathing them into brilliant life.

Generally it is difficult for her to engage in the depth of the Waits musical traits, but who can anyway? Scarlett seems happy enough to proceed with this indulgence as a back-seat player and not pronounce herself as someone she isn't.

From start to finish this album fails to impress. Mediocre beats and cheap laughs, just aren’t my style.

Unlike their return to a heavier and more aggressive feel on ‘Alpha’, the band have instead focussed on a far more brooding and melodic direction on ‘Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow’, which carries with it both its pro’s and con’s.

With driving rhythms and a flair for modern pop songs, the band's melodies and clever songwriting are sure to gain a strong audience as they continue to develop.

Unfortunately, a lot‘s changed in the music industry since Spectrum had a number one hit with 'Ill Be Gone’ (a gem of a tune), and it's fair to say it hasn't been kind to them in the time since.

There’s nothing about ‘Comes From The Heart’ that actually sounds amateur or poorly produced, but I’ll be damned if ‘Comes From The Heart’ isn’t just the same metallic hardcore album that seems to sound exactly like the masses that have emerged in the last few years.

The song writing is solid for the most part, but the vocal and industrial elements leave the album feeling inconsistent, with both areas needing a lot of work in order to balance the mix out for the future.

But while some may have had some concerns about the band signing to a predominately metal label, they needn’t have. Terror has always been a hardcore band first and foremost, and ‘The Damned, The Shamed’ is pure Terror through and through. The opening track ‘Voice Of The Damned’ is everything you would expect from a Terror track. The guitars are played with plenty of aggressive energy…

Although they sing of albeit normal issues such as love, loss and discovery, it’s the way in which the words have combined with the lively beats that make them so addictive.

The vocals are more venomous than ever and I don't think it comes across, to my ears, as something palatable and lasting.

The Ghost Inside may not be reinventing the metalcore scene with their take on the genre, but they have certainly managed to make something tired and predictable once again sound full of life and re-energised with ‘The Fury And The Fallen Ones’.

Taking a core of rock and blending it with bluesy licks, country overtones and a touch of suave animal drive, this album revels in the big rock sound.

Their new single ‘This Love’ is pure Veronicas with a slow building intro that leads to a more passionate chorus.

With that comes her talent as a vocalist and as a strong and capable guitarist. She puts her heart and soul into her music as if there is no tomorrow.

It can be a means of discovery, and the performers in question put in a determined and passionate effort in their brand of touching, melodic pop, as well as elements of driving rock.

Part of its success might be attributed to Chris Fraser, who was ranked Australia’s 25th most popular DJ in a 2006 poll. His involvement gives the release identity, counteracting to some degree the obscurity that most compilations fade into.

This chill out music compilation not only helps you to rid your mind off worries, but also got you thinking about climate change and poverty. While listening to the music, you can ponder upon deforestation and its harm to the environment by looking up the green informational leaflets included in this album.

The chaotic blast of the title track ‘Reality Dysfunction’ is an even better example of the band’s growing confidence in crafting songs with variables, with the inclusion of acoustic guitars and passages of spoken word woven into their Dark Tranquillity influenced take on the melodic death metal sound.

A lot of today‘s folk metal acts drift too far into the cheesy side of things to have any real impact or longevity. But in the case of 'Honour Amongst Chaos’, Waylander have proven that folk metal can be powerful, without resorting to the standard cliché or corniness of the newcomers.

This deluxe edition is a 2 disc package including their Back Home album CD and a DVD of their Wembley Arena concert back in 2006. It seemed, in the concert, that the boys’ popularity has not waned a bit, as the boys belted out their all time hits such as “Flying Without Wings” and “Swear It Again” to a fully packed stadium. The concert even saw the boys execute some smooth moves and naughty surprises, much to the delight of the audience.