- An Australian ex-pat based in Berlin, Ned Collette is arguably one of Australia’s most underrated wordsmiths of modern times. Ironically, Ned had only intended his sojourn in songwriting to be a short one. Almost a decade and a half later, however, and with two solo LPs plus four with his band -Ned Collette + Wirewalker- under his belt, all of which featured his vivid, detailed storytelling, that’s not exactly what has transpired.

- If there’s an artist who understands how emotion and contemporary observations can sit side-by-side with the frequently (and incorrectly) assumed “emotionless” pulse of synth-pop, it’s Joseph Mount. As leader of British group Metronomy he has become a respected but still hugely underrated songwriter. Perhaps because his soundscapes more resemble sunny Ibiza than a rain-swept English street or an endless desert, there’s a misconception that Mount doesn’t “mean it” like Father John Misty does.

- At its core, Lookout Low, the fourth album from Chicago band Twin Peaks is a folk rock album trying to appeal to a pop audience. Although their ‘subversive’ move from punk rock to folk pop does make certain tracks -like the first single Dance Through It- lose their charm, overall Lookout Low is an enjoyable album.

- Alex Cameron is not especially one of the biggest names in Australian music. But the Sydney indie-pop export, who is releasing his third album Miami Memory, is a genuine star overseas - duetting with indie darling Angel Olsen and touring stadiums with his other collaborators The Killers.

lifting above the dark concoction like a siren’s song piercing through the rumble of an oncoming storm.

Deranged For Rock & Roll could almost be a Lana Del Rey-styled lament but its melancholy pop structure is subverted by its vaguely clattering drums and that omnipresent yet almost subliminal hum of noise that is heard throughout the record.