Behind Amy Winehouse's brash exterior of beehive, mascara and sailor tattoos, and a personality to match, lies the richest and most encapsulating soul voice we've heard for many years. With "Back To Black", the 23-year-old Londoner has delivered an album more than worthy of showcasing this immense talent.

When you release a debut album with the quality of "Employment" it's difficult to see what aspirations you can have for a follow-up other than "more of the same".

Bloc Party's debut album takes its paradoxical title from an earthquake monitoring system.  The album itself should send seismic waves through the British indie-pop scene in 2005.

Three years on from their platinum selling, critically acclaimed album "The Last Broadcast", comes their awe-inspiring, anthemic follow up "Some Cities". Recorded with Ben Hillier (Blur – "Think Tank", Elbow – "Cast of Thousands") it was intentionally conceived as a shorter and more forceful record than its predecessors.

North London duo Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen AKA Lemon Jelly return with their unique brand of downbeat madness, melody and whimsical humour.

Back in the day, Bob Geldof re-wrote the rules when, with the Boomtown Rats, he created a classic slice of piano-based rock in the shape of 'I Don't Like Mondays'.  25 years on, Keane have created a masterful rock album without a single guitar in sight or, indeed, sound.

Nashville based brothers/cousin beardies Kings Of Leon return with an album more mature and instantly likeable than their critically-acclaimed debut, "Youth and Young Manhood".

Berlin-based producer collective Jazzanova, behind some of leftfield dance music's most mesmerising mixes since their formation in 1996, have produced an eccentric mix of "genre hopping" musical variety, blending jazz, latin and house beats.

Fried are the result of former Fine Young Cannibal's songwriter David Steele's 5-year search for "the perfect singer". Steele discovered 23-year-old gospel singer Jonte Short at the 2001 New Orleans Jazz Festival and Fried were conceived.

Graham Coxon was the quiet bespectacled guitarist in Blur.  Now, on his fifth solo album (his second since leaving Blur), Coxon has really found his own voice in terms of critical and commercial success.  This punky, yet melodic album sees Coxon rail against popular fashion and culture, and in his more tender moments he has a pop at the trouble relationships will bring.