Loveless dog of an album, completely devoid of anything memorable and shackled with Flood’s bland amateurish production. Awful. Download: none of it Tweet

Final (and best) Dubstar album before Sarah Blackwood flew the nest to form the superior Client. Merely okay with a couple of absolute belters in “Take It” and “Stay” – which definitely deserve your attention. Download: Take It, Stay, Mercury, Swansong Tweet

Preceded by the electro-dance behemoth ”Music” single, this is a tightly produced (Mirwais / William Orbit) workout with enough invention to keep things simmering along nicely. A very good album indeed from her royal Madgeness. Download: Music, Gone, Impressive Instant, Nobody’s Perfect, Amazing Tweet

Lazy days feet-up summery acoustic instrumental vibes for days when you don’t need your noggin taxing. Download: Stereo 99, Daystar Tweet

Following an extended break, A-ha returned rejuvenated in 2000 with this corking 13-tracker (would have made an even better 10 songs). One of their best. Download: You’ll Never Get Over Me, Summer Moved On, Minor Earth Major Sky, Mary Ellen Makes the Moment Count Minor Earth Major Sky – a-ha from David Gartside on Vimeo. Tweet

Sophomore album from Jason Lytle’s crew, this is an indie slackers delight. Comes fully loaded with low-fi melancholy and whimsy. Download: He’s Simple, He’s Dumb, He’s The Pilot, Miner At The Dial-A-View, So You’ll Aim Toward The Sky Tweet

Smart micro-electronics which proves consistently difficult to predict. Download: Rest (Encore) Tweet

Second highlight from Bobby Gillespie and co’s career. This time, they high-jack krautrock, sprinkle with electronics and end-up with something quite progressive. A fortunate success. Download: Kill All Hippies, Shoot Speed/Kill Light, Swastika Eyes Tweet

Not one of the Mael brothers more adored albums, “Balls” is nevertheless an enjoyable synth pop-romp with all the usual lyrical absurdities. Download: More Than A Sex Machine, The Calm Before The Storm, Bullet Train, It’s A Knockoff, The Angels Tweet

Pitched somewhere between 60′s pop and a radiophonic workshop, Broadcast’s first album proper rests in the drawer marked “top”. Download: Unchanging Window, Come On Let’s Go, Papercuts, Look Outside, City In Progress Tweet