Oscar-nominated composer, arranger and violinist Owen Pallet – whose music for Spike Jonze's Her lost the Best Original Score gong to Gravity – might still be something of an unknown quantity to most ears, but he remains an impressive and singular a musician. In Conflict bursts forth with ideas that, while plentiful and multilayered, are contained within beautiful songs. Topics as serious as depression, the creative state, addiction and gender issues are explored within soundscapes all of their own. If there's a problem with the album, it's in the lyrics, which – virtually to a song – come across as stream-of-consciousness doggerel. Best then, perhaps, to focus on the gorgeous music, which reflects Pallet's brilliant previous albums (2006's He Poos Clouds, 2010's Heartland) and his collaborative work with the likes of Arcade Fire, Beirut and Grizzly Bear. owenpalletteternal.com

Download: The Riverbed, On a Path, I Am Not Afraid