LEONA LEWIS - BETTER IN TIME
A plinky plonky piano and some soaring strings make this single a much more saccharine and poppy offering than Bleeding Love. But you can't doubt this girl has got a gorgeous voice and it's all for a good cause - this is the official Sport Relief single.
JOE LEAN & THE JING JANG JONG - LONELY BUOY
Hotly tipped to be one of this year's bands to watch, this bizarrely monikered five-piece's debut single is what indie-pop is all about. Get used to hearing about these guys a lot, because this catchy tune will be played and played by radio stations.
ELBOW - GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE
In the first single from their hotly anticipated new album The Seldom Seen Kid, Elbow sing about the aftermath of the death of a close friend, singer songwriter Bryan Glancy. The haunting vocals and roaring riff make it an instant classic.
NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS - DIG!!! LAZARUS DIG!!!
Having kicked heroin towards the end of the last century, Cave has enjoyed something of a creative boom in recent years. 2005's bombastic double album Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus showed all aspects of the Australian's remarkable songcraft were in full working order, while last year's primitive Grinderman project saw him reconnect with testosterone-fuelled rock.
Here he muses on subjects including Harry Houdini, biblical revelations and, with typical dark humour, jailbait temptresses. More News From Nowhere ends the album with eight minutes of psychosexual reverie, while We Call Upon The Author and the singalong title track make fine additions to the Cave canon.
By Rory Dollard
THE CARDIGANS - THE BEST OF
It's easy to forget just how many past hits The Cardigans have enjoyed until this Best Of album reminds you. Familiar songs Lovefool, Erase/Rewind and My Favourite Game are sure to evoke memories and other lesser known tracks remind you of a mellow summer's day.
Close your eyes and kick back to the sounds of Losers, Hanging Around and Daddy's Car, listening to Nina Persson's mesmerising vocals. The only jolting wake-up call is Burning Down The House with Tom Jones, sounding rather like a comical karaoke collaboration. But like an old wardrobe staple, this bulging 22-track Cardigans album is one you can pull out for every occasion.
By Lisa Haynes
DUFFY - ROCKFERRY
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, perhaps parody is a shortcut to success. Duffy's chart topping single Mercy owes much to its familiarity - even on first listen it sounds as if you've heard it before. Much of this album follows suit, but this immediacy is both a blessing and a curse.
Comparisons to such luminaries as Dusty Springfield are wayward (Duffy finished 2nd in the Welsh X Factor; Dusty would have walked it!), and she is clearly an artist in her own right, but on Rockferry she showcases her influences with all the subtlety of an atom bomb. Consequently, it's impossible to determine whether these songs sound timeless or just dated.
By John Ramshaw
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