There's a certain shorthand when it comes to Andy Carthy, which has stood him in good stead for most of his career. The Scruff template involves bouncy, off-kilter sounds, from disco to reggae; cartoon potato people and a fondness for tea provide the visual props. Here, on his first album in some five years, Carthy veers ever so slightly and subtly away from such well-covered ground. There are guest turns from vocalists Denis Jones, Vanessa Freeman (providing a soulful veneer on Come Find Me) and Robert Owens (superb on the garage-indebted He Don't), but Carthy's own machinations are also worthy of note. There's less of the seaside pier humour that coloured previous releases, with the dark, dubby pull of Stereo Breath and the wonky, inventive funk of the title track just two examples of the new Scruff approach. A very different cup of tea. mrscruff.com

Download: He Don't, Stereo Breath