The latest releases reviewed

TIMES NEW VIKING
Rip It Off
Matador
****
Amplified buzz and fizz are probably what define the third album from Columbus, Ohio's Times New Viking, but don't overlook that lovely streak of pop gorgeousness at the heart of this splendid, multi-faceted piece of work. Like all the best noise-pop proponents who have pounded this particular pavement before them, TNV realise the sheer magnetism and rugged sex appeal of mating  beauty with the beast. For every headlong rush of feedback or uncouth, unsettling burst of lo-fi noise, there's always a pop twist in the shape of a graceful melody or simple harmony. This gives tracks such as Teen Drama,the anthemic, dramatic The Waitand, especially, the howling Relevant: Now all the more of a wow factor. The fuzziest feel-good record of the season. www.myspace.com/timesnewviking
JIM CARROLL
Download tracks: Relevant: Now, The Wait

CRAYONSMITH
White Wonder Out On a Limb
Records
****
Crayonsmith's 2006 debut album Stay Loose was pretty much an all-Ciaran Smith affair. White Wonder's strength lies partly in the fact that it is a more collaborative effort, with Ronan Jackson and
Ruadhan O'Meara playing more than backing band to Smith's nascent genius. The reverse evolution from the vintage synths of the opening instrumental to the guitar and autoharp gentility of the closing track is proof of the trio's confidence. Beat production by Deep Burial's George Brennan is telling on many tracks, as programmed beats and live drums form a backdrop to some wonderful story-telling, such as on the infectious disco riff, Silver Lining. The future's very bright. www.myspace.com/crayonsmith
CLAIRE LOOBY
Download Tracks: The Boat, Anything, 6AM Again

PETER MORÉN
The Last Tycoon
Wichita
***
You can thank Peter Morén (alongside Bjorn and John) for 2006's ubiquitous whistling tune Young Folks. Perhaps hearing the song one time too many times on that beer ad prompted him to head off on a solo hike, and the result is a philosophical ramble around his head. Long lyrical rants, which are more prosaic than poetic, are pushed to the front of these sparse tunes. Perhaps unwisely, the music takes a back seat to the words, and Morén focuses on muted acoustic guitars troubled only by the odd handclap, sad-eyed piano, or strings. His voice and accent are distinctive, but he has trouble representing a variety of tones with it. The Last Tycoonis not short on ideas, it just needs more music-over-lyrics tracks like the 1960s flecked Tell Me in Timeor the happy-sad Social Competence.
www.myspace.com/petermoren
SINÉAD GLEESON
Download Track: This Is What I Came For, Tell Me In Time

TARA BLAISE
Great Escape
Spokes
***
Irish singer Tara Blaise has been knocking on music industry doors for over 10 years, working in serviceable bands such as Wilde Oscars, Igloo and Kaydee. God loves a trier, though, and with a
management connection via John Hughes (The Corrs), she seems to be getting places. The problem isn't
so much the music - it's a smart enough amalgam of Pretenders hook-laden rock and generic pop - but of perception; anyone who tours with Michael Ball (or, indeed, Brian Kennedy) is setting out their stall
for an essentially MOR audience. The benefits of such a path are obvious and, if steered correctly, we
can expect to see Blaise's profile rise. The music itself, however, tells a different story - there's a nagging feeling that Blaise is a quality pop/rock act constrained by certain circumstances, not least her
ambition, which just might strangle her creativity if not her credibility.
www.myspace/tarablaise
TONY CLAYTON-LEA
Download tracks: Breathe, Rosalie

ISOBEL CAMPBELL AND MARK LANEGAN
Sunday at Dirt Devil
Co-Op
****
When Ballad of the Broken Seasintroduced itself two years ago, it was the most inspired collaboration
since Nick Cave talked Kylie into Where the Wild Roses Grow. Much of the same darkness and opposition applies to this, with Lanegan's voice, deep as a well, the perfect foil to Campbell's sugared
high notes. Instead of a series of democratic duets, Campbell takes all the writing credits and mostly leaves the vocal limelight to Lanegan. The Ravencasts him as a grizzled blues man touting a
morality tale, and on Seafaring Songhis baritone battles Leonard Cohen's lowest notes. Together,
they create magic - Come On Over (Turn Me On)has a seductive I Put a Spell on Youslant, and a palpable energy fizzes between them. This is campfire seduction with a heart of darkness. www.myspace.com/isobelcampbell
SINÉAD GLEESON
Download Tracks: Seafaring Song, Come On Over (Turn Me On)

TINDERSTICKS
The Hungry Saw
Beggars Banquet
****
Following 2003's Waiting for the Moon, personal differences and a creative void almost spelt the end
for Nottingham's disconsolate romantics. However, a performance two years ago convinced three of
the members to carry on. This seventh album is business as usual, and the absence of chief orchestrator Dickon Hinchliffe is barely noticeable. Fans will know what to expect: striking string and brass arrangements and soulful grooves. With instrumental interludes separating the tales of frustrated love, few other bands can convey such passion while remaining so cool. Stuart Staples's doleful timbre is the medium through which his glass-half-empty lyrics pour forth, and, while it's all classic Tindersticks, Come Feel the Sunand Mother Dearare exceptional. A phenomenal return to form. www.tindersticks.co.uk
BRIAN KEANE
Download Tracks: Come Feel the Sun, The Other Side of the World,Mother Dear

ÚNA MAC LOCHLAINN
Willow Tree
No label
****
Here's a debut that could just as easily have emerged from London or New York, and yet betrays a rootedness born of an uncompromising identity. Galwegian singer-songwriter Úna MacLochlainn has something very special: a laser-sharp perspective and a voice that belongs to a tradition reaching all the way back to Joni Mitchell and Carole King. Mac Lochlainn's strength as a lyricist is her ability to get to the nub of an issue, whether that be personal vulnerability or inviolability ( Natural Artand Unbreakable). She's also attuned to the bare-naked simplicity of arrangements that leave ample space for a song to make its own mark. Piano, violin and cello team with her remarkably restrained guitar: a quartet that lets her voice swoop and soar: a bird in full flight.
www.myspace.com/unamaclochlainn
SIOBHÁN LONG

JAMIE LIDELL
Jim
Warp
***
Jamie Lidell's last solo album, Multiply, was an unexpected soulful and funky diversion from his previous experiments in electronica. Its critical and commercial success opened many doors for Lidell, so Jimsees him going back to that particular well for more. This time, though, Lidell and collaborators Mocky and Gonzales know exactly what they're after and Jimis the album you'd imagine Stevie Wonder could have made if Sly Stone had sent the Family Stone his way as the backing band. Lidell's voice is one to relish; he's a soulman and showman exploring the sheer vibrancy and warmth of these sounds. While the songs are not as strong or as punchy as the sounds - and the surprises that powered Multiplyare alas missing - Lidell has enough range, audacity and charm to carry off most of this album.  www.jamielidell.com
JIM CARROLL
Download tracks: Another Day, Little Bit of Feel Good