3 stars (out of 5)
Australian songwriter Caitlin Harnett, who is about to start an 18-date national tour with Dunedin's Matt Langley, might be a relative unknown in these parts but that could change based on the strength of her second EP, All In The Golden Afternoon.
Mixing the cutesy approach of former Melbourne act Frente with a country-pop ethos, Harnett sings largely of love lost, painting images of sun-kissed young lovers, good friends and good times.
With tracks such as Into The Wild, a mandolin and handclap romp brought to a head by a campfire sing-along, it is little wonder she is signed to influential publishing outfit Mushroom. File under one to watch.
Single download: Your Ghost
For those who like: Anika Moa, Goldenhorse
- Shane Gilchrist
3 stars (out of 5)
Lloyd Cole has returned from a 10-year "self-imposed exile as a would-be folk-singer" with an album celebrating the interplay of a full band, while also reminding us of his slick song-writing abilities.
Utilising the fan-pay-first approach to cover his recording costs at a west London studio, Cole plays it relatively safe here, relying on a template of instruments (banjo, mandolin, pedal steel ... ) usually found in a Nashville country session.
Yet a mix of Cole's typically upbeat pop attitude and rainy-day England melancholy, allied with an honest, slightly nasally baritone and strong lyrics, provide enough twists to ensure repeated visits.
Single download: Writer's Retreat
For those who like: Paul Westerberg, Ron Sexsmith
- Shane Gilchrist
3 stars (out of 5)
Just as it was difficult to listen to Richard Ashcroft's solo albums without hearing The Verve, it's hard to distance Paul Smith from Maximo Park.
Smith's distinctive voice and phrasing was the one thing that separated The Park from a dozen other indie-rock bands from the north of England.
Margins is an adequate first solo album and that's about it. Most fascinating are Smith's whimsical lyrics and quasi-academic posturing, as he cunningly transforms naff observations into slightly-less-naff observations.
Smith should have tucked away his three strongest tracks for the next Maximo Park album.
Single download: I drew you sleeping.
For those who like: Maximo Park, The Lilac Time, Morrissey.
- Mark Orton
3 stars (out of 5)
That Edwyn Collins made this album at all is a minor miracle. Two strokes in 2005 and a battle with superbug MRSA took a crippling physical toll on the former Orange Juice frontman.
But with help from the likes of Johnny Marr, Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos, The Cribs' Ryan Jarman and Magic Numbers singer Romeo Stodart, Collins has delivered a rocking guitar-pop record rife with the kind of autobiographical references you might expect.
And while nothing here leaps out as a top-shelf song, tracks such as In Your Eyes and I Still Believe In You are a credit to Collins' tenacity.
Single download: Losing Sleep
For those who like: Northern soul, Orange Juice, Ray Davies
- Jeff Harford
2 stars (out of 5)
From Sheffield, Bring Me the Horizon brews up the perfect soundtrack for life in the shadow of steel production. In fact it's often hard to tell the difference from the sounds of steel production - it's all sweat, angst, power and fury.
The five-piece only relents for moments of ambience at odds with their post-hardcore meets screamo soundscape. Curious moments of melodic complexity and razor-sharp riffing are buried - or bludgeoned - by Oliver Sykes' brutal vocals. If he continues to strain this hard, vocal nodules will be the least of his issues.
Single download: Home Sweet Hole
For those who like: Hed Pe Propagandhi, Leathermouth
- Mark Orton
