Stephen Malkmus and his post-Pavement cohorts long threw away the rulebook, safe in the knowledge that Malkmus will always deliver a hatful of crooked lyrics and embraceable melodies.
Here, his songs are dotted with classic-rock, psychedelic, prog and grunge signatures, even making room for the Devil's Interval in opener Planetary Motion.
It's all in keeping with the album's nostalgic midlife flavour but this sometimes sentimental, often acerbic, always engaging collection offers plenty for fans of the Malkmus brand of tipsy indie rock that put him on the map.
Single download: Cinnamon And Lesbians
For those who like: Loose Fur, Yo La Tengo
4 stars (out of 5)
By Jeff Harford.
With a slew of UK No 1s and two Brit Awards in the bag, the sophomore release from UK rapper Tinie Tempah sees him with one eye squarely across the pond.
Certainly, the cavernous bass rumblings of Shape and Trampoline and the G-funk stomp of Don't Sell Out are precision-tooled for the Billboard charts, as are the overreaching histrionics of Children of the Sun.
Thankfully, despite his mainstream ambition, he retains his endearing Englishness as he boasts of taking tea at Claridges, and that ''the neighbours hate my mistress 'cos she never wears no nightie''.
Single download: Trampoline
For those who like: Dizzee Rascal, Roots Manuva
3 stars (out of 5)
By John Hayden.
Inspired by the American South, where Rosanne Cash and husband John Leventhal visited the grave of Robert Johnson, cotton fields once home to Howlin' Wolf and Memphis' Sun Records, where Cash's famous late father roamed, The River & The Thread offers a wide-ranging description of life, love and landscape.
Joined by a line-up including Tony Joe White, John Paul White (of The Civil Wars) and Kris Kristofferson, Cash's cool vocal tone and phrasing, aided by slide and acoustic guitar, provide relaxed, understated cohesion.
Single download: The Long Way Home
For those who like: Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris
4 stars (out of 5)
By Shane Gilchrist.
