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Review: This is Eels' most immediately rewarding album Mark Oliver Everett, also known by his stage name E, was on miracle form: it's like some kind of divine intervention played a role in him being able to lay these stone cold bangers. Of the hits,'Souljacker (part 1)' is the most striking with its menacing, memorable riff that adds edge to any scene. Film buffs among us will know it from Wim Wenders' 'Twelve Miles To Trona' short film (2002) where it's a beautiful fit. Another highlight is the haunting 'Bus Stop Boxer', which is intense and emotionally charged in its depiction of the violence of loneliness. For 'Dog Faced Boy', it's been said that PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish wrote most of the music in Bristol and then E added lyrics and other embellishments when they were in LA together - few co-writes come out this well.

Review: The fact that you have bands that also got their first break through Rough Trade, like Howler, Palma Violets and The Strokes, borrowing somewhat from The Feelies' playbook is testament to their stylish handling of handmade rock n' roll. Their first two records, released in the 80s, are largely considered classics, but this album released in 1991 is as strong as anything in their back catalogue. It's also a terrific parting gift to fans as they ended up taking a 17-year break after it, reforming in 2008 to play a gig with Sonic Youth and together ever since. This album is immaculately recorded yet true to their live sound, as they set up in the studio in much the same way that they set up on stage. It's a driving, propulsive yet inventive affair offering up as much for the cranium as it does the hips. The band are commonly compared to Velvet Underground and 'Find A Way' has a touch of the VU classic 'Heroin' about it. 'Decide', however, feels more Stones-y, while 'Real Cool Time' does justice and then some to The Stooges' original. That they bring to mind other great rock bands is testament to the fact they are in that league and not mere pastiche.

Review: Sheffielder Matthew Relton - initially known as Kidnap Kid, but now releasing as Kidnap - has been on quite a musical journey since first emerging as a boisterous garage and UK bass producer early last decade. His first full-length, 2020's Grow, showcased his maturation as an artist by focusing on songs and instrumentals that tended towards the tactile and picturesque. On this follow-up, he's leaned further into the "artist maturing" theme via a blend of picturesque songs (voiced by regular collaborator Ian Stannard, Gabrielle Apin and others') and ambient instrumentals shot through with yearning, oblique nostalgia, delicate instrumental arrangements and plenty of sweeping, cinematic chord sequences. It's not pop, per se, but it is hugely accessible with tons of crossover potential. Expect to see him on festival stages in the months and years ahead.

Review: Emitt Rhodes' self-titled album, released in 1970, proves his pioneering approach to home recording: made in his home studio, it came at a time when union rules mandated that albums released by major labels had to be recorded in professional studios. Ergo, the fact that it was made at home couldn't be disclosed on the cover. Despite this, the original LP featured a playful message in the runout groove, stating "Recorded at Home" in humorous title case. Rhodes had initially intended to call the album Homecooking, but the label opted for his name instead. Using a four-track recorder, Rhodes forged the instrumental tracks before transferring them to an eight-track with which to add vocals, enhancing the sound with a higher-quality microphone - clearly that's as much as grandiose a story as we're getting on the BTS front. The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard chart, with 'Fresh As A Daisy' peaking at number 54 on the Hot 100, and 'Lullabye' finding its niche in the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums.

Review: By following in the footsteps of the mighty Giles Martin, who remastered The Beatles' Abbey Road at Abbey Road Studios, Martha Wainwright has achieved a spine-tinglingly great sound in the fabled North London institution on this 20th anniversary remaster. The mixes are so strong that it leaves you free to listen to the majesty of the arrangements and undeniable beauty of her voice, without any pangs that you can get from bad sound design. There are some songwriters who will live on long after they're gone and this Montrealer is clearly one of them. 'Far Away' has gorgeous melodies plump in the song like a pineapple tree ripe for picking. 'Don't Forget' has a bit of a Laura Marling feel and it feels like it pays homage to bluegrass traditions where people would sit around a camp fire and intimately tell their most important life stories, whilst comfortably deflecting from any sadness with an uplifting musical passage. And if anyone was to hum their life story to us, few come higher up the bucket list than Martha Wainwright.