She – Alice Smith – I would rather wait six years for a good album than two years for a bad album and Alice Smith, the R&B diva wannabe's long awaited follow up to her 2007 album is nothing if not good. She has a good voice with a husky tow to it and can write a good song. Sometimes a great song. Here she writes three great songs, "Cabaret" "The One" and "Loyalty" and a lot of stuff not quite as good. A bit of a missed opportunity but the equal of Solange's latest – ALBUM OF THE WEEK – B+
Bloodsports – The London Suede – So where is Bernard Butler? I know he hasn't been around for decades but come on, why not bring him back. Listen to Dog Man Star and tell me the great guitarist isn't seriously missed. This isn't even as good as post-Butler Coming Up, as usual, strong vocals by Brett, strong on glammy guitars, weak on melodies – Grade: B
Epigrams And Interludes – Alex Day – A sorta male Lily Allen with a cheeky chappy persona that gained huge success (600,000 followers) in the UK and while he can be a little twee, "i,2,3,4, I'm from London" he offers at the start of "Jack And Coke" another song of urban life as lived. I guess if you are a twenty something from Urban UK it could speak to you. If you aren't it gets old fast – Grade: B-
Same Trailer, Different Park – Kacey Musgraves – White trash anesthetics in country music is like ham and eggs or do I mean griddles? This is very very good mainstream country songs with more than just "Merry Go Round", where the title metaphor became a major irritant. On the rest of the tracks Kacey writes her way out of lackluster performances and with ease – B+
Specter At The Feast – Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Rebel? Really? I always thought they were the Welsh version of the Cult – B-
The Invisible Way – Low – I've never been a fan of this downbeat band and this is possibly their worst album to date. Blame producer Jeff Tweedy? Only up to the point where the first tracks "The Plastic Cup" isn't one being used to piss in – D