Album

Kanye West – The College Dropout

Premier league rap producer makes his dazzling solo debut

Roger McGuinn – Peace On You

Mixed bag from McGuinn's immediate post-Byrds career

Justin Hayward & John Lodge

Moody Blues man's mid-'70s missives, produced mostly during the group's five-year break

Paul Kelly – Ways & Means

Dug by both new breed and old (from Horse Stories compatriot Toby Burke to Dylan), Kelly has long been Australia's foremost troubadour since emerging from Melbourne's mid-'70s punk scene with a solo ambition that first flourished on 1985's Post. Produced by Tchad (Tom Waits/American Music Club) Blake, this two-CD follow-up to 2001's Nothing But A Dream is smartly conceived. Disc one rattles and blows like Highway 61 ghost-ridden by Hank Williams, a tumble of bordello piano, pedal-steel and blustery guitars. Disc two is more spare, sort of Time Out Of Mind left out in the rain by Warren Zevon.

Bow Selecta

Late visionary's final recordings belatedly released

Puerto Muerto – See You In Hell

Second album from Chicago alt.country couple lets a little light in

Putsch ’79 – Putsch

Young Finnish duo's decadent debut album

Jimmy Ruffin – The Ultimate Motown Collection

Hit-filled two-CD retrospective from Motown's (lost) love man

The Fall

Generously expanded reissues of 1979 debut and follow-up

Po’ Girl

Alter-ego of The Be Good Tanyas' Trish Klein and Montreal's ex-Fear Of Drinking singer Allison Russell, Po' Girl dish out an invigorating mess of blues-jazz and country grit. There's enough hair in the harmonies and a looser approach to distinguish the duo from the Tanyas' buffed-up chirpiness, plus plenty of silver-spun beauty. Klein's voice sounds folk-mountain fresh throughout, while Russell drizzles the likes of "Wheels Are Taking Me Away" with sleepy clarinet.
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