Album

Seminal '60s rockers spread wings again

Fall faves, and compelling collaborations with Badly Drawn Boy, Elastica et al

Historic but tragic live shows on two CDs

Bonkers funk group took R&B into space

For a man so steeped in the honeyed hickory grit of Gram Parsons, newcomers to Bruntnell could be forgiven for mistaking his English 'burb origins for Bakersfield, Ca. New Zealand-born, Surrey-raised and westward soul-bound, he finally drew acclaim with 2000's superb third LP, Normal For Bridgwater. Its follow-up is equally fine, studded with guitars (courtesy of 21-year-old James Walbourne and Son Volt's Eric Heywood), faint washes of piano, peals of steel and a forlorn, imagistic delivery and way around a melody reminiscent of Joe Pernice.

Kristin Hersh

Thirty years on, Memphis giant releases sophomore solo album

Full-length debut from Louisville lo-fi trio

Promisingly dazed US singer-songwriter

Unmissable reissue of No Wave don's two 1979 albums on one CD