Album

Following labelmate Jesse Malin's success, twentysomething Jeff Klein's take on warped American mores pitches up in a darker backwater. Opener "Everything I Alright" is a suicidal arsonist's tale built around a grisly-lullaby keyboard loop and guest (and Klein landlady!) Patty Griffin's back-ups. "If I Get To California" rocks like early Uncle Tupelo, and "Another Breakdown" is a huskier Ryan Adams.

Unreleased work and rarities from ex-Blow Monkey's 1990s output

Montreal cult band keep their long ears trained on sophisticated '70s pop

Winsome, hormonally-challenged folk-pop

Black metal from Norway

Three-CD discovery from original Queen of Cool

First CD compilation of duo known as "the acme of deep soul"

Chronological 73-track, four-CD anthology of avant-MOR avatars

Four-CD, 83-track box with 36-page booklet tries to summarise soul music

Lightly jazzy English pop spread thinly