So June’s Flashlight Seasons was no fluke?Gravenhurst really does sound like Nick Drake. Yet this swift six-song successor to his Warp debut proves there’s more to Nick Talbot, Gravenhurst’s bruised soul, than willowy finger-picking and sotto voce pining. The title track, for example, is an exquisite lament that swells over seven minutes into electric turbulence. And his heartfelt, stripped-down rendition of H

Goth techno, built for stadiums and sung by Liam Gallagher and lggy Pop, is evidently a thing of Death In Vegas’ extravagant major-label past. Now on their own Drone imprint, Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes’ ambitions are more modest, that rotten album title notwithstanding. A song called “Sons Of Rother” reveals more?that they’ve consciously restyled themselves in the image of ’70s Krautrock, especially Michael Rother’s Neu! and Harmonia. At times it’s hard to see the point of such a meticulous homage to motorik; one suspects Kraftwerk themselves might have trouble differentiating the start of “Zugaga” from “Trans Europe Express”. Nevertheless, DIV’s most aesthetically satisfying album, and perhaps an explanation of why their production work for Oasis last year was so abruptly terminated.

JOHN MULVEY

Listening to his easy-going version of country these days, you sometimes wonder where Nelson’s “outlaw” status comes from. The smooth vocals, the simple arrangements and the gentle, often sentimental songs sound more Jim Reeves than Steve Earle. And yet the rock’n’roll aristocracy reveres him as a legend.

Look at the line-up for live album Outlaws & Angels, recorded for a recent US TV special. There’s Keith Richards, who learnt his country from listening to Hank and hanging out with Gram, duetting magnificently on “We Had It All”. Lucinda Williams, Shelby Lynne and Rickie Lee Jones also step up to the plate while, to illustrate the breadth of respect, Kid Rock and Toots Hibbert also appear. Sadly, Dylan’s duet from the event isn’t on the record, presumably for contractual reasons. But the impression that a serious repositioning is going on cannot be dispelled, even by the presence of flag-waving token redneck Toby Keith.

Nelson’s new studio album offers further evidence of an attempt to broaden his appeal. It Always Will Be finds him covering Tom Waits and indulging in more duets with the likes of Lucinda Williams (again) and Norah Jones. But this reaching out to a new audience does not involve compromising the simple verities and virtues that have characterised Nelson’s records for years.

He rocks gently with daughter Paula Nelson on her splendid “Be That As It May”, and “Dreams Come True” is an atmospheric late-night jazz smooch. But, for the rest, it’s all about the emotional honesty of the simple country ballads, particularly his own compositions such as the title track, the lovely sing-me-back-home closer “Texas” and the unadorned, laid-back honesty of his voice. Thankfully, he hasn’t tried to reinvent himself as some born-again alt.country maverick. Authentic, uncomplicated, direct and unerringly true, this is simply how country was always meant to sound before they added the saccharine and sequins.

NIGEL WILLIAMSON

Though he’s still best known for his role in Truly’s 1995 album Fast Stories… From Kid Coma, Robert Roth is way beyond grunge. This solo debut is crammed with classy naked city observations like the magical opener “Vicki And Jacky” and the epic “Walk All Over Downtown Life”. With a musical talent to match his ear for detail, Roth slips mellotron, loops and Farfisa in between some richly arranged songwriting that echoes Pink Floyd and Jorma Kaukonen. If Bob’s voice is eerily reminiscent of Syd Barrett, the notes and nuances are highly original.

Flushed with hubris after the success of his “non-carbonated energy beverage” Pimp Juice and a part in the new Adam Sandler movie, Nelly jumps on the trend of releasing two albums simultaneously. His populist rapping dominates the superior Sweat, which brings on press darling/smug bastard Pharrell Williams, Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott. “Flap Your Wings” is a rehash of “Hot In Herre”, and nearly as much fun. Suit is touted as more grown-up. Ron Isley and Snoop drop by for a swig. State-of-the-art pop, but as he’s nothing to say except “shag me”, its fizz fades fast over two hours.

CHRIS ROBERTS

With a dream band that features Mick Taylor, Ian McLagan, pedal-steel guitarist BJ Cole and saxman Anthony Thistlethwaite, Nikki Sudden’s Treasure Island has all the hallmarks of a career record. Certainly it’s more focused, more seamless than the lion’s share of Sudden’s prolific post-Swell Maps work, though it hardly veers from his beloved archetypes. Like a ’70s fugitive wandering through the long-lost songbooks of Ronnie Lane, Ian Hunter, Johnny Thunders and Elliott Murphy, Sudden writes evocative songs hatched in the church of rock’n’roll and performed with a true believer’s gospel fervour. Best song: “Stay Bruised”, a gorgeous bit of ensemble brilliance.

“The best rock’n’roll,” reckons Keith Richards, “is about teamwork.” No one needs to tell the Kings Of Leon. Their debut, 2002’s Youth And Young Manhood, melded wide-eyed Allman Brothers/Creedence-style Southern rock to student disco-compatible post-Strokes indie, going on to sell over half a million copies. It was also the product of some highly organised teamwork: the implausibly young (bassist Jared is still only 18) and implausibly good-looking Nashville quartet acted as a front for a studio ringer (Angelo), a stylist and, seemingly, a biographer steeped in William Faulkner. The story of the three Followill brothers (plus guitarist cousin Matthew) and their alcoholic preacher-man dad travelling the South in a battered estate car spreading the gospel could almost have been taken from Robert Duvall’s Louisiana melodrama The Apostle. The great storyline, though, was only one part of their perfection, alongside great songs and beards.

Written in a few weeks in Nashville but then recorded in LA, this time round the Kings are forced to act out a more prosaic plot?the difficult second album. Angelo and former producer Ethan Johns have been retained, but where their debut was sun-dappled and airy enough to release four singles from, Aha Shake Heartbreak is almost defiantly dense and prickly. Ditching the rock radio choruses is a brave move, as is the bold?some might say foolhardy?step of introducing yodelling to the mix on “Day Old”. Elsewhere, though, this feels like a step backwards: opener “Slow Nights, So Long” recalls the graceless lurch of The Wedding Present. Proof that Aha… is nothing more than the uncomfortable sound of a band escaping their svengali, though, comes with the fact that the two best songs (“King Of The Rodeo” and single “Bucket”) are ones written entirely by the Followills. It doesn’t matter that Aha… is a slight falter. Left to their own devices next time round, the Kings might produce something truly special.

Following in the footsteps of Berliner Ulrich Schnauss, whose A Strangely Isolated Place has become something of a word-of-mouth phenomenon, teenager Connor Kirby-Long has also accidentally reinvented shoegazing with this beautifully evocative lo-fi debut. The stunning opener, “Man From The Anthill”, sets the scene, distant voices bleeding over a blizzard of radio static and warm synth washes, while “Crapstone”‘s na

As if our own arena-conquering Muse weren’t proof enough, anyone doubting the widespread and undiminished appeal of prog-rock should bend an ear to Washington DC’s Apes. Pinning down their sound isn’t that simple, however. In fact, nailing buttered fog to the floor would be easier. Brutally blurring the boundaries between punk, metal and stoner rock, ’70s psychedelia and prog, their third album rampages about in the same darkly disturbed ballpark as Liars, Oneida and Trans Am.

A perverted church organ is the melodic lynchpin, but it’s the lurching, lead-lined bass grooves that provide the thrills. Iron Butterfly fans should definitely investigate.

The prospect of Jones The Voice jamming with Jools The Hands is not a happy one. Containing 19 vintage blues, soul and early rock’n’roll standards, this album certainly makes for a depressingly conservative period piece. But it’s also clearly a labour of love, raw in execution and pleasingly free of marketing gloss. Holland’s boogie-woogie piano playing is an acquired taste, to put it midly, but at least he is on punchy form here. And when Jones strays into lusty gospel-soul with “Who Will The Next Fool Be?”, he still sounds magnificent.

To qualify for approval on the American emo punk scene, you had to be gnarly, melodically ‘challenging’ and denounce the very concept of a hit forever. So when Arizona’s Jimmy Eat World broke for the Billboard border with their eponymous album in 2002, the ‘sell-out’ brickbats inevitably flew.

Now their fourth album, stuffed with Fountains Of Wayne-but-shoutier chug-poppers like “Pain”, arrives as a kind of Joshua Tree for the heavily pierced and mildly upset. And thoroughly pleasant it is, too: more Foo Fighters than Fugazi, and all the sparklier for it.

MARK BEAUMONT

Forty years on, Martin Carthy is showing signs of mellowing. His commitment to the revivalist cause is undiminished. But here his singing is quietly passionate, beautifully offset by sparse modern arrangements with subtle production overseen by daughter Eliza. Acknowledging old-fashioned singers, he takes inspiration from mentors like Harry Cox, the Copper Family and Walter Pardon, the latter’s “A Ship To Old England Came” a chilling, compelling tale.

A trio of instrumentals showcase Carthy’s deft playing, highlighted by Martin Simpson’s slide guitar. Exquisite, relaxed, and belying Carthy’s virtuosity.

Talking Heads’ quirky angularity has become a touchstone for US college bands like Modest Mouse and Death Cab For Cutie, and this third album from Armistead Smith and Rob Crow follows a similar route. At their best (“Non Photo-Blue”, “Fortress”) Pinback unite complexity with conventional AM radio guitar pop to lilting effect. But for all their deft intricacies, they’re somewhat characterless?this doesn’t exactly get the blood pumping. Yelping choruses attempt to compensate, but it only sounds forced and overstrained. Too much maths, not enough magic.

Groansome pun title aside, this is a lot better than anyone might surmise. The venerable Crickets retain some fabulous chops and their chums are pretty tasty?try Eric Clapton, Rodney Crowell, Phil Everly, JD Souther, Johnny Rivers, Bobby Vee and Waylon Jennings (the latter’s take on “Well…All Right” was one of his final recordings). Bossed by Albert Lee and Glen D Hardin, The Crickets roll back their years to fine effect. Only thing is, where’s Macca?

Throughout a disappointing solo career, Mavis Staples has never matched the stirring atmospherics of the family’s early gospel sides or the power of their ’70s funk albums on Stax. Against the odds, Have A Little Faith, her first album since the Prince-produced The Voice in 1993, is a minor gem. A good band and decent songs bring out the best in her still-smouldering voice. Best of all is the spooky acoustic blues “Dying Man’s Plea”, but the slow-burn funk of “Ain’t No Better Than You” and the moving tribute to her father, “Pop’s Recipe”, aren’t far behind.

NIGEL WILLIAMSON

A high-profile player on New York’s no wave scene of the late ’70s, Lydia Lunch went on to pursue spoken-word performance, underground film work, photography and academic lecturing. Music, however, has always been her first love. Smoke In The Shadows is Lunch’s first LP since 1999 and may be the best thing she’s done in years. Seedy but understated narratives are given noir-ish, jazz-lounge settings, and her trademark nihilistic shrieks are nowhere to be heard.

Barry Adamson explores similar territory, but there are plenty of twists in Lunch’s seductive tales and, with “Trick Baby”, she even tries her hand at rap.

Clive Palmer distinguished himself as a founding member of The Incredible String Band together with Robin Williamson in 1965. This new album has little of the Incredible mystery about it. It’s mostly Palmer alone in the studio, picking and plucking with a slow and stately gait.

He sings with a quiet dignity, although his voice, at times uncertain, wavers over the notes. A valiant effort, but too much of this conventional chugging resembles work by another Englishman with the same first name: Clive Dunn.

Largely written with Ben Folds—though Lemon Jelly also weigh in with the lovely “Together”—Shatner’s second album in 35 years will be remembered for its magnificent version of Pulp’s “Common People”. Initially absurd, the novelty of Shatner—joined by Joe Jackson—declaiming Cocker’s brilliantly satirical lyrics is soon eclipsed by the genuine verve of the performance. Henry Rollins lends his anger to the furious “I Can’t Get Behind That”, Aimee Mann pops up on the touching “Trying”, and while Has Been refuses to take itself too seriously, going where few would ever go, it is definitely deserving of the cult status that it will inevitably earn.

EDEN PARKE

James Murphy and Tim Goldsworthy’s Death From Above label seriously impresses with this three-disc offering of brave new work from their coterie of thrift-store druids and cosmic crusaders.

Percussive wig-out “Bellhead”, the first release in 20 years by clandestine post-punk deities Liquid Liquid, may be the centrepiece, but it’s the DFA-enhanced “Sunplus” by Boredoms offshoot J.O.Y., and Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom’s majestic “Rise” that really flick the trip switch.

Regulars like The Rapture, Black Dice and LCD Soundsystem are also in attendance, while Goldsworthy’s 12-track mix provides a handy way into this out-there collection.

PIERS MARTIN