Latest Reviews 30 April - 6 May 2012 
Appia Kwa BridgeEbo Taylor
A fine new studio set mixing traditional sounds and sturdy funk.reviewed by Robin Denselow
Crown and TreatySweet Billy Pilgrim
A simply glorious new album from Buckinghamshire’s premier experimental outfit.reviewed by Sid Smith
CyrkCate Le Bon
A genuinely off-kilter pop record that never feels too self-conscious or contrived.reviewed by Nick Levine
RomancingDevin
Pop sensibilities run deep on this scintillating debut LP.reviewed by Leonie Cooper
NootropicsLower Dens
An icy, near-derelict soundscape of skeletal indie-rock and Krautrock.reviewed by Chris Parkin
What Kind of WorldBrendan Benson
Thoroughly enjoyable fifth album from the sometime Raconteur.reviewed by Si Hawkins
The Vice of the PeopleThe Albion Band
The band’s new line-up delivers some vividly potent original writing.reviewed by Sid Smith
Fog ElectricNorth Atlantic Oscillation
The Scots' second LP glides upon thermals of synths, guitars and strings.reviewed by Brad Barrett
Give You the GhostPoliça
Consider the hype lived up to, as this is one stunning debut album.reviewed by Jen Long
Adventures in Your Own BackyardPatrick Watson
Perfectly poised, charmingly understated chamber pop.reviewed by Wyndham Wallace
EFUNKSoul Clap
A slow-burning, and downright freaky, retro-house debut from this Boston DJ duo.reviewed by Kate Hutchinson
This Is Not a Drill The Impellers
Spirits-lifting funk from the south coast.reviewed by David Katz
Alceste (soprano: Lucy Crowe; tenor: Benjamin Hulett; bass-baritone: Andrew Foster-Williams; Early Opera Company; conductor: Christian Curnyn)George Frideric Handel
The incomplete ‘incidental music’ for Alceste, conducted with liveliness and sensitivity.reviewed by Graham Rogers
Fear FunFather John Misty
Ex-Fleet Foxes sticksman gets superbly freaky on a special solo voyage.reviewed by Martin Aston
Little Broken HeartsNorah Jones
Esteemed songstress makes heartbreak sound good.reviewed by Marcus J. Moore
Radlands Mystery Jets
A bracing, rock-orientated fourth set from the Eel Pie Islanders.reviewed by Chris Bright
Electra HeartMarina and the Diamonds
Balances the ironic and the heartfelt, the real and the fake, with remarkable aplomb.reviewed by Michael Cragg
The Jeb Loy Nichols SpecialJeb Loy Nichols
Nichols’ latest LP is another serving of not-quite-as-you-know-it country.reviewed by James Skinner
Various CrueltiesVarious Cruelties
A debut set of white soul from the White City four-piece.reviewed by Paul Lester
Concerto for Orchestra / A Notte Alta / Symphonic Fragments from ‘La donna serpente’ (piano: Martin Roscoe; Gianandrea Noseda; BBC Philharmonic; leader: Yuri Torchinsky)Alfredo Casella
Thoroughly recommended recordings of some Italian magic.reviewed by Adrian Edwards
Nth Entities: Anna Le Does Poetry/Phil Manzanera Does MusicAnna Le & Phil Manzanera
Roxy Music guitarist backs some worthy poetry on this experimental collaboration.reviewed by Garry Mulholland
This Is the Day: Music on Royal OccasionsJohn Rutter and the Cambridge Singers
Sacred choral easy listening of the highest standard.reviewed by Charlotte Gardner
Cabin in the Sky Karin Krog and Bengt Hallberg
Krog is on absolutely top form, while Hallberg sounds just like himself.reviewed by Alyn Shipton
MeantimeKwes
A great EP from the rising London producer, which bodes well for future releases.reviewed by Mike Diver
…the worse the betterPeter Brötzmann/John Edwards/Steve Noble
Explosive opening salvo from Cafe OTO’s in-house imprint.reviewed by Spencer Grady
