Newton Faulkner - Write It On Your Skin (Sony) CD & iTunes
★★★★
Dreadlocked and bearded English singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner's follows his massive 2007 debut Hand Built By Robots and its relatively obscure 2009 follow-up Rebuilt by Humans. Faulkner — who plays the Olympia on October 7 — uses subtle strings, gentle piano and layered harmonies layered to underpin his pleasant and largely optimistic songs.

The opening pair of tracks Pulling Teeth and Soon are indicative of the happy nature throughout, although In The Morning offers some sombre respite (and wonderful harmonies). The simple and beautiful Long Shot is another highlight in this lush, sunny set. Lyrically, the album urges people to be true to themselves, as heard on first single Clouds.

And while there is nothing as infectious as the optimistic pop of his debut album’s hit Dream Catch Me, this has enough going for it to warrant your interest.



Milk Maid: Mostly No (Fat Cat) CD & iTunes
★★★
Ex frontman with alt-rockers Nine Black Alps, Martin Cohen has swiftly followed last year’s solo debut, Yucca. Building on that album's themes of death and broken relationships, this effort boasts excellent melodies and influences such as Dinosaur Jr, Pavement and (on the last couple of tracks) Graham Coxon. The highlights are Mostly No, Do Right and Stir So Slow, but one must caution that there is little of outstanding originality.

Chris Brown: Fortune (Sony) CD & iTunes
★★★
US rapper Chris Brown’s fifth album kicks off with the top 10 hit, the dancefloor-friendly Turn Up The Music and includes two remixes featuring Rihanna, despite their past. The ballad Don't Judge Me could be interpreted as his reaction to the domestic violence incident in 2009, when he was arrested for assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna. Trying hard to put the past behind him and looking for some public forgiveness, Brown does his best work here on Biggest Fan, Sweet Love and Party Hard/Cadillac.

Pop Etc: Pop Etc (Rough Trade) CD & iTunes
★★★★
Danger Mouse, the man currently reinventing U2, produced the best track here, Keep It For Your Own. Pop Etc have done a bit of reinvention themselves. The Americans used to be called The Morning Benders and sang catchy folksy tunes but now they deliver anthems with an impressive indie pop sheen. The added electronic elements and pop influences will appeal to an army of new fans and surely alienate whatever old ones check this out.



SpaceGhostPurrp: Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp" (4AD) CD & iTunes
Three stars
Lo-fi grimy beats and a dark, stark and spooky production form the musical backdrop for the debut from this 21-year-old producer and rapper from Florida. The occasional misogynist lyrics will turn some listeners off from this album, but what lies elsewhere is worth investigating. Most of the tracks are re-recordings of earlier mix tape material, done in ways that mutate hip-hop into something new and exciting, if not quite to the levels of Death Grips or Shabazz Palaces.

Spear of Destiny: The singles 1983-1988 (Anagram) CD
★★★★
Formed in 1983 by ex Theatre of Hate frontman Kirk Brandon and bassist Stan Stammers, Spear of Destiny were on the cusp of mainstream success in 1987 — supporting U2 at Wembley Stadium— when Brandon was struck down by Reiter disease. Prior to that, the band had scored a top 20 hit with Never Take Me Alive, one of the many singles on this two-disc remastered retrospective. The second disc is particularly interesting, as it includes some rare 12-inch extended versions and dubs on CD for the first time.

Various Artists: Ibiza Ten Years (Hed Kandi) CD & iTunes
★★★
Hed Kandi is celebrating a decade of decadence of the white island with a triple CD mix featuring its most A-List artist and production roll call ever. Louie Vega, DJ Fresh, Tiesto, Florence & The Machine, Avicii, Nalin & Kane, Steve Angello, Eric Prydz, Calvin Harris and David Guetta are among those enlisted to ensure this album becomes the most essential aural companion for Ibiza-bound holidaymakers in 2012. You will find its DJs – including Tralee’s DJ Eibhlin — in action every Saturday at Es Paradis.

Lorn: Ask The Dust (Ninja Tune) CD & iTunes
★★★★
Miwaukee native Lorn celebrates his switch from LA’s Brainfeeder label to its UK equivalent, Ninja Tune, with his follow-up to 2010 debut Nothing Else, a landmark album of twisted electronics and skewed melodies. Known to his mum as Marcus Ortega, the producer uses his own heavily treated on several tracks, among the heavily layered beats and atmospherics. The melodies he made his mark with are still present, but you will have to scratch under the surface to find them.



Various: Clubbers Guide to Festivals 2012 (Ministry) CD & iTunes
★★★
It has not been a great summer for festivals, what with non-runners like Oxegen and Glastonbury and casualties such as Bloc. This triple-CD set reminds of what might have been, and what still could be at the likes of Creamfields and Electric Picnic. From The Prodigy to Skrillex, from Nero to Skream, this largely dance-propelled collection covers all, er, basses.

Various Artists: Modeselektion Volume 2 (Monkeytown) CD & iTunes
★★★
One of the highlights of the recent Forbidden Fruit festival, Modeselektor have compiled this unmixed dark and experimental set of unreleased gems from the likes of Martyn, Clark and Addison Groove. Also available on triple vinyl.

Kristian Heikkila: Kombinations (EPM Digital) iTunes
★★★
The Swedish producer follows a couple of acclaimed EPs with a diverse album that encompasses everything from banging techno to tight and funky tech-house.

Delta Funktionen: Traces (Delsin) CD & iTunes
★★★
Nine sprawling tracks couched in classic techno with electro overtones, experimenting wilfully throughout, not least on the highlight On A Distant Journey.