Manufacturer: J
Newton Faulkner has toured with Paulo Nutini and James Morrison. You hear this fact far more often than you have to--it might have made sense to expose his palatable acoustic tinkerings to those massive audiences, but that association leaves too simplistic an impression. He specialises in partially progressive, free-willed folk-pop that is on one hand too cosy and warm for mass ...
Manufacturer: RCA
If your previous album was a slow-burning success story, it can be hard to be expected to hit the ground running on the follow-up. Fortunately, the Kaiser Chiefs have done just that on the fantastically-titled Yours Truly, Angry Mob. Like Employment, their debut and this album's predecessor, Yours Truly... is full of radio-friendly, hook-ridden tunes that mask cunningly ...
Manufacturer: B-Unique
On Employment, raffish, trilby-clad young Leeds quintet Kaiser Chiefs prove themselves the logical heirs to the Britpop throne previously warmed by the likes of Blur and Supergrass, twinning expectant verses with rollicking choruses and generally acting very much like indie-rock's latest swaggering young Jack the Lads. There's no doubt, the Kaisers know their rock history: "Oh My God" ...
Manufacturer: EMI
Minutes to Midnight stands to defend Linkin Park's status as the hardest-rockin' softies in mainstream music. Like its predecessors Hybrid Theory (2000) and Meteroa (2003), Minutes to Midnight flexes plenty of decibel-heavy muscle ("Given Up," "Bleed It Out," "No More Sorrow") and made-to-order, melodic radio fare ("Leave out All the Rest," "Shadow of the Day," "In ...
Manufacturer: Warners
Australian-born soul starlet Sam Sparro has been making ears prick up of late. His savvy blend of soul, funk and modern electronica nods to 70s and 80s legends like Stevie Wonder and Hall and Oates, but Sparro brings a sassy style and modern production ethic that renders his music 21st Century fresh. Armed with a smooth, mercurial voice, Sparro sashays slickly through disco, funk and soul, moving ...
Manufacturer: Universal
As a piece of propaganda, James Blunt's album Back to Bedlam does more for changing the face of the British Army than a series of television adverts ever could. Swapping a rifle for a guitar, the former cavalryman's ballad-heavy debut is a clearly aiming to win the battle for the public's hearts and minds. The success of singles like "You're Beautiful" and "No Bravery" (inspired by his time ...
Manufacturer: Atlantic
Manufacturer: London Records 90 Ltd.
Emmylou Harris has always had a way with woe. On All I Intended To Be, she seems more maudlin than ever as she sings her way through songs about loss, heartbreak, even the odd funeral. Of course, this is the kind of material Harris has always been comfortable with, but as her career and years advance gracefully, so her gliding soprano seems to breathe ever more refinement and soul into her ...
Manufacturer: Warner
