Leila Blood
Looms and Blooms (Warp) £10.99
When Leila released her first two albums of glitchy soul a decade ago, the UK was in the throes of an electronic affair. The elusive Iranian-born noisemaker returns now after an eight-year hiatus during which she, and the world, have changed. Her third album might fall on stony ground, were it not for the highly individual grasp Bjork's former collaborator has on two contemporary sounds. Blood Looms and Blooms proffers sultry trip hop on 'Daisies Cats and Spacemen'; Martina Topley-Bird and Terry Hall guest elsewhere. 'Little Acorns', meanwhile, suggests a gentler MIA. But the real treats for old fans come with the full-on digitals of 'Mettle'.
Kitty Empire
Liam Finn
I'll Be Lightning (Transgressive) £9.99
For 24-year-old Liam Finn, producing a debut of easy-on-the-ear acoustic pop is akin to joining the family firm; his father, Neil, has long peddled elegant MOR as frontman of Crowded House. Finn junior does attempt to distinguish himself from his father as much as a shared love of the Beatles and a wistful bent allow; 'Lead Balloon' culminates with ragged guitar squalls, and the influence that looms largest here is Elliott Smith. But though Finn's hazy vocals are often lovely, his songwriting lacks the heart-snagging touch so effortlessly deployed by his alt-pop heroes and his dad.
Ally Carnwath
She & Him
Volume One (Double Six) £10.99
She found fame as the sister who left a box of enlightenment and LPs under her brother's bed in Cameron Crowe's 2000 film Almost Famous . Now actor Zooey Deschanel presents her own finely crafted collection of pop sweetness, thanks to a formidable collaboration with musician M Ward, and a singing voice every bit as quirky as her on-screen persona. This mix of yearning country ballads and Sixties girl-group cheer could have Deschanel mistaken for a lost contemporary of Helen Shapiro and Patsy Cline. Even the misguided inclusion of a few lifeless covers can't derail the bouncy energy of her own songs.
Katie Toms
The Dodos
Visiter (Wichita) £9.99
This year, no self-respecting new band with a sense of adventure feels complete without tipping a hat to African music. Hearing the choppy, layered rhythms that run through this strong debut from San Francisco trio the Dodos, it comes as no surprise that founder Meric Long has spent time studying West African Ewe drumming. Percussion takes centre stage in Visiter : two of the three band members are drummers, while lead vocalist Meric Long plays brusque, folky guitar. The lyrics are unshowy to the point of transparency but Long has an appealing voice which delivers airy, poppy harmonies over the intricate beats.
Killian Fox
Jim Moray
Low Culture (NIAG) £11.99
On two previous albums Moray's bold re-imagining of English folk has seen him both soar and crash. Low Culture (folk ain't 'high art') hits a more even course. Jangling guitars are pushed aside for elegant string arrangements pricked by hurdy-gurdy, squeezebox and even African marimba. Only 'Lucy Wan', a clumsy stab at 'folk grime' with rapper Bubbz, jars. Moray plays many of the instruments, but his vocals, tender and melodic, are his greatest asset, effortlessly dramatising old love songs and ballads about transportation to Australia, while 'Adam Ant is Unwell' adds a touching, modern-day tribute to a fallen hero.
Neil Spencer
Art Pepper
Work of Art (Proper) £13.99
One of the great puzzles of jazz is how Art Pepper managed to play the alto saxophone with seemingly angelic ease, despite spending long stretches in prison for drug offences. This terrific four-CD box covers his career between 1952 and 1957, a period twice interrupted by jail terms, but you'd never know from listening. The soft beauty of Pepper's tone, the coherence of his ideas and the fluency of his delivery are utterly breathtaking. When almost everybody else was in thrall to Charlie Parker, he pursued his own unique course, and today his recordings sound better than ever.
Dave Gelly