Remi Nicole - My Conscience and I
Twenty-something drama school drop-out Remi Nicole - who was inspired to pick up a guitar after spotting Noel Gallagher outside Tiffany & Co in Mayfair (how street!) - has a serviceable line in sprightly pop tunes with dashes of ska, indie-rock and comic cut-ups of 50s BBC continuity-style voices. On the whole, it's upbeat, fun and much more summery than an album released in the depths of winter ought to be. There are also bonus points for getting kids TV show Grotbags into a lyric and for sticking two fingers up to those who think black girls shouldn't be into guitar music on the fab Rock ’n’ Roll. Remi's debut stands on the meridian line between Kate Nash and Jack Penate, so if you like or dislike either of those two, you'll feel the same way about this light and casual offering.
My Conscience and I is on Universal
Whitest Boy Alive - Dreams
After making two wonderful acoustic folk albums as one half of Kings Of Convenience, embracing electronica on his solo album and singing over the top of his favourite records as a DJ (not as bad as it sounds), Erlend Oye finds himself in a four-piece rock band. That said, Whitest Boy Alive are a pretty minimal rock band – the music is simple, spacious and appears unspectacular on the surface. Nevertheless, it's lifted by the Norwegian's nonchalant, languid voice which keeps even the most hectic tracks (Burning and Don't Give Up are the obvious stand-outs) unruffled and lovely. A breath of clean, filtered, mountain fresh air.
Dreams is on Universal
Peter von Poehl - Going to Where the Tea Trees Are
A handsome and rakish Swedish gent (he wears his scarf in a manner only a Swede could), Peter von Poehl arrives on these shores after breaking into mainstream radio in France. With a sound like a mellower, 70s John Lennon the tracks here are measured and precise but have an alien, serene quality. There aren't many drums or catchy choruses; instead you get hooked on the timeless, psychedelic, easy-listening mood. The two big stand-outs are Virgin Mountains - which features the flute and a horn that sounds like it's on loan from a Jacques Tati soundtrack before bursting into beautiful life - and The Story of the Impossible which glides along on a twinkly magic carpet and finds Peter hitting notes you wouldn't believe a man was capable of.
Going to Where the Tea Trees Are is on Bella Union
Kylie - X
Following the format well trodden by Britney, Fergie, Gwen - and before them all Madonna - X teases cutting-edge dance sounds and production techniques into a shiny box and ties them all up with a sparkly bow. It doesn't really work. Kylie is at her best when setting out to make feel-good pop rather than a cool statement, so it's the more simplistic tracks that work best here - which means that the camp disco of The One and Wow, the kitsch Like a Drug, single 2 Hearts and Sensitized are all fabulous. But, sadly, like an under-stuffed Christmas stocking, there are plenty of fillers to pad out the treats. All said and done, though, a solid comeback from the popstar's popstar.
X is on Parlophone
The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
This Danish duo of Sune Rose Wagner (on guitar, instruments and vocals) and Sharin Foo (on bass and vocals) were much hyped on their arrival in 2002 when they released an album built entirely around the key of B- flat minor. There are a few more notes explored here but The Raveonettes' song structure is still a simple one (layers of guitar noise plus pounding drums and sweet vocals). It works a treat on the fabulous Hallucinations and Blush, which are both wonderful 60s pop songs cut through with chiming, discordant, ear-piercing feedback, while The Beat Dies is pure Twin Peaks camp. With its themes of death, sex and desire, this is the perfect alt-rock soundtrack for fatalist bikers.
Lust Lust Lust is on Fierce Panda
Gorillaz - D-Sides
Sadly, it seems this animated supergroup is no more - 2D, we are told, is finishing his law degree and Russell is re-inventing himself as a personal trainer. It's a great loss to pop music, but as send-offs go, this is a remarkably good one - and is far, far better than odds-and-sods collections of B-sides and remixes really ought to be. The first of this double CD set features a couple of interesting demos, including a very early version of Dare (minus a chorus and Shaun Ryder but with a fine Human League sample). The second disc demonstrates how far remixes have come in recent times – they're not always an improvement but Soulwax's version of Dare and Hot Chip's Kids with Guns come close.
D-Sides is on Parlophone
Leona Lewis - Spirit
It's a testament, this, to Simon Cowell's business nous that he resisted a rushed covers album and instead enlisted powerful US music mogul Clive Davis to attract a bevy of America's most successful songwriters to pen a tune for Hackney warbler Lewis. The result is an album of almost clockwork perfection - containing enough hits to keep her on the radio till next Christmas (Better in Time and Whatever it Takes are both as classy as the majestic Bleeding Love). But, overall, the lack of individuality makes this the bland, glossy musical equivalent of magnolia paint. Hard to love, hard to hate - but the whole world will buy it.
Spirit is on Sony/BMG
Jaymay - Autumn Fallin'
A rising star of the American 'anti-folk' scene (essentially folk music that doesn't sound like folk music) Jaymay is a singer-songwriter blessed with many talents. The story of a love affair in New York, Autumn Fallin' beautifully treads a line between stagy and confessional. It's smartly written, sardonically delivered, full of clever lines and there's a lot of fun and heartache along the way. The peak is the epic You'd Rather Run - a ten-minute chugging waltz that owes much to Bob Dylan and sloshes about with dashes of tinkling toy piano, plucked fiddles and a glowing Hammond organ. A great album that's certain to build via word-of-mouth, so start spreading the news.
Autumn Fallin' is on Heavenly
Girls Aloud - Tangled Up
Tangled Up, incredibly, is just as experimental, tongue-in-cheek and twisted as the three albums that preceded it, while also still fulfilling the principle objective of sounding perfect coming out of the speakers of Topshop on a Saturday afternoon. Single Sexy! No No No turns out to be the weakest track here with far greater fun to be found elsewhere - What You Crying For is fierce pop drum'n'bass; Black Jacks arch, sassy northern soul and Can't Speak French retro Euro-glam. Lyrically it's excellent fun too - the only thing that could go wrong now is if they do actually do the much gossiped-about duet with the Spice Girls. 
Tangled UP is on Polydor
Burial - Untrue
Only a handful of people outside Burial's family know his real identity. This would be unremarkable except for the fact that Untrue - his second album - is one of the most stunning and powerful pieces of musical alchemy since Portishead's Dummy. The style that dominates is a musical paradox for untutored ears - fast, double-time rhythms often coupled with reverberating slow-dub bass rumbles. Burial takes these strange patterns to a much higher level, interweaving layers of crackling scraps of noise, fragments of vocals and snatches of gorgeous grooves fading into the ether. The atmosphere is dark, nocturnal and troubling but pulses with a glow you can't quite catch. Unlike nearly every other album of the past decade, it only really works if you listen all the way through. A wonderful record that transcends its underground cool.
Untrue is on Hyperdub
Foals - Balloons
Our favourite new band of 2007 is, without doubt, Foals, who will have everyone cutting-a-rug, playing high-positioned air guitar and wearing very tight, short-sleeved Fila tennis shirts in 2008 - you heard it hear first folks. New single Balloons is a dextrous marvel that twists and shimmies itself into a repetitive knot before somehow untying itself. Just like Paul Daniels used to say – that’s magic.
Ballons is out on Transgressive
CSS
CSS have kicked off their seasonal Christmas tour and have just added a new date at the Coronet in South London. In true festive style, the kinky Brazilian love gods are asking their fans to come along to their shows in seasonal fancy dress. The band, all the crew and even the stage will be similarly attired. Even if you can't get a ticket, loitering outside the venue dressed as a Yeti might be fun. If you're lucky enough to get in, don't miss superb support band Metronomy – hotly tipped here several months ago. CSS are touring nationwide and play the London Coronet on December 15.
For full dates and ticket information go to myspace.com/
canseidesersexy
U2
Listen up: Bono and The Edge were surprise guests of Biffy Clyro at their Little Noise charity show in London last week and played an acoustic version of Desire. Damn good until your man starts going all Jim Morrison.Tags: little noise U2 acoustic rock
Nothing Rhymes With Orange
Don't be fooled by the joke name - this Miami-based four-piece are seriously good and, although very obviously inspired by British bands like Stereophonics, James and Oasis, haven't entirely dispensed with their American-ness. To this end, they deliver a big, crunchy commercial sound that could see them following the likes of The Killers and Interpol in delivering the musical equivalent of coals to Newcastle. They're about to play a few British shows but would be well advised not to follow their MySpace friend Jezika's advice to "enjoy London and don't forget to rock with your cocks out".
See more of the band at myspace.com/nrwo
Reviews by Johnny Dee
FIRST POSTED NOVEMBER 30, 2007
