New releases

COURTEENERS: More. Again. Forever. (Ignition)

AS flag-wavers for indie guitar music, the Courteeners are hardly fashionable. But the Mancunians buck pop trends by selling out arenas, and their fifth album shows why. Frontman Liam Fray is a smart songwriter and his band subtly tweak standard formulas by adding electrorock grooves on Heart Attack and funky bass on the excellent title track. ★★★✩✩

SELENA GOMEZ: Rare (Polydor)

THE former Disney starlet says her third album offers ‘a look into my journey of healing and growth’. Given that she has overcome the disease lupus as well as had a kidney transplant, that means a lot. Gomez is still searching for a musical identity, but Rare shows promise. Ring looks to her Hispanic heritage, with Camila Cabello’s Havana a clear template. ★★★✩✩

CAROLINE POLACHEK: Pang (Perpetual Novice)

THIS American singer’s first solo effort emerged late last year on her own label, but it’s worth a second listen ahead of her show at London’s Heaven In March. Polachek cut her teeth with Brooklyn indie band Chairlift, but Pang is more experimental, with Ocean Of Tears a hazy R&B number. ‘Back in the city, I’m just another girl in a sweater,’ she sings. Not for long. ★★★★✩

GABRIELLE APLIN: Dear Happy (Never Fade)

GABRIELLE Aplin hasn’t quite found her niche since topping the charts eight years ago with her cover of The Power Of Love. Her third album offers a homely spin on modern pop production, moving her away from acoustic fare towards playful electronica. Manchester singer JP Cooper is a forceful duet partner for the Wiltshire singer on Losing Me. ★★★✩✩