BEST OF THE NEW RELEASES

THE BLACK CROWES: Happiness Bastards (Silver Arrow)

Unlike Oasis’s Noel and Liam Gallagher, the Robinson brothers (lead singer Chris and guitarist Rich) have put a bitter sibling squabble behind them to get the band (in their case The Black Crowes) back together. The upshot is a new album that revisits the bluesy swagger of their early 1990s pomp. There are nods to Aerosmith on Bedside Manners, and a detour into blue-eyed funk on Wanting And Waiting. The ballad Wilted Rose, with country singer Lainey Wilson duetting with Chris, evokes the folkier elements of Led Zeppelin III. HHHII

CAITY BASER: Still Learning (EMI)

Southampton-born Baser lost out to The Last Dinner Party after being nominated for the Rising Star award at the BRITs, but this 13-song ‘mixtape’ confirms her arrival as a brash new presence in British pop. ‘You say I’m trouble, well I say that I’m fun,’ she sings on I’m A Problem, setting the tone for a cheeky, chatty release. The 21-year-old lambasts emptyheaded suitors on Pretty Boys and offers a pep-talk to a broken-hearted pal on the jazzy Showgirl. Animated, irreverent — and on the road this month — she’s an ideal Generation Z pop star. HHHHI

PUCCINI: Messa Di Gloria, etc. (Carus)

Destined to be a church musician in Lucca like his forebears, Giacomo Puccini got sidetracked into opera. But not before he completed this youthful yet impressive full-scale Mass. For this 2023 recording, Hans-Christoph Rademann deployed his famous ensembles, the Gaechinger Cantorey and the Dresden Chamber Choir. Disc 2 contains equally fine performances of Verdi’s Four Sacred Pieces. As the Puccini work shows Verdi’s influence in just about every bar, the pairing works very well. HHHHH