BEST OF THE NEW RELEASES...

JESS GLYNNE Jess (EMI)

BACK after six years away, the big- voiced Londoner makes up for lost time by edging away from strident dance music to something more thoughtful and soulful. There’s a throwback to her earlier hits in Friend Of Mine, which rockets towards the high notes as she apologises for upsetting an old pal, but the real nitty-gritty lies with the ballads. Silly Me traces Glynne’s growth from the age of 16, and Lying finds her romantic pleas framed by gospel backing and country-soul piano. Amid the late- night, winesoaked reflection, she may have found her niche as the new queen of heartache. ★★★☆☆

THE ZUTONS The Big Decider (Icepop)

THE Liverpool band enjoyed a windfall when their song Valerie was a global hit thanks to Amy Winehouse’s stunning cover. But they’ve been silent since 2008’s You Can Do Anything, with singer Dave McCabe spending time in rehab. With help from marquee producers Nile Rodgers and Ian Broudie, this fourth album puts them back on track by sacrificing indie-pop for feel-good funk and blue-eyed soul. It’s slightly uneven, but Creeping On The Dancefloor is a sunkissed party tune with a Dexys-style chorus, and Disappear is lifted by Abi Harding’s sax plus a spoken-word interlude from Rodgers. ★★★☆☆ A.T.

GLUCK: ORFEO ED EURIDICE (Erato)

ERATO are competing with themselves in releasing this superb CD of Gluck’s operatic masterpiece. They already have a disc featuring star countertenor Philippe Jaroussky, but that is the 1774 version and this new one is the original 1762 edition. You lose one or two things, such as the Dance Of The Blessed Spirits, but I actually prefer the young Polish countertenor Jakub Jozef Orlinski — who’s also a breakdancer! It’s a shame not to provide an English translation, as was done for Jaroussky, but with 85 minutes of music and Orlinski’s moving interpretation, I am for him. ★★★★★ TULLY POTTER