LISTEN UP

FRED AGAIN.. / Actual Life

★★★★★

AS a producer for Stormzy, Ed Sheeran and Headie One, Fred has a stellar contacts list he could have called on. Instead, Fred uses samples, unknowns and his own singing to tell the story of a friend’s illness.

There are sad bangers similar to The XX. Mostly, Actual Life is an actual celebration, stuffed with the elastic beats and colourful riffs that have made Fred so in demand. He deserves to be as big a name as his clients.

IMELDA MAY / 11 Past The Hour ★★★

HAVING worked with U2 and Robert Plant, Irish veteran Imelda somehow manages to make Noel Gallagher sound sexy on raunchy rocker Just One Kiss. Ronnie Wood’s guitar joins in the fun, while Miles Kane tears up the full-on What We Did In The Dark. Despite that scorching voice, the ballads aren’t as distinctive. Stick to the guitar frenzies and Imelda’s timing is perfect.

THE OFFSPRING / Let The Bad Times Roll DEXTER Holland’s

★★★★

cartoon rockers tackle a few serious issues on this first new LP in over a decade. Mental health (Behind Your Walls) and a little politics (This Is Not Utopia) are delicately broached, but mostly the breathless punk riffs will bring out old fans’ bratty rebellion. Dexter recently passed a PHD in molecular biology but the only formula on show is how to get to a yelled infectious chorus as quick as possible.

LONDON GRAMMAR / Californian Soil

★★★★

THE trio’s trademark chilled Balearic beats are back. Better still, Hannah Reid’s voice and lyrics are stronger than ever.

They’re matched by a new ghostly beauty to the keyboards and guitars on the ballads. It makes for a diverse album taking in soothing bops like Baby It’s You and I Need The Night – before powerful ballads All My Love and America leave you in bits. Their soil is certainly fertile.