MUSIC REVIEWS

ALBUM OF THE WEEK Crooked Calypso Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott

The two return with another slice of Heaton’s smart and intelligent pop on this, their latest collaboration. As usual the lyrical content is full of barbs and sharp observation, leavened with a fine dose of humour. The way their voices work together and individually is just the icing on the cake. 9/10

What Do You Think About The Car? Declan McKenna

Declan McKenna sugars his social conscience with a finely tuned ear for an infectious hook, and the album’s guitars jangle with youthful exuberance – an effect enhanced by snippets of childhood conversation that pop up between songs. 8/10

Raskit Dizzee Rascal

Raskit finds Dizzee rapping honestly over harsh synths and deep bass, with more of a hip-hop tinge than a grime focus, which makes sense given that the album is mostly US-produced. The album at times feels like an explanation as to why he left the scene he emerged from. 7/10

Eucalyptus Avey Tare

Eucalyptus is in many ways precisely what you’d expect from an album by any member of Animal Collective. But anyone who took in the band’s most recent output may be surprised to hear quite how mellow and acoustic guitarladen Avey Tare’s second solo release is. 6/10