SOUND JUDGEMENT

THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED

JAMES BAY – ELECTRIC LIGHT

JAMES BAY, the crooner for the hipster generation, has now released his second studio album and stepped away from the acoustic guitars and into a room of mellow soul and rousing gospel voices.

Wasted on Each Other opens up with a dirty guitar riff, his distinctive smooth soul sound soars over the top, and Pink Lemonade is going to be summer radio fodder, with a light beat and 1980s-style pop rock guitars keeping the track fizzing.

Wanderlust is a grower, there is more than a hint of Fleetwood Mac lurking under the melody.

One thing is certain: Bay is growing as an artist. If you are looking for an eclectic piece of fun this is it. It should certainly be on your soundtrack to this summer.

RAY LAMONTAGNE – PART OF THE LIGHT

WITH musicality as rich and elegant as his second name, Ray LaMontagne’s seventh album Part Of The Light is an exciting wander through several genres.

From soul to folk to rock, via a few tracks that sound a little Beatles and Bowie-esque, the Grammy-winning American singer-songwriter has produced a small but mighty collection that only gets better as you tick off each track.

LaMontagne’s gravelly vocals stand up against the whining guitar riffs and seductively soul-scouring sounds of standout track As Black As Blood Is Blue, which conjures images of being in a sweaty, swaying gig venue.

Rousing, emotive, chunky closer Goodbye Blue Sky will have you reaching to press play and listen to it all over again, right away.

ASH – ISLANDS

THERE’S often a trepidation when bands of a certain vintage announce new material, with concerns over a misguided change of direction or an unimaginative regurgitation of a tried and tested formula. But no such fear with Islands, the seventh studio album from Britpop dukes, Ash, which grafts a healthy dose of old onto the new.

Fans of Trailer and 1977-era Ash will have their cockles warmed by the punk-infused Buzzkill, while Confessions In The Pool offers a slice of indie disco.

There are flavours of Weezer and Arctic Monkeys, but the overall sound is unmistakably Ash – out on their own, still making triumphant records.