New releases

GORILLAZ: The Now Now (Parlophone)

ONE year on from scattergun comeback album Humanz, Damon Albarn’s cartoon quartet Gorillaz are back with a much sharper, feelgood sequel. With Damon’s tender vocals now centre stage, this feels more like a solo effort. It’s also a perfect soundtrack for the heatwave. Albarn’s lyrics are often melancholy, but the accessibility of his songs alleviate any unease. Jazz guitarist George Benson displays delightful subtlety on Humility. Rapper Snoop Dogg is typically laid-back on Hollywood and Damon’s Blur bandmate Graham Coxon supplies guitar on the mellow Magic City.

JOHN COLTRANE: Both Directions At Once (Impulse!)

THIS ‘lost’ Coltrane studio album is a significant one. Rediscovered 55 years after it was recorded, it captures a talent in transition. There are nods to convention in a tight, melodic reading of Forties ballad Nature Boy. But Coltrane, who died in 1967, was also looking to more exploratory, ‘free jazz’ styles: his interplay with drummer Elvin Jones on One Up, One Down is dazzling. With Sixties jazz enjoying a resurgence, it’s a fine introduction.

RAY DAVIES: Our Country (Legacy)

WITH a new Kinks album in the pipeline, Davies continues his prolific streak with a second solo CD about the U.S. A companion to last year’s Americana, Our Country’s autobiographical songs reiterate Sir Ray’s storytelling skill, with the Jayhawks providing a wide-ranging musical backdrop. A wry title track documents U.S. reactions to the British pop invasion. Louisiana Sky is one of several New Orleans jazz tracks.