Blu-ray: Harry Birrell Presents Films of Love & War

Implausibly epic home movies, exhumed from a garden shed

What we don’t learn about filmmaker Harry Birrell is as tantalising as what is actually revealed during the course of Matt Pinder’s beguiling 90-minute documentary. We hear that Birrell was born in Paisley to a father he never met, who had been killed in action on the Macedonian Front, and that the young Harry was given a cine camera at the age of 10, the start of a lifelong hobby.

Album: Darkside - Spiral

★★★★ DARKSIDE - SPIRAL Keeping things mellow, Nicolas Jaar embraces melodies

Nicolas Jaar embraces melodies while keeping things decidedly mellow

Darkside is not a particularly original name for a band. In the late '80s and early '90s, it was a tag used by escapees from the infighting between Jason Pierce and Sonic Boom in Spacemen 3, as well as being taken on by at least one drum and bass crew in the '90s.

Album: David Crosby - For Free

★★★★ DAVID CROSBY - FOR FREE Age has not withered him

Age has not withered him

David Crosby hit the headlines a few months back, another artist selling his song catalogue in order to secure his house. These days musicians must stay on the road to earn a living and sell records. It’s a punishing life, even for the young and fit. When you’re pushing 80, especially when you’ve spent years punishing your body, it becomes a real challenge, but it’s the only way to survive.

Album: Gary Kemp - Insolo

Unlistenably middle-of-the-road post-prog bland-fest from Spandau Ballet songwriter

Spandau Ballet started well, their slick, slightly angular pop-funk adding a certain something to early Eighties new romantic frippery. Later, especially with the success of global schmaltz-smash “True”, they lost what teeth they had, drifting into cod-soul blandness. Kemp’s career since has focused as much on acting as music, but his recent round of gigs playing Syd Barrett to drummer Nick Mason’s early Pink Floyd tribute band, Saucerful of Secrets, was both unexpected and well-received.

Blu-ray: The Night of the Hunter

★★★★★ BLU-RAY: THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER Poetic and chilling

Charles Laughton’s only film as a director is a dark thriller, both poetic and chilling

A United Artists studio executive was treated to a pre-release screening of Charles Laughton’s The Night of the Hunter in 1955. His damning response was, “it’s too arty.” The studio showed little interest in promotion and it was deemed a flop. Laughton, stung by his directorial debut’s muted reception, never directed another film.

Album: Chet Faker - Hotel Surrender

Mellow and feel-good white soul

Chet Faker is Melbourne-born musician Nick Murphy’s alter ego, an avatar he has stepped in and out of with gentle grace over more than a decade of finding a voice that's very much his own. Once described in The Guardian as a purveyor of “mellow-electronic-pop”, he is actually something else, closer to the sensuality and slow drag of soul, lilting along to very relaxed beats that have an almost trip-hop feel.

Album: Tones and I - Welcome to the Madhouse

★★★ TONES AND I - WELCOME TO THE MADHOUSE Heartfelt & jovially characterful

Debut full album from Australian hit-maker is heartfelt and jovially characterful

This writer has often pleaded to move away from vocal homogeny in pop. The current value placed on technical skill and hackneyed vulnerability-signifying has become a bore. It’s limiting that Chris Martin-meets-Ed Sheeran or Beyoncé-meets-Whitney Houston are primary templates. That said, the voice of Aussie singer Toni Watson – AKA Tones and I – is a challenge, a cloyingly cute teen-squeak of an instrument (although capable of taking flight).

Album: Jam & Lewis - Vol. 1

★★★ JAM & LEWIS - VOL 1 The world-bestriding production duo pour some sugar on it

The world-bestriding production duo pour some sugar on it

It’s kind of surprising Jimmy “Jam” Harris and Terry Lewis have never made an album as Jam & Lewis per se before now. The two have conquered the world, more or less: their band The Time was Prince’s regular support act in his breakthrough years, as a star production / songwriting duo they’ve written 41 US Top 10 hits over the years, and they have 27 Grammy nominations and five wins.