Album: Caoilfhionn Rose - Truly

★★★★ CAOILFHIONN ROSE - TRULY Mancunian musician's second is a comfort in strange times

Mancunian musician's second is a comfort in strange times

You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who hasn’t spent more time alone with their thoughts than they otherwise would have liked over the past 12 months. Manchester musician Caoilfhionn Rose has been confined a little longer: forced to take a year off from music after she became ill on tour in Denmark, her second album documents a physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

Album: Ryley Walker - Course In Fable

★★★★ RYLEY WALKER - COURSE IN FABLE Musically-aware singer-songwriter at his most assured, most direct

The musically aware singer-songwriter at his most assured, most direct

Although Course In Fable is, as Ryley Walker albums go, pretty straightforward some sharp left turns indicate that the formerly Chicago-based, now New York-dwelling guitar whizz isn’t content with limiting a single musical line of attack to one song.

Album: Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END!

No substantial changes for the Canadian post-rock power orchestra

To say that Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s new album is not even remotely commercial would be something of an understatement. However, fans of the obtuse Canadian post-rockers are unlikely to be overly concerned, as there are no significant changes to their experimental proggy bombast, even if there is somewhat less nuance than on their last disc, Luciferian Towers.

Album: Suzi Quatro - The Devil In Me

★★★ SUZI QUATRO - THE DEVIL IN ME Seventies icon proves she's still rock and roll royalty

Seventies icon proves she's still rock and roll royalty

Over 50 years into her career, Suzi Quatro could be forgiven for taking a break. And yet, last spring, staring down almost one hundred cancelled shows, her first instinct was not to put her feet up but to team up with her son Richard Tuckey on a new collection of songs as a follow-up to their recent collaboration on 2019’s No Control.

Album: Bheki Mseleku - Beyond The Stars

★★★★ BHEKI MSELEKU - BEYOND THE STARS Essential album from South African 'gentle genius'

Essential album from a South African "gentle genius"

Praise gets heaped on the already well known. And that often leaves others in the shadows. I’m not saying that Abdullah Ibrahim doesn’t deserve the accolades – notably, “our Mozart” from Nelson Mandela – but there have been other genius level South African pianists: one was Moses Molelekwa who died at just 27. The other is the very great Bheki Mseleku (1955-2008).