There’s nowhere to go with this one, is there? Like any music writer, I want to come at James Blunt afresh. I’d love to say, “No, put your prejudices away, this album is actually alright and here’s why…”, but even the most accomplished sophist would, I suspect, find this impossible. That said, there’s not much quality difference between the better tracks here and those on Ed Sheeran’s well-loved, hugely successful Divide.

Conor Oberst's 2016 LP, Ruminations, was seen by many as both a triumph and milestone. A triumph because of the acclaim it attracted; and a milestone because it finally packed the emotional punch the singer-songwriter had been promising for years. The album was recorded in Nebraska during a particularly dark period in the artist's life - the combination of a brain cyst and a false accusation of rape. Armed with just a piano and a guitar, he compressed his emotions into a state of almost exquisite angst. Now, he's recorded the songs all over again.

Salutations is, apparently, how Oberst originally conceived the album, before deciding to release the demos. This time around we have new versions of the original 10 songs along with a further seven new compositions. Joining him are The Felice Brother, Gillian Welch, as well as various old bandmates. Unsurprisingly their presence makes everything fuller and warmer. Indeed Salutations is often like hearing an original after first experiencing the bootleg. Here's the thing, though: bootlegs are often better. Ruminations worked so well because its unvarnished sparseness perfectly expressed Oberst's psychological malaise. Salutations, on the other hand, often sounds as laid-back as Rick Rubin's Malibu studio where it was recorded.

Take "Tachycardia". The version on Ruminations feels like walking into a practice room and hearing a man crying into his piano. On Salutations the song is recast as wistful country-rock. Similarly, "Next of Kin", originally a painful examination of emotional death, is now merely sad and reflective. It's the same story throughout. Not that these new versions aren't, in themselves, rich and full of the flavours of the Midwest. But the arrangements rarely match the emotional exhaustion of the words. In fact, only on one track do words and music really come together, and it's one of the new ones. The quick-fire anarchic punk-folk of "Napalm" is the most rocking number here. And probably the best.

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Overleaf: watch Conor Oberst's video for "Till St. Dymphna Kicks Us Out"

Fin Greenall’s career is developing as a reverse mirror image of musical history. Originally a DJ and electronic music pioneer working on the edge of contemporary performance, for the past decade he has been on a journey into the acoustic and American past. His last release, 2014’s Hard Believer, had tinges of blues alongside some resonant Americana.

Laura Marling's new album is called Semper Femina - two words the singer-songwriter also has tattooed on her leg. It's Latin for "always a woman". Despite having the motto inscribed on her flesh, Marling claims to find it hard to write intimately about other women. Hence the singer describing her recent spell in Los Angeles as a particularly "masculine time" causing her now to look "specifically at women". Full marks for ambition, some might feel, but might she be overthinking it?

If the underlying rationale can seem a tad laboured, the music is anything but. Fans will be familiar with how her albums are balanced between music that plugs straight into the soul and other, more complex textures. Once I Was an Eagle had an entire side that could be interpreted as extended noodling. Semper Femina blends folk and West Coast rock to be consistently sweet and tuneful - feminine without being too gentle.

The tunes may be rock solid but some of the packaging is more obscure. Take the lead single "Soothing". The video (see overleaf) features footage of two PVC-clad women mysteriously rolling on a bed. It's an arresting image, alright, but the meaning is far from clear. The actual song is a different matter. With its gorgeous double-bass, and sultry vocals, it's as direct an expression of separation and desire as you're likely to hear. Then there's "Wild Once", described as "exploring the archetype of the wild woman and her unrestrained physicality". The reality is a gentle, sensuous, folky piece that reminds you of childhood. Prettiest still is "Nouel", a description of platonic love for a female friend with fingerpicking and melodic overtones redolent of the Beatles' "Blackbird". 

Of course, it's hard not to admire an artist being so unashamedly cerebral. But while Marling's desire to explore cultural attitudes head-on is certainly laudable, one can't help feeling her real strength lies in the exceptional beauty of her songs. On that count, Semper Femina rates very highly. 

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Overleaf: watch Laura Marling's video for "Soothing"