One Direction
Made in the a.m.
THE fifth album by the world's biggest boy band has been anticipated with perhaps even more hysteria than usual.
As their first record since Zayn Malik left the group in March, and also their last before they take their extended hiatus, some may say the remaining four-piece – Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – have a lot to prove.
But as always, this is sheer pop-perfection. Walking In The Wind is a dramatic goodbye ballad made for echoing around stadiums, while Temporary Fix is refreshingly different and full of raw, indie-rock riffs.
Single Drag Me Down just goes to prove that Malik didn't take their angsty edge with him and it is to their credit that the boys helped write 14 of the 17 tracks. Their increasingly mature sound proves that perhaps they are ready to move on.
FOUR STARS
Harriet Shephard
Justin Bieber
Purpose
JUSTIN Bieber has found a new Purpose for his fourth album – and that is to seek forgiveness. Having gone through court troubles and problems with the law, the Canadian apologises to his fans with Sorry.
The mood is set from the opening track Mark My Words, where Bieber sings, "I know you've heard it all before..." and the piano-led Life Is Worth Living, which has quite personal lyrics: "The meaning of forgiveness/People make mistakes..." T
he other songs flit from bass-heavy dance tunes to the more personal Love Yourself, reported to refer to ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez.
Gone is the 17-year-old pop star who bounced around to Baby, Boyfriend and Beauty And The Beat, replaced by a 21-year-old musician who has employed dance producers such as Skillrex and Diplo to give his latest record a more mature and pumped-up sound.
FOUR STARS
Shereen Low
The Wainwright Sisters
Songs in the Dark
MARTHA Wainwright and her half-sister, Lucy Wainwright Roche, have recorded an album covering the songs which shaped their childhood.
Both come from a rich musical heritage, their father being the noted singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright and respective mothers, Kate McGarrigle, mum of Martha, and Suzzy Roche, the mum of Lucy – and some of their parents' songs feature on the folk-tinged Songs In The Dark to winning effect, with the siblings' voices in perfect harmony.
However, the most successful cover version among the 16 tracks is a haunting rendition of the Simon And Garfunkel classic, El Condor Pasa. Opener Prairie Lullaby is equally lovely with the aptly titled Runs In The Family, All The Pretty Little Horses and End Of The Rainbow making this a rare treat. It also proves the Wainwright family have music coursing through their veins.
FOUR STARS
Kim Mayo
Sara Bareilles
What's Inside: Songs from Waitress
A PREGNANT waitress trapped in an unhappy marriage, with dreams of opening her own pie store filled with brightly coloured pastry goodies and running off with her married doctor.
It's not your standard premise for an album, but Sara Bareilles makes it work. The quirky Californian's latest album provides the score for new musical Waitress, which heads to Broadway in March 2016. Once you get hooked on this album – which you will – you'll be ready to book your flights to the Big Apple to watch it.
The story provides a colourful backdrop for an album. Never Ever Getting Rid Of Me, Lulu's Pie Song and Bad Idea, featuring Jason Mraz, are the three most exciting tracks, but generally they're all upbeat sing-a-longs. If you're a fan of musicals, or Sara, you will absolutely love this.
FOUR STARS
Nicole Gallagher
Bill Ryder Jones
West Kirby CountyPrimary
THE third album from Bill Ryder Jones marks another departure from both his old band and previous solo efforts.
The erstwhile Coral guitarist's A-side flips between Alex Turner-esque pared down yearning and Pavement-influenced off-kilter alt rock, often during the same song, to great effect.
The second half meanwhile mines more traditional alt-folk territory, bringing to mind Cardinals-era Ryan Adams. The highlight is the heartbreaking Daniel, which charts the death of a child and the mother's anti-depressant aided descent into despair. It's far from all doom and gloom though and is sure to be a sleeper hit.
FOUR STARS
Arj Singh
Various
BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge 2015
BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge 2015 is the 10th album in the Live Lounge Series, whereby artists come into the studio to play a live cover version plus a track of their own.
This double album has a eclectic mix of 40 artists ranging from Ed Sheeran, Muse and Little Mix to Florence +The Machine, The Vaccines and Slaves.
The best tracks are the cover versions and highlights on this collection are Catfish And The Bottlemen's version of Kanye West's Black Skinhead with a twist of Kasabian's Shoot The Runner, Kodaline's medley of Sheeran's Sing, Taylor Swift's Shake It Off and Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk and Ella Henderson's soulful Hold Back The River, originally by James Bay. Yet again, Live Lounge present a collection with plenty of surprises.
THREE STARS
Laura Wurzal
