DOT ALLISON – HEART-SHAPED SCARS
SCOTTISH singer-songwriter Dot Allison made her name with electronic outfit One Dove and their trippy, rave-influenced 1993 album Morning Dove White.
However, over the last 20 years she has become a different artist, one unafraid of experimentation and enticed by left-field collaborations with the likes of Paul Weller, Pete Doherty, acid house producer Radioactive Man and Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine.
Heart-Shaped Scars, her first album in nearly a decade, is another exquisite left turn – a sparse and moody folk opus full of intimate lyrics and hushed vocals.
Recorded in her hometown of Edinburgh, Allison recruited Mercury Prize-nominee Hannah Peel to add strings to four songs, courtesy of a quintet of Scottish folk musicians.
Heart-Shaped Scars suggests that in her previous work, Allison may have spread herself too thin.
In concentrating all her efforts on creating a uniform sound, she has created something very special indeed.
Rating: 4/5
Alex Green
JUNGLE – LOVING IN STEREO
THE third album from this London-based group shows the band's desire to experiment while still keeping their distinct tropical, funk-pop sound.
LIS gives us more of their signature sound in tracks such as Keep Moving and Truth, both released as singles, and What D'you Know About Me? – which wasn't a single but still slaps.
But there are also some definite direction changes – some better than others – that change the reaction from: "Oh, this is Jungle," to "Oh! This is Jungle?"
Examples include Romeo (ft Bas), featuring casual vocals from the American rapper over sunny beats and an ensemble backing which are reminiscent of animated four-piece Gorillaz, and Bonnie Hill, which hams up soul vocals and funky jazz-sax solos. Both are excellent.
However, where previous Jungle offerings have been more "sit-up, listen, and boogie down", some may find LIS more of a "sit-back and listen while nodding your head in static appreciation".
Rating: 3/5
Michael Bedigan
SUZIE UNGERLEIDER – MY NAME IS SUZIE UNGERLEIDER
THE first album released by Suzie Ungerleider since she left behind her stage name Oh Susanna provides a wistful sound with emotive guitar work and controlled, yet powerful, vocals throughout.
She opens with Mount Royal, which pairs delicate fingerstyle guitar and sincere lyrics to offer a nostalgic reflection of her teenage years in Montreal, Canada.
Many tracks explore personal and reflective stories of trauma and love and so have a melancholic and fragile undertone, as seen with Disappear and Baby Blues.
While Sweet Little Sparrow carries a more joyful beat, assisted through the addition of a tambourine, as it touches on a child's wonderment and a parent trying to keep up.
However, the dulcet tones wear a little thin after 10 tracks but the lyrical value will carry you through.
Rating: 3/5
Naomi Clarke
DEVENDRA BANHART AND NOAH GEORGESON – REFUGE
DEVENDRA Banhart and Noah Georgeson could hardly have picked a more apt name for their new album, which is a collection of ambient, meditative instrumental songs.
The pair, who are friends and have collaborated on musical projects together for more than a decade, have created an album that has been billed as "a haven for a suddenly terrified world".
Refuge kicks off with a succession of soothing tracks including Rise From Your Wave. However, as the minimalist album progresses, the music begins to take a slightly eerie turn, culminating with Horn In Deep Night.
The album is a product of lockdown in Los Angeles and the two men had to record the music separately and weave the tracks together remotely.
However there is no sign of the disconnected production process in this smooth and richly textured album.
Refuge offers the perfect getaway for anyone looking to escape the busyness of their daily life.
Rating: 3/5
Tom Horton
