PETE Yorn has released a superbly dreamy psychedelic folk record entitled Arranging Time. At times he sounds like Beck and at other times he's even reminiscent of The Lightning Seeds but he does have a strong musical identity of his own that is refreshing in that his music is gloriously unfashionable and 100 per cent valid.
There is no pretence, no over-the-top studio trickery to disguise any potential flaw and no blinged-up celebrity agenda – what we do find though is an artist who writes beautifully crafted songs and delivers them with pride and passion.
As it 's very likely you may never have heard of Pete Yorn, I should tell you that he is a New Jersey-born musician who has released a string of albums and achieved a good degree of success on the US alternative scene.
While he may not be highly commercially known, he is certainly critically acclaimed and respected by a variety of other celebrated musicians such as REM's Peter Buck, Foo Fighters and Crowded House.
If you fancy something with a little depth and substance and maybe something to be that breath of fresh air in your headphones, Arranging Time might just be the album of Spring 2016. Top tracks to listen out for are the excellent Summer Was A Day and the addictive She Was Weird.
PEP TALK
GOOD news for Red Hot Chilli Peppers' fans – not only are they headlining a night at Tennents Vital this year but the band are now wrapping up the sessions on their brand new album.
Danger Mouse has been behind the console throughout the project and apparently has put the band through their paces, urging them to scrap some of the ideas with which they entered the studio and rethink songs over and over. Hopefully those songs won't be overcooked and will still boast that intoxicating RHCP flavour.
It will be the band's first album in five years following the I'm With You record. No official release date has been scheduled.
BROTHERLY LOVE
CHEMICAL Brothers have been added to the bill for this year's Belsonic and it's a welcome return for the act who gave us some seriously good records over the years.
From Leave Home to Block Rockin' Beats to Star Guitar, the Chemical Brothers' partnership has always delivered the goods with full on exciting killer electronic anthems.
Of course they are a dance act but there is a real runaway rock element to their music too – it has that abandon, that breakneck madness that will hit up all your senses with one drum fill.
Their current album Born In The Echoes is one of their finest and contains the best track they have recorded in a decade, namely Go which features the rap talents of Q-Tip. Although their output is mostly electronic and requires them to be stationed behind their high-tech gear, the guys usually put on a striking and energetic live show that will send the most cynical gig goer home happy. CB date for Belsonic is Friday June 10.
