Albums: Courtney Barnett, Ozzy Osbourne, Wajatta, James Taylor

FULL of life and full of surprises, the 71-year-old former Black Sabbath frontman is in storming form on his 12th solo album. Opener Straight To Hell finds Ozzy in full 'Prince of Darkness' flow and ensures the first album he says he has made while sober opens with the lyric "You're flying higher than a kite tonight", setting the tone for at least the early going, highlighted by Goodbye.

Things take an unexpected turn as none other than Elton John guests on the superb title track – which is, essentially, an Elton John song, with Ozzy impressively living up to his illustrious company in the vocal stakes.

Duff McKagan, Slash, Tom Morello and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith all make appearances elsewhere, along with Post Malone guests on the expletive-ridden It's A Raid and their collaborative 2019 single Take What You Want.

Parkinson's be damned: Ozzy's not ready to be silenced.

LIVE and acoustic in her home city and backed by her usual band and a cellist, Courtney Barnett includes some of her best-loved songs including Sunday Roast, Avant Gardener and Depreston, the story of viewing a property that is "deceased estate".

Best of all is a slowed-down piano-led version of her anti-misogyny anthem Nameless, Faceless with its devastating Margaret Atwood-inspired chorus of "I wanna walk through the park in the dark, men are scared that women will laugh at them, women are scared that men will kill them".

There's a new song, Play It On Repeat, and covers of Leonard Cohen's So Long, Marianne, and two less well-known tracks, Archie Roach's Charcoal Lane, joined by Australian songwriter Paul Kelly, and Seeker Lover Keeper's Not Only I.

Essential for those who are already fans, and a fine introduction for those who are not yet, but will be after listening.

WHAT do you get if you mix a beat boxing musically-inclined comedian who has a penchant for looping with a electro DJ and producer? Well, you get Wajatta – the brainchild of Reggie Watts and John Tejada.

Don't Let Get You Down is the follow up to 2018's Casual High Technology. Its beats have a backstory of their own, mainly through being overused during the mid-90s. This is no bad thing: it leads Wajatta into a strange little place that feels like sanitary rave. It has hard electro beats with a wavering soft vocal – almost of the generic world music that was everywhere in 1995.

Invoking memories of muddy fields, whistles and dancing 'til dawn, Marmite is a stand-out track. A full-on beat that is just glorious and as close to an electro anthem that I've heard in a long time. As spring is slowly arriving, Don't Let Get You Down will keep you dancing through to summer.

AMERICAN Standard is a sweet and simple journey through 20th century classic songs, repackaged for a time where the singer songwriter genre is more in fashion than ever.

Taylor's simple melodies with exposed vocals and guitar allow his talent to shine throughout the much-loved tracks.

His 19th album shows his enduring charm and resists being packaged as simply easy listening for those of a certain age. Despite the age of the songs themselves, his talent appeals to all ages.

As well as familiar classics such as Moon River, Taylor dips into the vintage musicals Guys and Dolls and South Pacific, stripping them away from their traditional Broadway bluster into something more intimate.

The album becomes uncomfortably twee in parts, though much of this can be attributed to the source material.

Taylor's soft touch on the classic songs is a testament to his skill, but some may find the 14 tracks too sweet to take all in one go.