JOHN BURGE : ECHOES

Hot - or at least pretty damn warm - on the heels of his fine Voyage of Hope comes this new disc from one-man folk orchestra John Burge. Actually, it was a rather quicker follow-up than the timing of this review suggests as, although I have listened to it a lot over the past couple of months, I have just not been able to come up with a review. The thing is, this is a disc that, for me, really resists the analytical approach. With no vocals this time round, this is a beautifully sequenced set of instrumentals which draw the listener in and take them to an almost cinematic landscape of the mind. The Celtic influence is well to the fore, with some emotive fiddle weaving its way through a very 'modern Irish' (yes, the bouzouki box is ticked!) tapestry, though one which assuredly avoids the pitfalls of post- River Dance blandness which mire so much in this field. And, as with his debut release, multi-instrumental dexterity is never wheeled out for its own sake; rather, it contributes as necessary to the overall mood of each piece. 'Authenticity' has been a vexed concept pretty much since the label of 'folk music' was first bandied about, but listening to Echoes gives a sense that - for all the technology which permits this layered musical approach - here is a writer and musician responding to tradition and place in a heartfelt and decidedly authentic manner. John Burge is definitely someone who deserves to be heard by a much wider audience.

oz hardwick

ELLE MILANO : MEANWHILE IN HOLLYWOOD

Potentially the sound of this generation's Brit Pop, Brighton three-piece Elle Milano offer instantly lovable indie-pop songs that, despite their radio-friendly catchiness, will still stand up strong to endless repetition - something especially relevant with the infectious nature of single 'Meanwhile In Hollywood', with it's summery beat and sing-a-long vocals. The song's simplicity makes it hook into your brain from first listen, whilst at the same time having an English quaintness that Morrissey would appreciate and the rest of us mere mortals will simply like immensely. A single as strong as this might start the whispers of 'one-hit-wonder' spreading amongst the new-music cynics, but Elle Milano have this covered with some equally contagious added tracks on the CD release. If there's one band you look out for this year, make it this one.

r l wade

THE COLT .45S : LET'S HAVE AN ACCIDENT

With their computerised beats, sketchy guitar, throbbing bass and crisp synth sounds, The Colt .45s sound very up to the minute, staking the same sort of sonic territory as The Ting-Tings or Leeds' Ubernoise.   When it works, it's very good - there's an infectious, gutsy twang to 'Lost?' and 'Cut My Hair' (girl on guitar, props to Leeane Hutchinson) and the enveloping wash of 'I Love Petrol Bombs' sucks you in.   Moreover, this album is fantastically produced, the clear sound aiding their overall ambience of urban ennui and the ice-cool seen-it-all detachment of late youth.   If there's a problem, it's that they don't quite sustain the quality over the whole album, and some of the tracks in the middle sound sketchy and half-formed.   'Knife Attack' and 'Crack Can Kill You' for example seem to lack sonic substance and are let down by some sub-par lyrics.   Also Anne-Marie Atkinson and Keith Hansom's monotone, cynical vocals are a bit hard to take over a whole album, so 'When The Girls Go Out''s Siouxsie-esque lamenting comes as a welcome change and doesn't go on near long enough;   while brevity is an under-rated virtue these days, The Colt .45s just occasionally sound like they've guillotined a good idea for the sake of mode-ish form.   But they're a young band and there's more than enough on this album to suggest they've got enough ammunition for the long haul.

tim procter

TIGERBOMB : NOT ON MY MOUNTAIN

This CD was passed around a Talk contributors' meeting for some time, the expertly-done but baffling cover art not being to the taste of many of my learned colleagues.   Out of idle curiosity I picked it up, and I'm very glad I did.

Leeds-based Tigerbomb are fronted by songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer and all-round wunderkind Daniel Webster.   He can be proud of this album.   A lot of care has gone into the songs, and it shows; they are well-crafted but heartfelt, complex without feeling contrived.

There is a classy range of influences on display; Squeeze, Costello, Crowded House, the Pixies, Elliott Smith and the Velvet Underground are recurring points of reference.   The sound, however,   remains very much Tigerbomb's own.

The arrangements, done by the band, are in places sublime.   Firmly grounded by the rock solid drums and bass of David Gracey and John Davey, they are not afraid to change tempo or let things drop down to a minimal groove.   The album is leavened with beautiful instrumental cameos: the cello that snakes through the mix like cream through black coffee; the mutant mariachi trumpet on "We Are The Martian Women"; the plangent gallic accordion on "Seventeen Glasses".

If you appreciate literate, exquisitely arranged pop-rock music, you'll like Tigerbomb.   Just don't be put off by the album cover.

jack tarkovsky

VINNIE AND THE STARS : GONE

"Individual" is a term that gets thrown around a bit, but it rather fits our Vinnie.   His on-the-verge-of-hysterics yelping vocals fit his pleasing catchy music.   "Gone" is a bright and breezy Hammond organ flavoured number that will have you singing its doo-wopping chorus refrain before you know it.    "Day Off" is a groovy stab at hip hop featuring a garnish of scratching and a side order of playful MC work.   His mixture of styles and strong central presence make his music attractive and fun, aided tidily and solidly by his Stars, and his "self confessed" show man status marks him out as an interesting one to watch (or a highly irritating, try to hard, Johnny Borrell type, but my money is on the former).

martin cordiner