ELLE MILANO : ACRES OF DEAD SPACE CADETS

Ever bitch about someone at school? Quote things they said, label them attention seeking, but find you edged towards them in the dinner queue? Elle Milano are that kid. I played the album nine times and couldn't hum much. Some of the lyrics are downright irritating: This Is How It Ends particularly obscure for the sake of obscure: "far too much caffeine, too little regret?" I mean what does that mean? Yet I played the album nine times...

Infuriatingly, I like these guys. Track one, the tambourine tinged Laughing All The Way To The Plank, is cynically cheerful - my favourite musical mood - with sweet piano backing, tremolo bass and megaphone vocals. Meanwhile In Hollywood's ooh ooh harmonies and strings cut through and bop it along nicely. My Brother, The Astronaut starts and I'm really impressed. Hanging chords, sticks, feedback: "I searched 'psychiatry' and surveyed the facts, Eighty-three billion dollars say Americans can't relax..." Here are the lyrics I want from this music; a bit cheeky, a bit clever...then the drums accelerate, and we return to the shouty, distorted, drum-pushed sound that dominates the rest of the album. I'd like them to crisp up a bit and write more about how they're feeling; they get it with Laughing All The Way To The Plank and nearly with Carousels, but it sounds like they've read lots and maybe not left the house enough. I'd like to be ten years younger basically, and despite myself, will be looking for a live gig, because when they're good they're very good.     lara pattison

STEVE WATSON : MADELINE SINGS THE EARLY WORKS OF STEVE WATSON

Assuming you can decipher the almost illegible text on the cover of this CD, you'll discover that Madeline is in fact a guitar and that the chap responsible for doing the playing is none other than the Steve Watson of the album's title. That the accompanying photos show Mr W and Madeline enjoying tea from a cheerful little red pot as they sit on a tree stump by the river may set off some people's twee alarm. However, those who progress to the stage of actually listening to the enclosed disc will be very pleasantly surprised. Clearly a disciple of the fingerstyle greats of the 60s - Bert Jansch seems to be a major influence, and I think I hear touches of Mike Chapman and early Roy Harper - Watson presents a set of ringing guitar instrumentals which move through many moods but are united by a clarity which is like breath on a clear winter morning. There are passages, admittedly, which just seem to be marking time, but more often the compositions soar. Occasionally, too, notes are grabbed rather than delicately lifted. However, these are minor flaws in a refreshingly ambitious album and very possibly only noticeable due to the generally dazzling quality. And, of course, these are the 'early works': my money's on the mature works being something very impressive indeed.     oz hardwick

GILLES RAWSON : DEMOS

The problem with an EP called "Demos" is that you don't know if it's an arty comment or a proviso.   Mr Rawson's selection of songs flit between earnest strumming, heavy rock, Pixies-esque lo-fi and a moodiness reminiscent of Polly "want a cracker" Harvey.   It's a slightly strange mix.   Rawson would be better to leave the heavy stuff alone, as the less punky numbers are better.   The powerful chorus of "A Game Of You", the thoughtful "Friday" and the moody and dextrous "Leviathan" are the reasons to stick with him, although unfortunately I wouldn't name myself a fan of his voice (let's call it challenging), as it could really do with a touch more strength and the occasional brush with a tuning fork.   Not bad - for some demos.      martin cordiner

THE WOOL GATHERERS : LONG WAY TO INDIGO

Their name may suggest they're the   Woolpack's house band   on Emmerdale , but you're more likely to find these   musicians   in Scarborough watering hole Indigo Alley.   It's a haunt of    singer songwriter   Phil Hooley   and his six piece   band pays homage to Indigo   on the title track; it's heart warming,   genuinely affecting stuff and typical of the relaxed semi acoustic nature of the album.   "Another Day" is a sincere opener, complimented by the pretty violin of Richard Thwaites who also adds tasteful harmonica on the Radio 2 friendly "The Till".   Hooley has surrounded himself with musicians who gel   and compliment his songs perfectly. There's a warmth and groove going on here; the jazzy "Try" takes you back to the '30s while Dave Kemp's accordion on "Blue Day" sees us sipping an expresso in a Montmartre street café. It's not life changing stuff, Hooley' voice is perhaps closer to Mark Knophlers than Sinatras but   it's foot tapping material and the versatile Dave Kemp even manages to squeeze in some cheeky soprano sax on   "One More". Catch them live if you can, you'll be singing these songs long before closing time and after: "Here's to this barstool, here's to that door, and if I don't make it home tonight, I might as well have one more".

david wright

LILYGUN : 4 TRACK EP

Lilygun appear to be the vehicle for singer Anna-Christina, so I was expecting the usual shapeless female singer-songwriter stuff. Therefore the big chunky guitars proved most welcome, some Smashing Pumpkins-esque overdrive and nagging bass that imbue 'Sunlight Dream' and 'Peace of Mind' with pretty impressive force, while 'Moonlight' is the seemingly obligatory big slow swirling number (actually a pretty decent tune).   'Attention To Detail' gets a bit more spacey, a bit By The Way Chilis, before those big guitars come back. But good though the tunes are, they're prevented from really soaring by the somewhat airless production, which also puts an unecessarily glossy sheen on Ann-Christina's undoubtedly powerful voice. This also throws the less than convincing lyrics of the first two tracks into somewhat sharp relief too. A work in progress that for once could do with rougher edges, but I bet they're good live.    tim procter