Rick’s Flock Of Five - 04-09-09

Athlete - Black Swan

I remember liking them a bit years ago around the time of the first album but the first track here is a blatant Killers soundalike and that does not bode well. Track 2 as well. Hmmm… Gets into mid-level Coldplayey stuff before I start to drift off and lose interest…

Noah And The Whale - The First Days Of Spring

This is surprisingly, really, really good. Remember their chirpy radio-friendly somehow tied in to a tv ad thing Five Years Time from a couple of years ago? Yeah. Nothing like this. It’s mostly slow and all about lost love and sparsely produced and a bit Cowboy Junkies-ish. Yes, it’s a bit overly maudlin in places but beautifully produced and perfect unhappy pining after someone you can’t have music.

David Geraghty - The Victory Dance

Really liked the first album and this is good too. Prettily melodic, lush and beautiful in places, great harmonies and he does beautiful vocals. As I seem to remember saying last time, if you really like Bell X1 don’t go into his solo material expecting it to be similar, it’s not, and that’s a good thing. Beautiful.

David Guetta - One Love

It’s a real shame because this album starts with what I think is the best radio play single of 2009 - the excellent When Love Takes Over. From there it unfortunately descends into samey dancepop forgettability with the Estelle vocal on One Love being the closest it comes to hitting a highlight again. Shame.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela - 11:11

See, whether or not you’ll think this is good very much depends on whether you like what they do in the first place. Instrumental, latin influenced classical guitar music is very much a love it or hate it thing. I’ll presume the former as you’re still here (or at least an open mind). This is fantastic stuff, full or energy and fire and craftsman(and woman!)ship. Really like it.