ALBUM: THE BLUESKIES Souvenir (Killing Moon)

And so to a mini album which couldn’t be more commercial if it came emblazoned with the Coca Cola logo, That’s not meant in a sneery, more-obscure-than-thou sense, mind. The Blueskies clearly have their eye on the prize, plying an electro pop trade that’s almost a cross between Keane and OMD – both steely-fixed stares into the pop void in their various times and brought to a contemporary conclusion across these six perfectly realised and produced pop artefacts. They’re just toured with the Pipettes, headliners are clearly on the horizon. (NC)

EP: BULLIT Get With It (myspace.com/bullituk)

A lot of CDs arrive purporting to be punky, newwavey pop, but this is the first one we can think of that conjures the first Police album. Bullit realise that the bass doesn’t cut it as a mere chug-along accompaniment, nor do guitars necessarily need to be plugged through a national grid of effects to get the sonic point across. So yes, as they suggest there are retro elements to the melting pot but these are carefully tempered with a definite currency that elevates them way above mere backward-lookers. (NC)

EP: DIE STIMME (One More Step) (diestimme.co.uk)

The subtitle on this ep is ‘Songz By A Brighton Muvver part 1’ – the accompanying literature describes singer Quinn as a responsible mother, yet most of the photographs on their website depict her with her waps out, with painted spirals on them. Still, bra phobia aside, this confounded our expectations by 360°. Quinn’s clearly a seasoned punker, with Siouxsie’s ‘Slowdive’ receiving a strings tribute and some Kirk Brandon-isms in the vocals, but it’s brought into the 21st century via some Yeasayer-type quirks. Look out for the album when it’s finished. (NC)

EP: THE GAA GAAS Repulsion Seminar (myspace.com/thegaagaas)

We wrote about the Gaa Gaas ages ago, when they were just a ramshackle bag of bones, We kind of liked their dissolute boyish charm, but boy have they come a long way since then. From the opening pulsating thrust of ‘Hypnoti(z)ed’ it’s clear that the Gaas have stepped up to the plate and made a record worthy of proper attention. Filthy guitars and gut-rumbling synths are strewn across tight-wrought drums and basslines that should take dancefloors by the scruff of the neck and punch them in the face. A new record deal and a forthcoming double a-side tell us this band is going to be unavoidable. (NC)

DEMO: HOLY VESSELS Demonstration Disc (myspace.com/theholyvessels)

With the memory of dismal barn dance evenings in our pre-teens reasonably fresh, we came to country fairly late. In the wake of Mumford & Sons, so called nu-folk is bursting into the mainstream and kids down the front have forsaken the mosh for the dosado. Holy Vessels are briskly becoming the Brighton darlings of the very stable that spawned Mumford (Mumford / Cherbourg’s own Communion nights). Their sharp, ebullient, infectious country grooves sound to us like the best songs Neil Young never wrote. (MB)

THE HORNBLOWER BROTHERS Give and Receivers / Ghost of Kerouac (Static Caravan)

The Hornblower Brothers return, this time with a double a-side single released on acclaimed independent label Static Caravan – but fear not, they’re sounding as wonderfully upbeat as ever. Whatever you want to label it – lo-fi, indie-folk, diy-pop or something of that ilk, what we have here is two effortlessly catchy songs that nicely square the circle between Half Man Half Biscuit, Jeffrey Lewis and Belle & Sebastian, all with a distinct English flavour – like a fresh pint of London Pride or a nice cup of tea and a Jammy Dodger. Yes, it’s lovely to have them back. (IC)

SINGLE: ICE BLACK BIRDS As Birds We’d Be Fine / Doors (Laissez Faire Club)

A double a-side of bluesy indie loveliness from definite courtiers of the Leon Kings, this is a pair of accomplished songs that should earn the Birds plenty of love. ‘Doors’ is the more upbeat of the pair, with ‘As Birds…’ stepping back from the monitors and allowing more melodic guitar and bass to centre stage. We hadn’t heard of them before, despite this being their second single and us being pretty much experts on emerging local talent and that, so we somewhat belatedly advise you not to miss out here. (NC)

SINGLE: THE MORNING ORCHESTRA Whatever Goes Around (myspace.com/themorning orchestra)

It’s testament to the quality of the pop on show here that we could instantly imagine Take That singing this – it has that same cheery wink of a melody that, properly placed in an advert, could sell bacon rolls at a bar mitzvah. The backing has a timeless, surefooted quality about it that could place it anywhere on the musical timeline between The Band and Supergrass – it’s music that, done right like this, just doesn’t go out of fashion. It’s hard to believe this is their debut single – its every pore breathes experience and belief, as do the other songs on their MySpace by the way, and they’re definitely on our ones-to-watch list. (NC)

ALBUM: THE MUEL Once At Everywhere (Beach Hut)

If you believe the hackneyed old gags, Sam Walker is something of a rarity in the drummer fraternity. He knocks three times and comes in late, you only have to beat the information into a drum machine once, all them. But Sam’s a rarity in that he’s ambitious and clearly talented both on and off the stool. Although he plays with a pair of cohorts, the album is the result of a multi-faceted solo instrumentalism that never fails to impress. It’s certainly the best alt.chamber folk poptronica album we’ve heard in a while. (NC)

ALBUM: NINA NASTASIA Outlaster (FatCat)

And there we were thinking we could spot a Steve Albini recording anywhere. This is the sixth time the pair have holed up on an album, and only perhaps in the drums do his telltale influences creep through. Elsewhere this is an eerie string-laden collection with probably more in common with the fatalistic trauma-pop of Marc’s Mambas than anything currently riding the zeitgeist. If you liked the faux melodrama of Florence’s work, the authenticity and sheer audacity of this record’s emotional journey will tower above it. (NC)

DEMO: STUART NEWMAN Head Hurts (myspace.com/stuartnewman)

It’s probably shortsighted to compare everyone who sings a bit high and angsty and plays an acoustic guitar to a ‘High and Dry ‘ era Thom Yorke, but nevertheless that’s our instant reaction. That’s not to say this is at all copyist, it’s a heart-wrenching plea for mental massage that reveals the soul of its creator as a fragile and fractured thing, reaching out for a salvation that never comes. He does sound a bit like Thom Yorke though, but what’s he supposed to do, sing in a funny accent? (NC)

ALBUM: MAX RICHTER Infra (130701/FatCat)

A thing of beauty is a joy forever, and Max Richter’s haunting piece of classical electronica certainly has us imagining future days in its presence. Originally commissioned by the Royal Ballet as a collabration between Richter, choreographer Wayne McGregor and artist Julian Opie, its stand-alone strength has led to its dedicated release. It certainly doesn’t need visual accompaniment to succeed – it’s an intensely atmospheric album; the ensemble’s musicianship mixing perfectly with the Eno-isms that envelope it. Not one to play before a big night out perhaps, but a triumph nonetheless. (NC)

SINGLE: SPACE RAIDERS Greenlights (Space Raiders)

All appeared to have gone quiet with Space Raiders since they parted company with Skint a few years back. But now they’ve popped back up again with a slightly strange gem of a tune, the like of which we like to draw your attention to. In describing music we’ve heard and you haven’t, it’s inevitable that trite comparisons are brought to the table, and Space Raiders alas do not escape this egregious practice. Imagine a heartfelt Phil Collins ballad, remove all inherent punchability from it, add some real emotion, then stir in essence of Autechre and you end up with this wholly welcome return. (NC)

SINGLE: SUPER U A Better Way / I Walk Around (Sack The Juggler)

Ah, we remember reviewing their last single about Cornwall and rather liking it. That’s the case again here, with the trio of folk, indie and sheer pop influences lacing daisies into each other’s hair. Fuzzy guitar jangles bounce along with a loose rhythm section on both the a-side tracks, the second with perhaps more of a reflective tone to its arrangement. It all makes for another perfectly rounded pair of songs from a band whose flag of fortune is due for a definite hoisting. (NC)

WORDS BY MATT BARKER, IAN CHAMBERS, NICK COQUET