ALBUM: JIA Left At The Robot (myspace.com/jiamusic1)
Recorded over five months in South Africa after a businessman investor’s surprise invitation to the band miraculously turn out to be legit, Jia’s album certainly had the time to develop. Not always a good thing – Definitely Maybe was knocked out in ten days – but the duration of its conception isn’t being judged here, it’s the end result. And in this case it’s a well-crafted collection of gentle pop that, after a few false starts, deserves some of its chances of success coming to fruition. (NC)

SINGLE: ROB THE RICH Tiger (myspace.com/robtherichtheband)
As the sun sets on a busy year for Rob The Rich, they can look back with a certain amount of satisfaction at a job well done. The Channel 4 Skins sync, that holy grail for many a young band, together with sell-out Club NME and Britbus shows as well as a load of summer street gigs and festival appearances, are all conspiring to propel RTR fame-wards. As a consolidation and possible introduction to the band, Tiger is a confident and percussive slice of pop optimism that sees the band truly earn their stripes. (NC)