Review: New CD releases

Raleigh Ritchie – You’re a Man Now, Boy: Raleigh Ritchie – real name Jacob Anderson – is one of those multi-talented types. Not only is this, his debut record, a sunny, unhurried collection of songs that weave gently into your head and make your limbs stretch and roll, he’s also Grey Worm in TV’s Game Of Thrones. And you can hear the passion and the craft that’s gone into making this album. Blending R&B, electronica and streams of dance, singles Stronger Than Ever (melodic, morphing into anthemic) and Bloodsport ‘15 (soaring, angry, pained) are the most powerful and moving, but the brilliantly strings-heavy title track has just as much warmth, while The Greatest intriguingly overlays an impish Eighties vibe with anxious, shouty words. There is a lot of heart and soul here – and thankfully no theatrics. Ella Walker

Wussy – Forever Sounds:Cincinnati’s Wussy was once described as “the best band in America since they released the first of their five superb albums in 2005”. That adulation came from Robert Christgau, one of the most respected voices in the world of music journalism, and 11 years after that initial release there’s no reason to change that assessment. Wussy by name, but certainly not by nature, their tracks are often swaggering, sometimes ferocious and very commonly prowl around like a caged tiger. Lead single and album opener Dropping Houses is a prime example, bubbling away in a cauldron of influence containing ingredients akin to Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. A timeless style and carefully crafted longevity, these sounds could well last forever. Steven Milnes

Steven James Adams – Old Magick: Old Magick is Steven James Adams’ second solo album, after 2014’s acclaimed House Music, which was loved by critics but met largely with indifference by the public. This collection of 10 self-penned songs deserves to make its mark and put Adams among the upper echelon of British singer-songwriters. All of the songs here are low key and largely acoustically backed with Adams’s smooth vocals at the fore, and the album sounding all the better for that. The whiff of Americana is strong, even though Adams hails from Cambridge, but somehow it works an absolute treat. Opening track Togetherness, the quite excellent Kings Of The Back Of The Bus, the Golden Bough, and the lovely Sonny showcase a songwriter and performer of the highest calibre. Kim Mayo

Yeti Lane –L’Aurore: Prog rock has been given a Parisian twist courtesy of Yeti Lane, duo Ben Pleng and Charlie B. Reminiscent of ELO’s art rock album Time, L’Aurore evokes a calmer phase - Good Word’s Gone has many similar progressions to Twilight. This, Yeti Lane’s third album, is a step or two away from the indie pop they started out with. Acide Amer hears them reach their shoegazing best, harking back to the late Nineties with a laid back twist on the ambient craze. There is an otherworldly feel to the record, in fact, it’d be a perfect fit for the background music of a saloon bar on the outer edge of a desolate planet several solar systems away. L’Aurore certainly take you on a chilled out musical journey. Rachel Howdle

Shostakovich – Three Chamber Symphonies: A quite remarkable release from the young Kiev Soloists who bring together three of Shostakovich’s String Quartets arranged for chamber orchestra by his friend and colleague, Rudolf Barshai. He transcribed five, the First, Fourth and Eighth quartets that are included here, so totally in character they could well be the composer’s original scores, though the added weight in the Eighth is 
really an improvement. In every way the Ukraine players are among Europe’s top ensembles, mixing red-blooded excitement with those wispy sounds that create the composer’s sense of foreboding and desolation. With a sound quality able to capture the detail and wide dynamic range, this is a top recommendation (Naxos 8.573466). David Denton