Uncut

One-time Ed Kuepper cohort Hancock has been in various Australian bands since the '80s, and it shows across her maturely enthralling solo debut, on which she sounds like a less fractured Marianne Faithfull. Backed by a fine band who effortlessly blur the boundaries between rock, folk and jazz, her own compositions are marked by arresting observations on the war of the sexes. Yet best of all are her extraordinarily haunting covers of David Crosby's "Everybody's Been Burned" and, more improbably, Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" done country-rock style.

Crescent City outfit expand Tex-Mex base to take in more native Latin grooves

Nu-soul, UK style

Best album in years from British eccentric

Brit glitch techno bod tries jazz to disappointingly muted effect

Satisfactory comeback album from '80s hit-makers

Prefab Sprout mainman releases extraordinary "talking book" opus

Fine funky follow-up to 2001's Felt Mountain

Brilliant futurist upgrade of the hip hop aesthetic

Pop fun from Neko Case's twang-free other band