Jesse Malin's debut album owed a lot to producer and collaborator Ryan Adams - his Steve Forbert-like vocals and easy rock sound, full of energy. Then, the follow-up, 2004's The Heat, was filled with even better songs, but missed a little of the energy. Here, (following Malin's punk collaboration with Adams) Malin goes back to the sheer excitement of The Fine Art Of Self-Destruction, taking a tab from The Hold Steady's Springsteen-rock sound. In fact, Springsteen lends his vocal talents to one song, the duet ballad Broken Radio, which is outstanding. Standing out on this album is hard, however, as from the off, with the single Don't Let Them Take You Down, the buzzsaw energy is remarkable, delivering one great rock and roll song after another with no let up. If you liked Ryan Adam's Rock & Roll, Glitter in the Gutter should be a no-brainer. In fact, if you like rock and roll at all, this should be an automatic acquisition.

ACE rating 9/10

Canada hasn't come close to matching The New Pornographers for a while now, but The Golden Dogs seem to be aiming at a leapfrog, rather than just catching up. Big Eye Little Eye, released late in 2006, is a punk pop album built on the most infectious anthems you will have heard in an age. It is fun, satisfying and edgy, in a way that The Libertines only hinted at. Like their country-mates, lead vocals are traded between Dave Azzolini, and Neko Case-alike wife and keyboard player Jess Grassia, but the manic energy runs through the whole band at a full-on 10 through the amps. Like the best pop punk, every track works as a song in its own right - stripped down and acoustic, these songs would still work (as indeed is proved on the quieter Theresa). Confident enough to improve on Paul McCartney's 1985, and have it not be the best song on the album by some margin, the sheer cockiness is justified by the sheer quality throughout.

ACE rating 9/10

There is an energy and a spark about this album that makes its rambling folk meets prog rock deliciously compelling. Like Midlake, Grandaddy or Akron/ Family mixed with some Field Music or Arcade Fire for the rocked up bits, the songs build in intensity, if not in intelligibility, throughout. Be He Me is like a throw back to the age when a Yes album would need some sustained attention and some effort, although there is a funky Gomez-like layer on top to give it some immediate impact. The layers of sound and structure, at times, suggest that two great songs are going on at any one time. The band, from North Carolina, is making fans everywhere for its live show, but there is nothing here that sounds over-produced - the spontaneity seems genuine rather than added via trendy 'found sounds', the freshness is organic and infectious. Be He Me is an album to savour by yourself - headphones or long car journey. Very very good, very odd stuff.

ACE rating 8/10