The Neutral Milk Hotel album In the Airplane Over The Sea is one of the all-time classics of intelligent anti-rock, and that band never followed it up. NMH's Jeremy Barnes, however, has a heavy hand in this album by 19-year old Brooklyn boy Zach Gordon, and it is as inventive as they come. Comparisons to Airplane are inevitable, but that's not a bad thing. Other comparisons include Andrew Bird, Tom Waits, Rufus Wainwright, Sufjan Stevens and, just possibly, Russian folk music (as suggested by the title). This is a work of rare genius, with utterly compelling rock mixed through a few centuries' worth of music. It rewards from the first listen, but is more habit-forming than nicotine. There is no pigeonhole that would do this album justice, such is its level of creativity and surprise. No fan of Waits or Sufjan could resist this album, but it should have a place on every right-thinking listener's shelf. Whisper it, but it may even be better than Neutral Milk Hotel's album...

ACE rating 10/10

It is hard to define what makes beauty in music, but Jonathan Meiburg clearly has a feeling deep in his soul. This is Shearwater's fourth album, and moves the game on from their lovely Americana to somewhere much closer to a Velvet Underground/ Talking Heads/ very early Waterboys mix. Majestic sweeps, steadily-built tension, and delicious electric fuzz, suggest that singer/ multi-instrumentalist Meiburg has completely taken the reins of the band as well as writing every song. Moving Shearwater from their Americana base is undoubtedly a good idea, as the hunger for more interesting rock such as Arcade Fire continues unabated. There is still the choral quality, the Iron and Wine folk and the seemingly loose arrangement, but Palo Santo is a remarkably cohesive rock piece, and easily Shearwater's best album.

ACE rating 8/10

Martin Craft is Britain's answer to Sam Beam of Iron and Wine - a wonderful songwriter with a glorious delivery that recalls Sufjan Stevens at his gentlest best. An Australian who grew up in London as well as Canberra and Sydney, his dreamy folk fits into the same record store section as Jose Gonzales (although Craft is warmer) and Paul Simon (although Craft is more naturally rhythmic). Silver and Fire recalls a long-lost 60s folk pop album - all smart sophistication and nicely sad Cohenesque lyrics. It is warm, addictive and varied. His fans include the Magic Numbers, whose vibe he shares, the Concretes and the Chemical Brothers, so he is clearly onto something good. Coming off a support role on the Magic Numbers tour, there is little doubt that he has made the better album, so we can only hope that he achieves some of their success.

ACE rating 8/10