It's rare to be taken aback by a singer-songwriter these days, but the range of talent on display here is almost shocking. Ex-Vancouver resident Marc Morrissette produced a stunning debut in 2005 - These Trails Are Old And New - with tales of the road that would have flatted Neil Young these past 30 years. Now, with an expanded band behind him, and some varied instrumentation, Run From Safety takes the game on a few notches. You'll hear everything you want in here - Bright Eyes, Iron & Wine, Pavement, Dylan, Elliot Smith - but you'll also hear something new. The melancholia and melody are hypnotic, and the rhythm adds in real compulsion. One listen to Cisco Kid or the title track and you'll be in deep. It's easiest to find this disc on online download sites like emusic.com, but that surely can't last long - Morrissette is like some great Beck/ Bright Eyes hybrid and significant success must surely be on its way. Album of the week.

ACE rating 9/10

On the Shout Out Louds' debut album, Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, they revealed a passion for the sound of the Cure and a ton of 80s indie sound. A Swedish band that took guitar-based indie rock to the USA, that album was genuinely fun and hook-laden. Our Ill Wills has more 80s in it, but rather than cranking up the Cure references (already at 10 on the dial), they have also layered in some Smiths and other Britpop - a touch of Pulp here and there. The lead singer Adam Olenius has a Goldmember-style schmoking accent that endears rather than annoys, and the band always give off a feeling that they genuinely enjoy playing together and ripping off their 80s record collections. Our Ill Wills enjoys an upgraded production, although that can add sheen where some of the feel used to be, however that's a small gripe - this is an easy win for those who liked a little bit of eyeliner with their lead singers 20 years ago.

ACE rating 8/10

Black Lips have spent four records perfecting the trash pop punk sound that could come from any garage in the suburban US. It seems out of tune, sloppily shambolic and loose. And to a great extent it is, but carefully so. Atlanta's sloppy sons have made yet another short album - 14 songs, 36 minutes - but those short songs deal with small stories (How Do You Tell A Child That Someone Has Died, My Struggle) as well as rather bigger ones (Oh Katrina), and they're all pretty catchy when given a chance. Good Bad Not Evil isn't an album for someone who won't give music a proper listen - it'll just sound all over the place and amateurish, even in the presence of some pretty dark and scary lyrics. However, past that slight hurdle, there's a world of joy. This is the band's best album yet, but caution is recommended before opening this particular garage door.

ACE rating 7/10