Although he is a regular on the American 'jam band' circuit, you may not have heard of Keller Williams, unless you're a connoisseur of remarkable guitarists. A fantastic, percussive, slippery, fluid kind of player, Williams is also a Ry Cooder-warm kind of singer and all-round decent guy, if the all-star collection of collaborators is anything to go by here. Guests on various songs (think early Dave Matthews, but more World Music, and more eclectic) include Spearhead's Michael Franti, Bela Fleck, (Grateful Dead's) Bob Weir, and Martin Sexton. The central element, however, whether on acoustic ballads, or rhythm-laden rock, is the perfectly-judged guitar, with style dripping from every touch. There is a lot of variety here, yet it is easy to get the impression that the songs were thrown together into an album when he reached 16, rather than fitting into some 'album' concept. Recommended if you're interested in how a Cooder-Dave Matthews combo might have sounded.

ACE rating 7/10

Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are considered something of a Canadian supergroup, but the 'super' is mostly because they combine the talents of three decent singer-songwriters - Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden and Tom Wilson. Let's Frolic is a straighahead, bar band kind of disc that reminds of The Band, or Canada's own Blue Rodeo, more than anything else. In fact, The Band's Garth Hudson lends his talents to this Americana-heavy album, and legends like Daniel Lanois lent songs. Occasionally (as on Life Is Golden), some rawk breaks out, and the proceedings become more interesting, but this isn't a particularly exciting record. Instead, it edges along on a light Clapton groove, pulling in styles from country, and gentle blues rock. It's easy to get the impression that there is more to give, that putting what is clearly a tight live band sound on a record isn't easy. Worth a look if you're more Bob Harris Radio 2 than Radio 6.

ACE rating 6/10

The world seems ready for different sounds, with artists like Joanna Newsom gaining an audience that would probably have been denied her for the past 40 years. Nat Baldwin may well benefit from that broadening of interest, for there is no getting away from just how difficult a listen this is. At times soaring wonderfully in the manner of Andrew Bird or Thom Yorke, and at others simply atonal mournful blare, most tracks are characterised by a layered claustrophobic soundscape of chant and strings. Unlike an album where this is judged to perfection, like Beirut's Gulag Orkestar, Baldwin relies too heavily on making his double bass the core of the music, whatever else is happening. Interesting in an academic sense, it isn't a world away from drum solos, and there are a lot of points where the skip button needs to be within handy reach. There is clearly something in here, if he can start making albums for the listener, rather than himself.

ACE rating 5/10