Richard Hawley, Lady's Bridge
Sheffield's answer to Morrissey returns with a work that's awash with dark, brooding brilliance, writes Graeme Thomson.

Kate Nash, Made of Bricks
The new Lily Allen? Think again, says Rosie Swash: the 20-year-old will be a star on her own terms.

Manu Chao, La Radiolina
It's catchy, chirpy and occasionally sung in English. Could this be the great man's breakthrough set, asks Charlie Gillett.

Mexican Institute of Sound, Pinata
Steve Yates hears the head of EMI Mexico transform the music that sits atop his workspace into a multi-layered masterclass.

The Go! Team, Proof of Youth
Garry Mulholland finds that the spirited Brighton sextet evoke everything that's pleasurable from your childhood.

Hard-Fi, Once Upon a Time in the West
The suburban bovver boys return with some rebel-rousing tunes that will sell like hotcakes, believes Craig McLean.

K T Tunstall, Drastic Fantastic
The former folk busker has metamorphosed into a slinky pop sensation. And she's all the better for it, thinks Amy Raphael.

Liars, Liars
Noise-pop and proper songwriting can live in almost perfect harmony. Mike Barnes hears exactly how it is done.

Caribou, Andorra
There are few Canadian dreampop exponents with a PhD in maths - and none as good as Dan Snaith. Or so Ben Thompson thinks.

Gwyneth Herbert, Between Me and the Wardrobe
With her bewitching voice, the jazz-folk star was never just your standard covers singer. And here is the proof, says Stuart Nicholson.