Visually entertaining as well as musically, Paloma Faith is back with her third album ‘A Perfect Contradiction’. With its continuing theme of rich colours when it comes to the artwork and sense of nous by calling on the talents of Pharrel Williams to help co-write recent single ‘Can’t Rely On You’, the ‘contradiction’ implied in the title is perfectly misleading as Paloma steps up another creative gear and one that is consistently better than its predecessors. Nowhere is this more evident than the aforementioned Williams/Faith collaboration ‘Can’t Rely On You’, that is full of old school dance beats but given a modern gloss and narrated with a sassy vocal that will have you reaching for the repeat button. The traditional flavour is also captured in ‘Mouth To Mouth’ with its 80s pop influence but this time finding Paloma Faith in more restrained manner but nonetheless still compelling. The lure of Motown is all too much for ‘Take Me’ and accompanying ballad ‘Only Love Can Hurt Like This’; the latter of the pair revealing a vulnerability in the Paloma Faith exterior. There is a brief hiccup with the rather pedestrian ‘Other Woman’ and its familiarities with other female artists of similar ilk, but fear not as this songstress finishes in style with red-hot ‘Trouble With My Baby’ and shifting style of ‘Love Only Leaves You Lonely’.

With the moody atmospheric film that was Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, latest effort from singer-songwriter, and sometimes producer, Ilias is not a million miles away from the neon lit urban landscape of LA that provided the backdrop to this near masterpiece. ‘Fire Away’ was actually written around the time of recent fires that devastated parts of the Australian countryside, but there is no escaping the film score concept that influences this song. Incorporating this broader vision is the additional European flavours, that lend themselves to the aforementioned urban landscape of LA by means of electronica that knits together late-nineties flitting drum patterns and a distorted guitar for those larger splashes of sound, giving the impression of darkened clouds rapidly forming and then fully realised by way of a short yet compelling guitar riff. If the vultures are beginning to circle overhead due to sensing a sizable meal at the end of the line considering the general attempts at dispersing that ‘Fire Away’ provides, then never has such an ominous atmosphere sounded so welcoming.

Fresh off the mark with a debut single is Frøder with ‘Speed Of Sound’ that is currently doing the rounds on NRK’s P3 (Norwegian radio station) and not difficult to understand why such is the immediate appeal of the vocal delivery. Comparisons can be drawn with Florence + The Machine, especially considering the heavy use of electronica intspersed with strings that is at one moment pondering in its approach before rising to considerable heights during its chorus. On the evidence of this first offering from Frøder, there is no question of this Norwegian loitering in the wings any longer as ‘Speed Of Sound’ looks set to continue its rapid trajectory even before there is any mention of a full length player. A very impressive start indeed.

Looks can be deceiving when it comes to ‘Agent Cooper’, the new album from the enigmatically named Russian Red. Behind the exterior lies real name Lourdes Hernández who is one of Spain’s biggest names with an indie rock influence mixed with a deep knowledge of pop music; just don’t expect anything bordering on the mainstream, as suggested by the front cover, because, as mentioned earlier, looks can be… In fact, the whole album is caked in mystery from the cryptic album title to the “look twice in order to see it” ingenious song titles, which could be a reference to a number of past relationships set in chronological order to give the narratives a sense of history to the point of meeting their sell by dates. Musically, the songs are given the same quality control, despite being a touch more immediate than their song titles suggests. The glorious sweeping chorus of opener ‘Michael P’ intoxicates the senses and leaves a lump in the throat with its protestations, “I get so lonely when you’re gone”. Even better, however, is the 80s tinged ‘John Michael’ with its fusion of guitars and keyboards that brings to mind the solid album efforts the likes of The Psychedelic Furs used to include in their works. ‘Casper’ is directed by some fine guitar work that takes a moment to breathe once Russian Red applies the brakes with sumptuous vocals to offer serious reflection on, no doubt, a relationship that turned sour. Triumphing over all, however, is the early minimalist beats and fragile vocal of ‘Xabier’ that almost lasts the distance before crumbling under the weight of its own revelations to the backdrop of guitars set to shoegaze. Russian Red has delivered the package ‘Agent Cooper’ which, if you choose to accept, can be found under the code word: SUBLIME.

The Scheen’s debut album finally gets to see daylight after last year’s single release ‘I Am I’. Possessing a front figure that is well known for last year’s participation in NRK’s Stjernekamp, now last year’s chip paper, as The Scheen is an altogether different proposition with its roots firmly set in an indie rock sound. Despite having an ace in their pack when it comes to vocal duties in the form of Atle Pettersen, it would be a great disservice to suggest that The Scheen is anything other than a promotional vehicle to aid Pettersen’s progression as The Scheen is a properly assembled outfit comprising of Tobias Ørnes Andersen, Robin Ognedal, Rein Blomquist and Nickolas Main Henriksen who have been together for some considerable time and, in the process, built up a wealth of experience on the live circuit. With such a longstanding relationship between this five-piece band from Skien (Norway), it is little wonder that first album offering ‘The Scheen’ sounds anything other than accomplished. The impressive opening strum of bass and guitars coupled with Atle’s compelling vocal pulls the listener in from the off with lyrics suggesting an off-kilter relationship with the daily grind of everyday living. If that wasn’t enough, then the pounding beat and fitful sounding guitars holding together ‘I Am I’ really excels with its gritty edge and interspersions of electronica. Despite its glum title, ‘Nothing To Win’ opens the door to a pop influence with an irresistible chorus that reeks of next single contender, which could easily be bestowed to its near neighbour with the sweeping melodic indie rock of ‘The Race’. For the moment, current single ‘Run’ is given that honour and is every bit powerful in its delivery as it is anxious with a concluding tempo giving the impression of chasing down endless empty avenues. The Scheen’s qualities lie in their ability to provide a balanced album that is one moment full of intricacies (‘Sleep In Silence’), revealing the band’s hidden depths, and the other more immediate with the uplifting feel of ‘Ghost’ being a prime example. As far as debut albums go, The Scheen just got off to a very good start.

If you want to the know the definition of commercial suicide when the record company execs call for your next offering to be laden with hit material, then ‘The History Of Music: A Mosaic’ is unlikely to do you any favours. Whether the end results were down to a large quantity of pharmaceuticals consumed, coupled with a gifted ability to piece together or perhaps unpick the expansive sound collage throughout, then only A Clean Kitchen Is A Happy Kitchen possess the answer to any concerns regarding the first query as there are no doubts concerning their musicianship. Difficult when trying to sit and consume this record in one sitting, but brilliant when the intricate details start to reveal themselves, the second full-length album by A Clean Kitchen Is A Happy Kitchen is a sprawling mass of post-rock and psychedelic experimentation with elements of free-form jazz that, when melded together, gives the impression of musical post-it notes, if there were such a thing, placed in no particular order but somehow this absence of any form of direction functions with apparent ease. For those looking for an accessible point, however, then ‘Floyd Is Warped’ is as good as any with its stone-cold drum pattern, buzzing guitar that later becomes more animated, before heading into flashes of white noise and suitably followed by the complexities inside of  ‘Yellow’ that shows off the band’s expertise, especially when guiding interludes of awe-inspiring feedback.  ‘The History Of Music: A Mosaic’ is definitely not a record for everyone, but it is one that is welcome for its persistence in testing boundaries and general lack of conformity to any given rules, which is fast becoming a scarce commodity in the current state of things.