With clever use of words to indicate the milestone Danish ‘cowpunk’ rockers D-A-D has reached with 30 Years 30 Hits, such longevity is duly rewarded with this accolade consisting of a double CD with tracks spanning from the band’s initial beginnings in 1987 to the present. The secret to D-A-D’s enduring appeal lies in their ironic play on words and mix of melodic and (often) hard-edged rock that is at its peak with the wild and savage ‘Marlboro Man’, psychobilly influenced ‘Isn’t That Wild’ and the more considered ‘A New Age Moving In’. There is, however, much to absorb here with a more mainstream yet nonetheless compelling ‘It’s After Dark’ revealing a penchant for pop music, to the ‘raising a smile’ and defiance of lead vocalist Jesper Binzer’s ‘I Won’t Cut My Hair’. DISN30LAND AF30R D30K is a compilation to be rightly celebrated and not interpreted as a parting farewell as these albums sometimes suggest because there is definitely more to come from D-A-D when considering the depth and quality of this 30 year landmark.

With a high volume of live dates planned throughout 2014, Lincoln, Nebraska’s Bent Life is more than prepared for such a lengthy schedule judging by the powerhouse that is latest album ‘Full Skull’. Thundering out of the traps is title track ‘Full Skull’, setting the tone with its pulsating guitar assault and met by the intriguing complexities and bullish manner of ‘Bricks’, only for all to be consumed by the cavernous and more primitive bellow that is ‘Unlearn’. There is no doubt that the contents of ‘Full Skull’ will be equally at home when in a live setting, as there is a suggestion of a looseness to the recordings, despite the technical efficiencies on display, that will probably usher in moments of improvisation, which can only be a good thing. At full throttle, Bent Life is leading the overseas charge when it comes to a hardcore sound.

‘High Hopes’ is business as usual for Bruce Springsteen that sees his loyal crew the E Street Band and a return for Ron Aniello on production duties helping to make this latest effort a worthy successor to the excellent ‘Wreaking Ball’ (2012). Where this album differs, however, is the inspired decision to involve Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who provided cover for the Australian leg of Springsteen’s tour last year. Such is the influence of Morello – providing guitar almost throughout and a duet with the Boss on ‘The Ghost Of Tom Joad’ – that Springsteen was moved to say that; “Tom and his guitar became my muse, pushing the rest of this project to another level”. High praise indeed that also applies to the rest of the ensemble, as Springsteen continues to mine a rich vein of form by reworking a few ideas as well as providing covers. It’s Morello’s guitar signature that sets the wheels in motion during title track ‘High Hopes’, as it echoes in and out and supported by a bustling rhythm that is punctuated with brass instrumentation before stumbling into the gangsters occupying the streets of the mild funk of ‘Harry’s Place’. ‘American Skin (41 Shots)’ is memorable for its infectious rhythm but also the street politics at its centre, whereas ‘The Wall’ is equally affecting for its personal memory of a departed friend lost in action in Vietnam but also for its delicate delivery. Despite all the success and financial gain, Bruce Springsteen continues to remain true to his beliefs in the blue-collar worker and genuinely cares for those who remain marginalized as latest album ‘High Hopes’ reflects.

The accompanying video to this latest single release from relative newcomers Circle Of Reason leans towards American post-punk bands Blink 182, Bowling For Soup et al due to possessing a similar mischievous sense of humour. However, that is where the comparisons end because ‘Themes Amongst Thieves’ has more in common with the alternative rock sounds of Smashing Pumpkins and QOTSA with a slight soft spot for the Deftones despite sounding considerable years apart. There is an undisputed level of confidence threating to brim over when it comes to ‘Themes Amongst Thieves’ which is highly admirable considering this is only Circle Of Reason’s third release. If such form can be expressed when it comes to talk of a full-length player, then the future bodes well for this four-piece band. Now, anyone for a game of Ping-Pong?

With artwork more attuned to an altogether different scene, Beast Milk conjure up the ghost of Joy Division, bringing it up-to-date via Interpol but sounding far lower in the mix during ‘Death Reflects Us’ and all the better for it. The room temperature fails to rise above freezing during the aptly titled ‘The Wind Blows Through Their Skulls’ as guitars run full throttle throughout before arriving at the equally bleak in name ‘Genocidal Crush’. It is this latter song, however, that raises the stakes higher for Beast Milk, offering an uncanny resemblance to Ian McCulloch (Echo & the Bunnymen) as it wrings out a more melodic edge yet still retaining a claustrophobic feel. Such a dense atmosphere is all too infectious as it transmits to ‘You Are Now Under Our Control’, plummeting to further depths under a pounding rhythm and cast adrift vocal supplied by Kvohst.  If you’re looking for songs full of optimism, then you won’t find too much of that here, but what you will find is a thoroughly persuasive album of postpunk and indie guitar rock with an ice-cold exterior that will satisfy fans of Bauhaus and the previously mentioned Joy Division and Interpol.

There is no doubting the vocal ability when it comes to James Arthur and his eponymously titled album as clearly the man is gifted, but when it comes to the actual songs there is just a little too much familiarity of having been here once too often before. Take, for example, the hit single ‘Impossible’; an inoffensive yet plodding composition that could have been delivered by countless pop singers over the past couple of years, due to possessing more than a whiff of the aforementioned familiarity, which also seeps into the equally bland ‘Recovery’ and music by numbers ‘Is This Love’. Where this album begins to show signs of life, despite still clinging to the edges of the safety blanket, is the quieter reflective moments such as ‘Roses’ with fine accompaniment by Emeli Sandé and equally matched ‘Certain Things’ with Chasing Grace providing the vocal support on this occasion. ‘Smoke Clouds’, being a James Arthur composition, rides on a soulful vocal that is drifting down a lonesome path but one that reveals a genuine amount of personality and all the better for it. This is perhaps the crux of the problem as James Arthur can apply his vocals to suit a raft of genres, as indicated by the tail-end rap of ‘Flyin’, but it remains to be seen whether the same flexibility can be applied when it comes to the choice of songs next time around.