THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - NO GEOGRAPHY

If someone told me back in 1989 that I would still be wanting to listen to The Chemical Brothers I would have thought they were having me on. But no - 30 years later and they are as fresh as they were then.

No Geography has simply some of the best experimental beats I've heard in a long time. There is the usual rousing build up, a coil that is slowly wound until it can't take it anymore and drops bouncing with life all of the place. This time around vocals are primarily by Norwegian singer/songwriter Aurora, whose haunting voice cuts through the jerky, sharp and sometimes grinding melodies. Each track leads into the next, on an eye-opening journey through an industrial landscape that could be the musical equivalent of modern life. So much darkness, so much uncertainty, but there is this sound that is almost hopeful that we can get through the confusion. There are glances to the past with an 80s feel to Got To Keep On, as well as lyrical echoes of the political torment of the decade too.

Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons have yet again composed a soundscape that is questioning and driven, with hope and euphoria in a way that only The Chemical Brothers can.

9/10

(Review by Rachel Howdle)

EMMA BUNTON - MY HAPPY PLACE

Emma Bunton's first solo album in 12 years comes just before the Spice Girls embarks on their reunion tour, and it couldn't be further from the all-guns-blazing, pop-tastic tracks they'll be belting out up and down the country this summer.

Called My Happy Place, Bunton softly croons her way through her favourite songs, such as I Only Want To Be With You and You're All I Need To Get By, a beautiful rendition with her fiance Jade Jones and easily the strongest offering on the record. Baby Please Don't Stop is a 60s-infused pop jam, and one of two original tracks on the record. Bunton also covers Spice Girls classic 2 Become 1 with Robbie Williams. It's an OK effort, but it doesn't set the world alight and is nowhere near as striking as the original.

Bunton shines on Here Comes The Sun, the song that played as her eldest child was born, and she sings it with him in the intro. It's downright adorable. Some of her covers get lost in translation, erring on the karaoke side of things, but mostly this is a sweetly inoffensive body of work that shows off her tuneful, easy-on-the-ears vocal and loveable personality.

6/10

(Review by Lucy Mapstone)

LSD - LABRINTH, SIA & DIPLO PRESENT... LSD

The world doesn't need more supergroups - mobs of chart-toppers feeding off one another in a studio but producing little more than clumsy mash-ups of their best songs. That Labrinth, Sia and Diplo didn't fall into this trap is an achievement in itself, and one reason for giving this record a chance.

Another would be its joyous and surprisingly varied emotional palate. A third would be that some of these songs bang.

British singer and one-man hit factory Labrinth's voice gels and pops alongside Sia's effervescent and ethereal tones. The pair get the backing they deserve from Diplo, one half of Major Lazer, who dips into his grab bag of tropical delights. But they click best on the album's quieter moments. Thunderclouds has a pleasing swing but Mountains feels as sickly sweet and overwrought as it did on its original release in November.

Across 10 tracks, only five we haven't heard before (and one of those is a pleasantly Prince-aping if non-committal introduction). And aside from a surprisingly fiery Little Wayne remix, at just over 30 minutes long LSD feels a little slight. Because of this it feels more like an EP than a full-blown statement of intent. But maybe that's still to come.

7/10

(Review by Alex Green)

BLOC PARTY - SILENT ALARM LIVE

It was on a recent tour in which Bloc Party decided to record a live performance of their 2005 debut album Silent Alarm. The album, which features a hard-hitting mix of frenetic shrill disco beats, computerised synth and jangly sharp guitar parts behind Kele Okereke's southern-accented conversational singing style, sits nicely in the mid-Noughties indie disco scene.

While the sound is precise and detailed, a live performance surprisingly exposes the greatness behind the seminal album. While some bands improve and tweak their music in the name of performance, there are no surprises here, no gimmicks, embellishments or changes; the album is delivered exactly how it was originally recorded, right down to the order of the track list. And while it is fiercer and more explosive, the only real deviation is Okereke's voice, which has changed in quality with time. The accuracy is spot-on and, combined with the excellent sound quality, the only evidence that the album is live is the roars of applause.

Anyone looking for anything different from the original should look elsewhere, but this is a true fan's delight. The listener is transported straight to the gig, and gets to experience the special moment in time that is a true celebration of Silent Alarm in full.

8/10

(Review by Sophie Goodall)

THE DRUMS - BRUTALISM

It is nearly a decade since American indie-pop quartet The Drums exploded onto the scene with their Beach Boys-inspired Summertime EP. Much has changed. Not least the line-up, though it is a peculiar quirk that fifth LP Brutalism sounds richer and more layered than anything before it, despite the band's membership shrinking by 75%.

One-man-band Jonathan Pierce relies again on The Drums' blueprint for catchy, uncomplicated melodies. Like its predecessor, the triumphant Abysmal Thoughts, the lyrics are darker and more nihilistic than on previous records. But something doesn't quite feel right, and those hoping for an album chock-full of surf-pop tales of summer at the beach will be left disappointed.

The nine-track record whizzes past in little over half an hour, though closing number Blip of Joy - the most quintessentially The Drums song on the album - is worth waiting for.

7/10

(Review by Ryan Hooper)