Antony & The Johnsons
The Crying Light
Spunk
The Crying Light is laden with dark lyrics and soaring musical arrangements that require complete absorption and absolute attention. Such effort is rewarded, as diligent listeners will be transported into the world of the gender-queer Antony Hegarty, whose androgynous vocals sing about the pain of identity confusion amid a landscape of art and redemption.
Megan Smith

Various
Rave Anthems
Ministry of Sound
This 3 CD set documents the period of the rise of the rave sound in 1990 and celebrates 6 years of the true dedicated following of rave, set over 3 CDs with a decent range of tracks. It features 62 never to be forgotten hits from Moby, Force Mass Motion, The Prodigy, Felix, N-Joi and more! Obviously aimed squarely at the over 30’s!
Stuart Miles

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Lily Allen
It’s Not You It’s Me
EMI
Lily Lily Lily… if everyone’s at it then Lily Allen is the instigator, back with a brilliant second album. Opinionated, brash and a little sassy, Allen puts quirky girl power pop firmly on the map. The Fear is the anthem of our vacuous new millennium, while F**k You is the hater’s hate song – vaudeville, vulgar… and simply smashing.
Scott-Patrick Mitchell

Various
Housexy 2009
Ministry of Sound
Nightclub regulars Ian Cary Project get a look-in with Get Shaky but there’s not too much going on with disc one – in places the music takes a ’90s mainstream dance theme. The music wasn’t sexy then… and nothing has changed since. Sexy comes with disc two, courtesy of some great choices from Those Usual Suspects.
Brett Dias

Natalie Bassingthwaighte
1000 Stars
Sony
With two top 10 singles under her belt you would expect 1000 Stars – Natalie Bassingthwaite’s debut solo album – to deliver the goods… and that she has done. It’s camp, it’s pop, and has a few mellow tracks thrown in for good measure – Could You Be Loved even has a beat somewhat reminiscent of Donna Summers’ I Feel Love. What more could you want?
DJ Feminem

Brandy
Human
Sony
Brandy’s fifth studio album is, on first listening, not that good a ‘tasting plate’, but persistence pays off. It’s not until the hit Right Here followed by the best track, Piano Man, that we get to hear the voice that is so unique to this superstar. While not her best, it’s certainly better than other R&B albums released in the last year. Lush production.
Terry Larder

Various
Motown 50
Universal
Who needs manufactured pop princesses when you can go gaga over Motown?
This year Motown celebrates its 50th birthday, and this album is a perfect reflection of half a century of sweet soul music. From the label that brought us the eternal voices of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Jackson 5, Lionel Ritchie and Marvin Gaye, comes this easy listening 3 disk album. As background music or for belting out The Supremes in your car, this album has all your Motown Favourites.
Ollie Pincott