Dave Gahan -- Paper Monsters

Dave Gahan's solo debut sounds remarkably like Depeche Mode.

When you have fronted such a successful band for over 20 years, it's inevitable your solo work will be comparable.

Gahan sounds to be exorcising a few ghosts from his turbulent past on Dirty Sticky Floors, A Little Piece and Bottle Living.

Despite the dark content within this work the album's prevailing mood is overwhelmingly positive. Hold On, Bitter Apple and Stay are all songs of hope from somebody who, quite literally, experienced death.

Paper Monsters is as enjoyable as it is compelling and the future for Gahan and Depeche Mode looks ever brighter.

Graham Scaife

British Sea Power -- The Decline of British Sea Power

I interviewed British Sea Power a couple of years ago, a new band who hailed from Brighton under pressure to come up with the goods in the face of The Strokes and White Stripes who were dominating all the press attention.

They seemed unfazed by the mammoth task ahead, obsessed with bringing the outside inside at their gigs and using 1940s radio equipment. All this while offering a glazed robotic vocal and stage presence that crossed Joy Division with The Chameleons.

Their odd but fascinating approach saw them rise within the underground scene rapidly, and while this debut album won't take over the world it is a great start.

'Remember Me' contains one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time and 'Fear Of Drowning' is wonderfully hypnotic. British Sea Power's The decline of.., despite leaving the beaten track every now and again is one of the greatest alternative rock albums of the year.

James Heward

Fallacy -- Blackmarket Boy

With young British artists such as The Streets and So Solid Crew becoming ever more popular, rising from urban decay to tell their tale of life at street level, it's no wonder UK artists such as Fallacy are encouraged.

For once American gangland rap has a serious rival. Despite all the negative publicity that surrounds hip hop these days, drugs, shootings etc, there has been a real surge of innovative creativity among the British scene.

Fallacy's Blackmarket Boy combines honest lyrics, depicting urban life frankly but without the unattractive ego-obsessed nonsense that has always been associated with US rap.

The Album Is brilliantly produced using clever sampling and Fallacy acting as a most impressive human beat box from time to time.

James Heward

Less Than Jake -- Anthem

Currently there are a lot of bands emerging from America under the 'Punk' banner, the likes of Blink 182 and Sum 41, and they all sound exactly the same.

Lots of fast guitars but lyrically the songs are more 'Pop Idol' than punk rock. There's a gapingly obvious lack of real anger and social or political comment.

Having just fought a war, and the threat of terrorist attack over us all, you'd think there would be no shortage of lyrical inspiration.

They have the titles; Plastic Cup Politics, Escape From The A-Bomb House, That's Why They Call It A Union, but sadly the anger that should be forthcoming doesn't stretch past the song titles.

Kids today - bah!!! Leave this title in the rack punk kids, and invest in a Clash album instead.

Graham Scaife

Dwele - Subject

Will the Craig David clone production line never cease?

Here we have another nu-soul album to both delight and amaze.

The tunes are creations of spellbinding joy and the lyrics poetic enough to turn men with steel hearts to jelly.

Dwele's universe is one where the R&B, spoken word, jazz and hip hop landscapes collide to create a singular genre.

In fact, it isn't any of these things, it's predictable, bland tripe of the type which is always on the radio and is indistinguishable from all the other dross flung at us from every angle.

Why make an album that panders to the mass market in such a cynical way? It beggars belief how anyone with any sense could buy this pointless drivel.

Antony Silson