On the record: Jack's back!

What's hot and what's not in this week's new releases.

By Polly Weeks

Hip-hop heavyweight Jay-Z returns this week - without having to interrupt an awards ceremony to gain headlines a la Kanye West - to introduce his 11th studio album. Elsewhere, rock legends Alice In Chains return with Black Gives Way To Blue and former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown offers up his sixth solo album.

Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

Hip-hop's golden boy returns with his third instalment of Blueprint albums. Unfortunately it doesn't match the expectation levels surrounding the release. Run This Town highlights this: it's easy to sing along to, but musically is just lazy. And, despite the album featuring some of the world's most celebrated artists, for the most part their input isn't used to the benefit of either the album or their reputation. Alicia Keys provides an example of this - on Empire State Of Mind there's not a hint of her vocal prowess. Likewise, Pharrell's guest spot on So Ambitious sounds like he's just going through the hip-hop motion. DOA (Death of Auto Tune) sees Jay-Z at his best, effortlessly rhyming with a great tune to go with it. As one of the few tracks without a special guest, perhaps this should be the route he takes on future releases.

Rating: 6/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Maps - Turning The Mind

The second album from Northampton-based electronica act Maps (aka James Chapman) is sure to come under heavy scrutiny, following his 2007 Mercury Prize-shortlisted debut We Can Create. Unlike its predecessor, Turning The Map crawls and swells rather than bounces, and shows that he has a dark side. Taking us into deeper emotional territory, spiritual-sounding chords flow and soar through the album, giving it a quasi-religious, sacrificial flavour. But while Chapman's voice has the chilled whine needed for this cold electronica style, sadly the drama never really finds its arc. A few songs break out of the repetitive mournful reverie (Die Happy, Die Smiling and Nothing manage to move and interest), but ultimately this album isn't another career-defining moment for Maps.

Rating: 5/10

(Review by Sarah O'Meara)

Funeral For A Friend - Your History Is Mine 2002-2009

Although yet to enjoy the huge mainstream success of bands like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, South Wales group Funeral For A Friend are very much the finished hard-rock article. This latest offering collects their greatest hits and provides a comprehensive overview of an impressive seven-year career. Four new songs are also included, of which Built To Last shines and reminds attentive listeners of classic early tracks 10.45 Amsterdam Conversations and Juneau. The band's infectiously-catchy signature duelling guitars, pounding drums and Matthew Davies's blisteringly powerful-yet-achingly-vulnerable vocals live long in the memory.

Rating: 8/10

(Review by Patrick Gates)

Kid Harpoon - Once

This debut long-player from the hotly-tipped young Medway troubadour Kid Harpoon, aka Tom Hull, has certainly been some time in the making. But it shouldn't disappoint those devoted camp followers who've been tracking his career for years on his website. Produced by industry legend Trevor Horn (also at the helm of the much-vaunted Robbie Williams comeback), the album is a sparklingly fresh showcase for the 27-year-old Hull's undoubted musical promise. He honed his talent live with the likes of new single Back From Beyond, the jauntily anaemic Stealing Cars and epic album closer Childish Dreaming, but Horn's deft production has clearly given these charmingly contemporary vignettes the wings to fly.

Rating: 6/10

(Review by Patrick Gates)

Ian Brown - My Way

With five solo albums to his name already, it's hard to think of a time when Ian Brown wasn't doing it his way, but clearly King Monkey thinks the time is right to tell us a few things we didn't know before. After his last album, the politically-charged The World Is Yours, Brown is looking inwards and backwards. There's a defiant two-fingered salute to a certain former band-mate on Always Remember Me. "You walked yourself into the wilderness," he sings, followed by the telling couplet, "Those were the days when we had it all, and these are the times I've got so much more". It's not an overly bitter album, however, and in his cover of Zager And Evans' nihilistic In The Year 2525, he hasn't forgotten his conscience. So My Way is a success, on the whole, and in Stellify, originally written for Rihanna, Brown has his best song since 2001's career-high FEAR. Long live King Monkey.

Rating: 8/10

(Review by Andy Welch)

Liam Frost - We Ain't Got No Money, Honey, But We Got Rain

Back in 2006, Liam Frost and his band The Slowdown Family released one of the year's best albums. Unfortunately, it passed most people by and the band were duly dropped. Thankfully Frost is back, this time on his own, with an album of upbeat, melodious guitar pop. Opener Held Tightly In Your Fist, with its infectious chorus, chiming bells and honking saxophone, kicks things off perfectly, while Good Things, Two Hearts and whimsical closing track Orchestra Of Love are other highlights. The album's real gem, however, is Your Hand In Mine, a rousing duet with Martha Wainwright, which, by rights, should be huge. Here's hoping this talent gets the credit he deserves.

Rating: 8/10

(Review by Andy Welch)

Speed Caravan - Kalashnik Love

This mostly glittering album, with the odd awkward track, is the latest release from French-Algerian trio Speed Caravan. Energising and euphoric, new listeners should try to imagine an Arabic Chemical Brothers: Mehdi Haddab plays oud (a fretless Arabic lute often used in Middle-Eastern orchestras), Pascal Teillet is on bass and Hermione Frank delivers electro dance rhythms. Songs range from explicit covers (The Chemical Brothers' Galvanize and Daddy Lolo by Armenia's Chick Ganimian) to colourful remixes of Eastern European folk songs and classic oud tunes, plus original anthems such as title track Kalashnik Love.

Rating: 8/10

(Review by Sarah O'Meara)

Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue

It's their first studio album in more than 10 years and it's worth the wait. Full of heavy guitar riffs and great vocals (care of relatively new member William DuVall), the first track All Secrets Known, sets the pace for the rest of the album. There's no doubting the Seattle roots of the band, edging back to the heyday of grunge - this album will serve as a welcome reminder as to what an important band Alice In Chains were and continue to be in the rock industry, with songs such as Your Decision highlighting this. A good comeback album which will leave fans satisfied.

Rating: 8/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Fanfarlo - Reservoir

The average music fan may have conflicting ideas about what to expect from Fanfarlo's debut album. Despite being touted as Britain's answer to Grizzly Bear and enjoying a status-boosting supporting slot with Snow Patrol, comparisons to either are wide of the mark. Sure, they share the latter's ear for soaring instrumentation, but there is something decidedly more interesting at play in the organic arrangements. If there is a failing it is the lack of real emotional weight - several songs are engaging enough but easily forgotten - but it has enough depth to demand further listens.

Rating: 7/10

(Review by Rory Dollard)

Brand New - Daisy

The New York rock band return with a new album, and it's a pretty standard offering. Neither bad nor amazing, this has 'fourth album fodder' written all over it. It's a shame as their last release in 2006, The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me, was a corker. Daisy, while full of sultry tracks, lacks the urgency of their previous releases. That said, the fourth track Gasoline is a great song full of angular guitar riffs and screaming vocals, as is Sink.

Rating: 6/10

(Review by Polly Weeks)

Singles by Polly Weeks

:: Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man

The London folk band's forthcoming album Sigh No More is one of the most eagerly-anticipated releases of the year, and it's easy to see why on this well-constructed acoustic number.

:: La Roux - I'm Not Your Toy

The Brixton-based, Mercury Prize-nominated duo will continue their reign in the charts with this electro-pop number. It's not groundbreaking, but easy enough to dance to.

:: Graham Coxon - Brave The Storm/Dead Bees

This double single from the Blur guitarist sounds like it's been strongly inspired by the band's recent reunion, with his songwriting roots firmly placed in the 1990s Brit-Pop scene.

On the road

Upcoming tours

:: With an individual style which captivates audiences worldwide, Regina Spektor returns to the UK for a winter tour, arriving at the O2 Arena in Birmingham on November 30. She then takes in Glasgow, Manchester and London. Visit www.myspace.com/reginaspektor for full details.

:: She was hailed as one to watch in 2009, and now VV Brown finishes up the year with a headline tour which kicks off on November 4 in Manchester and finishes 19 days later at the London ULU. See www.myspace.com/vvbrown for full dates.