What is it with covers albums? There seem to be a plethora of ‘alternative’ versions of classic tracks recorded recently from Cat Power’s Jukebox, via Shelby Lynne’s Just A Little Lovin to Mark Ronson’s, erm, Versions.

“I just want to make people feel something,” says Reed of his band, The True Loves. “You’ve got to get the audience emotionally involved and make people feel what you’re feeling. That’s the whole point of soul music.” Amen to that.

Go Make a Difference has good intentions. It’s trying to be an informal book, providing advice on how to save the planet. But it ends up nagging and sighing, making it a pesky little bugger that’s not much fun to be around.

Solo project? Side project? Drunken joke that went too far? The Age Of The Understatement could be all three for Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner (and, all the way from Liverpool, Miles Kane).

However generous/funny/strange your best mate is, and however fond of them you are, if you’re planning a surf trip to any European destination, this book will automatically replace them as your new best bud.

The second album by the band who invented a genre called, er, ‘Thamesbeat’ marks a complete change of direction for them. Is Twenty One The Mystery Jets coming of age?

Liverpool’s hottest prospects, Avenging Force offer something completely different to the umbrella of La’s-inspired bands who have shadowed the city for so long.

London boy in LA, Shawn Lee returns with his seventh album in the Ping Pong Orchestra series for the most excellent Ubiquity records.

Marking Unforscene’s debut on Tru Thoughts, Fingers and Thumbs creates a low fi cinematic soul soundscape infused with broken beats, jazz, electronica, funk, soul, folk, blues, and then some. 

The early 1990s classic gets a revamp including 10 bonus demo tracks and 45-minute DVD. A great introduction for new fans and enough rarities to please those who bought it the first time round.