Emma Pollock - Watch The Fireworks.

After The Delgadoes finally called it a day a couple of years ago, it seemed indie guitar pop had lost a very valuable asset. Finely crafted songs rich in sound, intelligent in lyric, arebecoming a dying art form.

So when Delgadoes front woman Emma Pollack announced her solo intentions excitement mounted. Watch The Fireworks has been well worth the wait.

There are obvious comparisons with her previous outfit but the introduction of more piano led arrangements and the pursuit of a slightly more American indie rock sound often taking the form of artists such as Julianna Hatfield and Kristin Hersh has helped diversify the sound considerably.

Pollack has a natural ability to pen sophisticated music and deliver it with beautiful simplicity, she's a rare talent and this debut effort couldn't be more proof of that, James Heward.

Buck 65 - Situation.

Buck 65 certainly won't be winning any prizes for originality. Their sound is bass heavy with a vocalist with no obvious talent apart from the ability to talk fast. Even the band logo is just the mirror image of the Factory Records logo circa 1979.

It's the kind of music you hear booming forth from those cars with wide-bore exhausts and a sound system that is worth more than the car itself.

With production credited to Skratch Bastid and DJ Signify one glance at the artwork reveals what lies within. Popular with the kids but I'm the wrong side of 20 to appreciate this type of music.

Graham Scaife.

Neil Young - Chrome Dreams II.

Young is certainly prolific, this being his fifth release in the last two years and his 13th since the turn of the century.

The only other artist with a style anything close to that of Young is Mike Scott from The Waterboys and Chrome Dreams II is pretty standard Neil Young.

Existing fans will consume this latest product with great gusto but there is nothing to entice the new listener.

You could argue that Young doesn't require any new listeners but it sounds so easily done that you can imagine him knocking out albums like this in his sleep. Perhaps that is why he is so prolific.

Graham Scaife