Four albums in and Mercury Rev remain as surprising and daring as ever – exchanging the volcanic noise and twisted sensibilities of earlier releases for ornate arrangements and ethereal strings, Deserter's Songs unlocks the beauty always hidden just below the band's surface, its lush harmonics and soothing textures bathing in an almost unearthly light.

Standouts including the exquisitely waltz-like "Tonite It Shows" and the celestial "Endlessly" are like lullabies, their music-box melodies gentle and narcotic; even the most pop-oriented moments like "Opus 40" and "Hudson Line" share a symphonic, candy-coloured majesty far removed from conventional rock idioms.

Complete with its fractured instrumental interludes and odd effects, Deserter's Songs sounds like no other album – for that matter, it doesn't even sound like Mercury Rev, yet there's no mistaking the record's brilliance for anyone else.

Visit Mercury Rev's Website, listen on Grooveshark or buy the album.

I Robot is a blood banquet for automatons that is infused with the airy, romantic sentimentalism of pop music. The contradiction works well up to a point: it takes the cold-bloodedness out of the synthesizer's greasy moan and adds a bit of humanism to it. But the final result is a tantara for the ultimate sensuality of the technocratic brat and his hardware.

In this enthusiastic combination of Cageian threnody, Ligeti-like choral megillahs and the futuristic insanities of Magma's "Ork Alarm," we roam from the shapeless chaos of "The Voice" and "Nucleus" to the pop glissades of "Some Other Time" and "Don't Let It Show." The most infectious track is "Day after Day (The Show Must Go On)," a spontaneous excursion into optimism and urban boredom.

What all this boils down to is that I Robot is a rose amid the concrete gray of the Metropolis.

Visit The Alan Parsons Project's Website, listen on Grooveshark or buy the album.

It's rumoured that legendary New Zealand music label Flying Nun could be on the move – back into the hands of label founder Roger Shepard. Is there new life for old Nun?

Responsible for bringing us "The Dunedin Sound" in the early 1980s, Flying Nun Records championed iconic artists and groups such as Chris Knox, The Clean, The Chills, David Kilgour, Tall Dwarfs, Straightjacket Fits and The Verlaines.

People have often commented on the scarcity of Flying Nun records of past, perhaps this move will see these titles available once again – here's hoping...

An intensely personal collection of songs, inspired by Fraser's travels – especially the relief work she's been doing in Africa ('Albertine' is named after a Rwandan orphan she's formed special bond with), Albertine hints at a maturity well beyond her 25 years. Lead single 'Deciphering Me' illustrates this perfectly and, along with her fantasic cover of Simon & Garfunkel's 'The Sound of Silence', is a must listen.

Visit Brooke Fraser's Website or buy the album.

From the "This is my voice, my weapon of choice" introduction, there's no mistaking those dominatrix tones which effortlessly soar into her rich singing voice. First single William's Blood displays a vibrant, melodic depth common to the whole album, produced by Grace and Ivor Guest with contributions from old muckers like Brian Eno and Sly & Robbie (unmistakable on reggae-based tracks Love You To Life and Sunset Sunrise). Corporate Cannibal ranks among her best, a monstrous industrial vamp over which Grace lays into modern life. A stunning return to form.

Visit the official Hurricane website or buy the album.

Bliss - Quiet Letters (2003)

Their debut album “Afterlife” was a huge success in Denmark, but the album was never relased internationally. However the track “Kissing” was compiled on more than 30 compilations and the two singles “Dunia” and “The Suns of Afterlife” as limited 10 inches was released internationally. The international appeal is out there, and Bliss has become one of the true chill-out undergrounds classics.

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There are songs that really take me back to another place and time. Here are a few of my all time favourites:

• The Motels - Only The Lonely (1982)
• Blerta - Dance All Around The World (1972)
• The Moody Blues - Nights In White Satin (1967)
• Burt Bacharach - A House Is Not A Home (1964)
• Craig Armstrong - This Love (1998)

Randi Laubek - Almost Gracefully... (2000)

Uniquely soulful and honest, Randi Laubek first seduced the hearts and ears of the Danish listening public when her debut long-player Ducks & Drakes was awarded the Danish Grammy (now Danish Music Award) for "Best Album" and she was named "Best Female Artist" and "Best Songwriter".

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Cæcilie Norby - My Corner of the Sky (1996)

Following the success of her first release Cæcilie Norby on the Blue Note label, her second release on the label My Corner of the Sky include contributions from drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, bassist Lars Danielsson and the Brecker brothers on tenor sax and flugelhorn. As on her first album, Niels Lan Doky is co-producer and co-arranger.

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Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus (1978)

Recorded towards the end of Little Feat's original incarnation, Waiting for Columbus has the boogie-oriented country and blues-rock tinges of the group's early sound, expanded into the lengthier, fusion-oriented jams that were their later focus. Yet Little Feat were always a tightly disciplined unit, and even the lengthiest songs here, like the nine-minute take on their signature song "Dixie Chicken", keep from sliding into mere aimless jamming. Although some of the bonus tracks are a little more shambolic, hard-rocking gems like the smoking "Teenage Nervous Breakdown" more than make up for them.

Read a review of Waiting for Columbus or buy the CD.