SPRING appears to be the season for breakups, so it's fitting that that old miserablist Leonard Cohen has announced his first tour in 15 years.

Having become rather suddenly single at the beginning of February, my iPod became a thing to fear, for its previously unseen ability to play the wrong song at completely the wrong time.

Imagine walking down the road when all of a sudden you are struck by Tom Waits' heartbreaker Poncho's Lament, with its line "I'm glad that you're gone/ But I wish to the lord that you'd come home."

Yes, trawling through one's record collection can be a dangerous pursuit at times like this, so I thought I'd share some advice given to me by a good friend.

"Do not listen to Jeff Buckley's Morning Theft or Last Goodbye," he said (via Facebook, of course, which is how we all get therapy nowadays) . Which was of course, exactly what I had been listening to.

We added Poncho's Lament to that list, and the Beach Boys' God Only Knows should be on there too. Elbow's new album is a kicker, and brilliant as it is probably not recommended listening for anyone who's short of a date for any upcoming family events.

And Leonard Cohen, whose song Hallelujah was aptly covered by Buckley, is completely out.

Instead, I recommend the Guillemots, who never fail to make me feel better, and another Waits song, Better Off Without A Wife. Post your suggestions here, or send them to 24.7@theboltonnews.co.uk.