****ALBUM: Nappy Roots - Watermelon, Chicken & gritz, Released Monday, Atlantic
IF Huckleberry Finn was a black rapper, this is what he would sound like.
This is Kentucky country boys meets bad-ass gangster rappers, so include the f-ing and blinding, but swap the hood for wheat fields, and replace pimp-mobiles with combine harvesters.
Its unusual sound is its appeal.
***ALBUM: Various Artists - Drivin' With Johnnie Walker, Released Monday, eastwest
IN case you didn't realise summer is here, the number of cruising albums on the shelves should be a bit of a hint.
Chosen by Radio 2's king of the road, this is a very good collection of driving tunes.
Rather than foot-to-the-floor thumper, this is more of a sit back and chill stuff.
We have Toploader's Dancing in the moonlight, Eagle Eye Cherry's Save tonight, and the Bobby Fuller Four's I fought the law.
There is also the fabulous You only get what you give, by The New Radicals, Runaway, by The Corrs, and Wilson Pickett's In the midnight hour.
This is the kind of stuff that will make you want to spend more time in the car, even if it is doing 2mph through gridlocked Bolton town centre.
***SINGLE: Carly Hennessy - I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind, Out Monday, MCA/Universal
MOVE over, Kylie, Carly is the new Queen of Pop!
The Dublin-born 18-year-old's refreshing debut single should take the charts by storm.
This pop track showcases her excellent voice, with a Kylie-meets-Shania Twain feel.
Penned by Gregg Alexander, the man behind the New Radicals' hit You only get what you give, this is definitely one to watch out for.
****SINGLE: Lorien - Cherrywood Eyes, Released Monday, Instant Karma
LORIEN are one of those groups I like more every time I hear them.
Taken from Under the waves, and featuring precise orchestral arrangements, this is a lovely ballad about Cherrywood eyes watching over you. Very soothing, very soulful, very good.
* Avoid
** Poor
*** Average
**** Very good
***** Excellent
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