The latest CD releases reviewed

NOAH GEORGESON
Find Shelter Plain ****

Noah Georgeson is one of weirdbeard folk's most prolific backroom figures, having already worked and collaborated extensively with Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, Bert Jansch and Joanna Newsom (most notably, he produced her Milk Eyed Mender album). Thus, Georgeson's solo debut is rather special. Recorded at various times over four years in a tiny San Francisco pad he shared with Newsom, Find Shelter makes a splash with its slender arrangements, an off-kilter musical reach and Georgeson's clear, likable vocals. It's interesting to note that the relatively long gestation period didn't hinder Georgeson in maintaining a cohesion in Find Shelter. Be it the lovely swell of opening instrumental Tied to the Mountains or the heady imagery that he plays with on Glorious Glory and Wooden Empire, Georgeson always delivers the goods. www.plainrecordings.com  Jim Carroll

L.E.O.
Alpacas Orgling Cheap Lullaby ****

You have to check the album cover to make sure that this is, in fact, the debut release from power pop experts L.E.O. and not a lost album from the late '70s by ELO. Featuring power pop notables Andy Sturmer (formerly of Jellyfish) and Mike Viola (this is possibly not his real name, but he is very definitely a former member of Candy Butchers), and a host of others, L.E.O. evoke ELO's orchestral pop-rock on every single track. It's as much pastiche as tribute, with as many sweeping, grandiose doses of teenage symphony as mature, ingenious and cracking pop songs. It's also a great start to 2007 - a direct hit of potent power pop that might owe a lot to one of the genre's main players but which definitely has its own dynamic and sense of identity. Don't bring me down? You must be joking, pal - this is not just a guilty pleasure but a guilty orgasm. Tony Clayton-Lea

THE SHINS
Wincing the Night Away Sub Pop ***

Even the most excitable PR woman might stop short of claiming that an American indie rock combo will change your life, but that, precisely, was Natalie Portman's endorsement of The Shins in the kooky indie flick Garden State. If anything, such attention seems only to have cowed the Albuquerque guitar group, whose third album is their most muted, forlorn and modest release yet. The subtle patter of opener Sleeping Lessons, its melody lapping the senses until waves of guitars finally break through, and an infectious slice of jangle pop called Australia are rare exceptions to the group's new, quieter agenda. Elsewhere, the stuttering rhythm of Sea Legs and the reversed synths of Spilt Needles are signs of a band keen to widen their musical horizons. Life changing, no; but this understated album will leave a lingering impression. www.theshins.com  Peter Crawley

THREAD PULLS
Fluorescent 1/2/3 9-pt Records ***

Dublin band Thread Pulls don't do things by halves - these three simultaneous releases are in limited editions of 100 copies, and come with individual (and quite rudimentary) artwork by artist Garret Phelan. Collectors of individualistic music, therefore, will have a field day, while fans of music that is neither soft nor safe also may find something to treasure here. The musical blueprint appears very much in tune with the likes of This Heat, The Fall and various Krautrock acts; sounds jumble one into the other, melodies drift, tunes meander, vocals enter and then exit. It might sound like drab experimentation, idiosyncrasy for its own sake, but repeated listenings provide glinting, glancing pleasures. The releases are on sale at Thread Pulls (rare) live gigs and from their website. www.9-pt.com   Tony Clayton-Lea

KYLIE
Showgirl Homecoming Live Parlophone ***

When Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer, she felt the love and support of her fans, and when she made her live comeback in Sydney last November, her fans gave her a deafening welcome home. Amazing, then, that you can actually hear her reedy voice above the din of the crowd, the squelch of the synths and the thud of the syndrums. Kylie may not be much of a singer, but she is an all-round trouper, and not a single stop is left unpulled-out on this double live CD, packed with hits (everything from the bonzer Can't Get You Out of My Head to the bodgy I Should Be so Lucky), medleys, duets (that bloody Bono again) and disco workouts. Sadly, you can't see the spectacular costumes and dance routines - the show will be screened on Channel 4 this month - but you can feel the fabulous atmosphere as Australia's queen of pop swishes her way back into our hearts. Even if you're not gay or girlie, you gotta to admire the lady's lust for life. www.kylie.com   Kevin Courtney

RICKIE LEE JONES
Sermon on Exposition Boulevard New West ***

Nobody could accuse Rickie Lee Jones of playing it safe or lacking bravery in her music. The woman who has been saddled with the burden of Chuck E's in Love for what is in fact decades might not always get it right, or even come close, but boy does she go for it. This album is centred on her Christian beliefs, or, more correctly, her Christian inquiry, because if you are thinking jazzy Christian fundamentalism, you are well off the track. At its best - Circle in the Sand, Elvis Cadillac, It Hurts - the music has poignancy and power. But there is a fair amount of hazy melody and fuzzy lyrics, which, allied to her meandering vocals, can leave the listener cocking a quizzical ear. www.rickieleejones.com  Joe Breen

VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Original 80s Remix Box Set EMI Gold **

Dig out your leggings, roll up the sleeves on your pink Miami Vice jacket, and relive those 1980s club nights, when we danced to extended remixes of Duran Duran, Ultravox, Heaven 17, Spandau Ballet, OMD and Culture Club, blissfully ignorant of how naff we looked. Back then, extended remixes often meant simply banging on some extra drums, turning the synths up to apocalyptic levels, and making the singer's sampled voice stutter repeatedly. This 3-CD box set features some of the most popular (though not necessarily good) tunes of the day, including Duran's The Reflex, Belouis Some's Imagination and Simple Minds' Don't You Forget About Me, all given a little tweak to keep the punters feeling footloose and fancy free. While there are a handful of classic 12-inches here - Blondie's mighty Heart of Glass, Talking Heads' Once in a Lifetime and Talk Talk's It's My Life - we don't need to hear another second of Go West's We Close Our Eyes, Amazulu's Mony Mony or Billy Idol's Hot in the City. Kevin Courtney