At The Drive-In: Relationship Of Command (Grand Royal)

American rock is enjoying a renaissance following its post-grunge doldrums, with bands such as Queens Of The Stone Age injecting new life into a tired, cliched genre. Into this refreshed atmosphere comes At The Drive-In, a bunch of noisy hombres from El Paso, Texas; however, if you've remained impervious to the charms of choppy guitars and shouty vocals, then At The Drive-In may sound like mere apprentices of Rage Against The Machine. Singer Cedric has the same bored'n'angry combination as RATM's Zac, but once you get used to his exuberant exclamations, Pattern Against User, One Armed Scissors and Mannequin Republic reveal themselves as inventive, intense anthems for the 21st-century hardcorps.

Kevin Courtney

Chris Rea: King of the Beach (EastWest)

REA is probably best known for the vengeful tone of albums such as Road To Hell. This collection of songs finds him in more contemplative mode, projecting what may even be a Zen calm in songs such as Sandwriting and Sail Away. Fittingly, the clearly autobiographical Guitar Street also brings Rea back to the folk-funk feel of his earliest work, away from the drum'n'bass experimentation of his last album and the self-aggrandising tendencies that marred La Passione. In fact King of The Beach is, as its title suggests, a balmy album, full of summer breezes, mellow memories and even-more-mellow songs. Boring and samey to some, but a definite return to form for Chris Rea.

Joe Jackson