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POP
THE PRODIGY
Invaders Must Die (Take Me to the Hospital/Cooking Vinyl)
***
When the third Prodigy album, The Fat Of the Land, entered the British and American charts at number one in 1997, it marked not the beginning of a musical revolution but the end of Earth-straddling dance acts. Twelve years and just two Prodigy albums later, the sound of youth has become the sound of fondly remembered youth and leader Liam Howlett has re-recruited old chums Keith Flint and Maxim to re-create the golden days. It almost works: they're still thrilling, they still kick like a slightly wheezy mule, but the almost Kraftwerkian Omen Reprise and the glorious, brass-led closer Stand Up make you wish they'd been a little more bold.
JOHN AIZLEWOOD

MATT DUKE
Kingdom Underground (Rykodisc)
***
Acoustic guitar? Check. Boring real name? Check. Yearning, pleasant but easily forgettable songs? Oh yes. Scruffy Philadelphia lad Matt Duke's second album has plenty of hummable tunes that are sure to float amiably out of the speakers the next time you put on Radio 2, but he sounds like too many other blokes to stand out as a new favourite. The lighter stuff is what he does best — Sex and Reruns is underpinned by a lovely electronic twinkle, and Rabbit approaches real acoustic soul — while attempts to rock harder, such as Walk It Off, stumble. Nice without changing the world.
DAVID SMYTH

DAN AUERBACH
Keep It Hid (V2/Co-operative Music)
***
Dan Auerbach is normally to be found with Patrick Carney as half of the Black Keys, but he has made a debut solo album for reasons that are not entirely clear because his musical concerns remain the same — a bit of country, a touch of psychedelia, a nod to soul music. Dan's main interest, however, is getting his guitar to sound primeval, which is why he is so often compared to Jack White. Although a dedicated craftsman, Auerbach lacks both White's ear for melody and his dynamic flair. Keep It Hid is a solid piece of work, nevertheless, and songs like Whispered Words and the title track show him to be more than a bearded bloke playing a mean guitar.
PETE CLARK

JAZZ
GARY HUSBAND
Hotwired (Abstract Logix)
****
For some reason, UK pianist-drummer-composer Gary Husband seldom receives his critical due here, despite moving in the same exalted circles as drummer Billy Cobham and guitarist John McLaughlin. Ivory-tower types possibly resent him taking the pop shilling with Level 42, yet Branford Marsalis enhances Sting tours without tarnishing his jazz-cred. Gary's latest album, featuring volatile saxman Julian Siegel, brassy trumpet discovery Richard Turner and US bassist Mike Janusch, is a typically original, impassioned and hard-swinging piece of work. What more does he have to do?
JACK MASSARIK

WORLD
Oumou Sangare
Seya (World Circuit)
*****
Oumou Sangare is a larger-than-life character — a hugely popular singer from Mali who became a national sensation in her early twenties with her songs dealing with polygamy and women's rights. She has a commanding vocal power and her music is driven by the funky instrumental twang of instruments from the country's Wassoulou region — sophisticated and catchy. The opening Sounsoumba, with swirling flute and splashing percussion, is a powerful call for equality in marriage. Iyo Djeli, with its sliding strings, praises Wassoulou. Sangare's messages are strong, but you don't need to understand a word to enjoy the dynamic rhythms, sinewy instrumental lines and empowering vocals.
SIMON BROUGHTON