POP
PET SHOP BOYS
Yes (Parlophone)
***
Their Outstanding Contribution To Music Brit may have been richly deserved, but it rather confirmed that Pet Shop Boys are having a far-from-fruitful century. This 10th outing is an old-fashioned Pet Shop Boys album, in both senses. Its chief problem is the dead hand of Girls Aloud/Alesha Dixon producers, Xenomania, which gives a bland coating to material which deserves better. There are moments to treasure though, not least All Over The World's flirtation with Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite March and The Way It Used To Be's heartbroken but pitiless dissection of a crumbling relationship. Nothing can topple their status as greats, but you wish they'd stretch themselves a bit more.
JOHN AIZLEWOOD

RÖYKSOPP
Junior (Wall Of Sound)
***
Like Groove Armada and Goldfrapp, Norwegian duo Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge won fame in the chill-out zone but have since become more interesting. Much of this third album gallops along in a manner that would never suit an air freshener advert, most notably Tricky Tricky, which sees Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife emoting over a frantic electro rhythm. She's one of a smorgasbord of Scandinavian guest singers that also includes Lykke Li and Robyn, who provides another hands-in-the-air moment on The Girl and the Robot. In actuality though, they're still better at the dreamy stuff. The twinkly, mid-paced Vision One is the sweetest tune amid the clamour.
DAVID SMYTH

CHRIS CORNELL
Scream (Interscope)
***
Now, this is a strange one. Cornell's is the big, tough voice that fronted Soundgarden and Audioslave. Timbaland is one of the most feted of hip-hop producers. They have — it gets stranger — teamed up to produce an album that owes its inspiration to Pink Floyd's The Wall. It has 13 songs which, thankfully, do not appear to constitute a concept album, rather an experiment in pop-rock underpinned with electro-synth and drum patterns from the dance world. The record has taken some stick (Trent Reznor described it as “embarrassing”) but it has some sweet melodies lurking among the electronics. The main problem is that a lot of the material is seriously repetitive and outstays its welcome. A brave effort, nevertheless.
PETE CLARK

JAZZ
Gareth Williams Power Trio
Shock ! (Linn)
****
Discount the overheated title. The only shock here is to find a quality album like this popping out, crocus-like, in a climate barren of mainstream radio or TV support. Williams, a sparklng acoustic and electric pianist in post-Herbie Hancock mode (check out his version of Giant Steps) also writes fine originals (Zed Blues, A Welshman in New York) and never plays an ill-considered phrase. Drummer Ian Thomas and bass-guitar virtuoso Laurence Cottle, a partnership forged by hundreds of gigs, complete an intelligent, propulsive hour of unhistrionic jazz.
JACK MASSARIK

WORLD
STAFF BENDA BILILI
Très Très Fort (Crammed Discs)
*****
AS paraplegic musicians in hand-cranked wheelchairs on the streets of Kinshasa, Staff Benda Bilili have an incredible story. Their name translates as “look beyond appearances” and that's where their music comes in. With a rumba groove, rattling multi-layered percussion and the sound of a recycled tin-can going spacey solos, the music is fantastic. The creativity and skill in adverse circumstances are a metaphor for Africa. The warm vocals, led by Ricky Likabu, who sells cigarettes and liquor outside nightclubs, also have a message. Africa belongs to the Africans, says the opener, Moto Moindo. This is an essential purchase.
SIMON BROUGHTON