My Morning Jacket I'm Amazed, Single, Rough Trade, November 24 **
My Morning Jacket's recent album, Evil Urges, saw them showered in praise. Pushing them closer to the mainstream but still maintaining the psych/funk edge of their earlier releases, it saw them finally grow into their sound and ideas.
So this single is as much a surprise as it is a disappointment.
The worst song on the record, the revved up guitar solos and tired vocals don't do Jim James's voice justice. Like Keith Urban fronting Nickelback, you can almost feel the dry ice creeping up.
But it's radio friendly and will bag them spots on the playlists, hopefully opening up their more ambitious sound to a wider audience.
Jenny Lewis Godspeed, Single, Rough Trade, November 24 ****
Jenny Lewis has packed more into her 32 years than most of us could hope to squeeze in to a life time.
A former child actor and member of cult US indie band Rilo Kiley, she released her second solo album, Acid Tongue, earlier this year.
It was a marked departure from her previous work, and this latest single taken from it reveals yet another side to Ms Lewis.
An exasperated, frustrated plea to a friend trapped in a messy relationship, it proves her worth as a song writer.
A more mature, gritty sound that brings to mind the likes of Lucinda Williams and Thea Gilmore, it sits in stark contrast beside the other, tongue in cheek, whipped up country tracks that might be more obvious choices of single.
Neil Young Sugar Mountain Live at Canterbury House 1968, Album, Reprise, November 24 ****
Almost 40 years to the day since it was recorded, the latest in his Archive Performance Series sees a newly solo Young embark on one of his first gigs alone.
Recorded over two nights in November 1968 at The Canterbury House in Ann Arbor, Michigan, it documents the launch of his solo career, just six months after his departure from Buffalo Springfield.
Twenty three songs recorded on a two track tape recorder, it captures his voice at its fragile, falsetto best. A must for fans.
