James Iha: "Let It Come Down" (Virgin)

The guitarist from The Smashing Pumpkins does a bit of a nixer while his boss, Billy Corgan, is busy doing production duties with the new Hole album, and it's as far from the Pumpkins' glacial grind as Al Stewart is from Led Zeppelin. Iha goes for the gentle approach all the way, playing lustrous, shimmering guitars, weaving them around some light, delicate tunes, then pouring sugar all over the love-lorn lyrics. The result isn't quite as sickly sweet as might be feared, and there's a kind of innocent, 1970s charm to songs such as Be Strong Now, Beauty and Country Girl. The perfect Valentine's Day gift for your grungehead girlfriend.

By Kevin Courtney

Various Artists: "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (Global TV)The endless recycling of chart hits continues unchecked with this dire compilation, all wrapped up in colourful, girlie packaging in an attempt to sell us the same old tunes again and again. Lash out the cash for this collection, and you can own yet another copy of Wonderwall, You're Gorgeous and Lovefool, not to mention such recent hits as Natalia Imbruglia's Torn, Chumbawamba's Tubthumping and R. Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly, all of which are probably available on about a dozen other compilations. These double CDs are also great dumping grounds for nauseous novelty songs and execrable Europop hits, so sit back and enjoy the country-techno trash of Steps' 5,6,7,8, the mindless minipop of Aaron Carter's Crazy Little Party Girl, and the dreamhouse dreck of Dario G's Sunchyme. Yuck.

By Kevin Courtney

Harry Connick Jnr: "To See You" (Columbia)

Harry Connick Jr never seemed to know quite who he wanted to be; at least, musically. Dogged by his tendency to compare himself with Sinatra, he always seemed more Bobby Darin to me, more jazz. Then he reacted against all that and recorded a funky New Orleans album. Now he has gone back to string-soaked songs of romance with a suite of slow, often indistinguishable, selfpenned, arranged and conducted love songs. Despite awkward lyrics like "don't deny for what I hunger" this is a pretty legitimate, post-modern 1950s "mood" album, often enlivened by the tenor saxophonist, Charles Gould, bassist, Reginald Veal, and drummer, Arthur Latin, who provide a neat contrast to the sometimes plodding orchestrations. As for Connick? He plays piano well. But one wonders if he really believes in these songs of romance.

By Joe Jackson