Tish Hinojosa: Sign of Truth (Rounder)

It has been five years a-coming but, though Tish Hinojosa could be excused for sounding a little rusty, the lacklustre and banal nature of this collection is both a disappointment and a surprise. For a woman rightly lauded as a key bridge to the Hispanic culture from which she hails, these tracks merely portray her as a sweet, sensitive singer with an ineffectual crop of material; a poor person's Mary-Chapin Carpenter. Tracks such as Roses Around My Feet are harmless, mild-mannered emotional cushions devoid of the passion of the past. It is not until the 12th and final track, the stripped-back Song For The Journey, that Hinojosa really connects in the way she can. It leaves one longing for more.

The Jubilee Allstars: Lights of the City (Independent)

This second album from Dublin lo-fi band The Jubilee Allstars, could never be accused of being glossy or over-produced. There is a grim determination to keep everything just the acceptable side of strange and sloppy, and an obsession with matters grim. Within that framework Niall and Barry McCormack's whispered songs of Dublin, love, the Celtic Cubs and our intolerance of people with a different skin colour, strike an interestingly offbeat if not always convincing note. While much of their inspiration comes from late 1960s American bands, the Irish ballad tradition can also take a bow. However, their country influences are reduced this time, though the excellent Friday Night Boogie is a bonus. Elsewhere, Let Evening Bring Them Home, A Call To Persevere and Nighttown are worthy of an earful. Nice painting by Colm Greene on the cover.