David Gray: Lost Songs 95-98 (HT)
The Welshman who became a superstar in Ireland has delivered this musical thank-you note to his adoptive fanbase, and it comes at the very moment that Gray finally makes a breakthrough in Britain. This is Gray's "acoustic" album, gathering songs which were written after the recording of Sell, Sell, Sell and before the release of White Ladder, and it charts a period of record company turmoil and personal stress. Making this an Irish-only release is a smart move: White Ladder has finally charted in the UK following a top 10 entry for the single, Babylon, and the last thing Gray needs to do now is to confuse the issue with this introspective, slightly self-indulgent collection. Lost Songs can only cement his folk-hero cred here, and songs such as Flame Turns Blue and If Your Love Is Real will keep fans happy till Gray's next album proper.
Kevin Courtney
Jurassic 5: Quality Control (Interscope)
Jurassic 5's debut album was a return to hip-hop's feel-good days, a set which showed that you didn't have to lash out to get ahead. The follow-up lacks the oomph and surprise of that album, but there's still enough here to warrant your time. J5's strength lies in their ability to weld a smart sample to perfectly-pitched raps, and Great Expectations, Monkey Bars and Family Life flick with ease from De La Soul swing to Jungle Brothers panache while maintaining J5's to the game. Occasionally, there's a dip as the beats and ideas get cheesy, but these are more interludes than an ongoing theme.
Jim Carroll