I'm in need of pleasantness right now, since there's a lot of unpleasantness going on in certain parts of my existence.

• Mick Harvey - One Man's Treasure : he's got a great crooner's voice, and a great eye for arrangements. See also his 2 albums of Serge Gainsbourg covers (I'll get off my hobby horse about it one day, honest).

• (Smog) - A River Ain't Too Much To Love : occasionally delicate, occasionally silly, a little bit strange - he's all of these things. "oh to live in the country / with a chicken and those other things".

• American Analog Set - Set Free : as I said previously, "The album starts off perfectly...there are no real surprises here, but that's because the AmAnSet really know what they're doing - they're great at maintaining vibes."

• The Darling Downs - How Can I Forget This Heart of Mine? : sparse, haunting and beautiful. Comparison with the Louvin Brothers are apt, though there's no harmonizing here.

• Saint Etienne - Tales from Turnpike House : whilst one track in particular (Relocate) just doesn't do it for me, there are some thoroughly excellent tracks (Milk Bottle Symphony, A Good Thing, Side Streets and Goodnight) that make it something special.

• Grand Salvo - The Temporal Wheel : the wonderful opening track In The Morning sets you up and so it follows on, like an afternoon dream.