Much as is the way for the singles, this seems to be a week of some fairly high-value releases on the album front, with follow up albums from Vampire Weekend (the feverishly anticipated and thoroughly leaked Contra) and These New Puritans (the stringtastic Hidden), as well as Minor Love, the long overdue new long-player from Adam Green and Acolyte, the super-hyped debut from Manchester bleep outfit Delphic. In the less travelled (though well-blogged) corners of the shelves though, other little gems dwell in the shape of albums from The Irrepressibles, Neon Indian and the excellent Erland And The Carnival (pictured).

Erland And The Carnival – Erland And The Carnival

In hindsight, it makes you wonder why no-one’s not done it before. While there have been plenty of acts – and it’s all Beirut’s fault – who take a chunk of East European folk rhythms and sounds as their inspiration, I can’t think of any who take it via the carnival sounds that also started there, all tremolo organs and House Of Fun. Since I’ve spent the last few years banging on and on and on about Fanfarlo, perhaps it’s no surprise that this slightly creepier 60s-tinged version of their rich and literate pop appeals so much to me. Tingling, in many ways.

VIDEO: ERLAND & THE CARNIVAL – WAS YOU EVER SEE

Neon Indian – Psychic Chasm

I’ve only become tolerant of 80s-sounding electronics in recent years, since X Lion Tamer’s been beating me over the head with DX7s, but I think that even without him, I’d have been digging on this anyway. What I like most is that Neon Indian could have taken these songs and so easily have been an acceptably oddball guitar band – but the buttons and the retro bloops and the Casiotone drums make it sound – bizarrely – much fresher, as if Buggles had secretly always wanted to be in Mercury Rev. Best of all, they manage to do it without making you feel stupid, so often the pratfall of bands trying to be too clever. A recommend, then – even if the title is enough to turn milk sour at twenty paces.

The Irrepressibles – Mirror Mirror

Performace art and music should only ever be attempted if you are a) Bill Drummond, or b) extraordinarily daft. The KLF they may not be, but this group of semi-orchestral nutbars have got daftness in spades, as well as singer Jamie McDermott’s killer soprano . If only for “Splish! Splash! Sploo!”- simultaneously the most preposterous song title and lyric in the history of music – this record should be purchased immediately.

THE ALBUMS SCRAPING THE SLUSH OFF THEIR BOOTS THIS WEEK:
A Grave With No Name – Mountain Debris
Adam Green – Minor Love
Cocoon – My Friends All Died In A Place Crash
Delphic – Acolyte
Erland And The Carnival – Erland And The Carnival
Major Stars – Return To Form
Malory – Pearl Diver
Mariachi El Bronx – Mariachi El Bronx
Mustasch – Mustasch
Neon Indian – Psychic Chasm
OK Go – Colour Of The Sky
Rhys Chatham – Finishing Line
Sonja Kristina – Harmonics Of Love
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down – Know Better Learn Faster
The Amazing – Code 2 / To Ska And Back
The Irrepressibles – Mirror Mirror
These New Puritans – Hidden
Vampire Weekend – Contra
You Me At Six – Hold Me Down