Shortlist album and DVD reviews: And the Kids, the Cope Street Parade, Ryley Walker, Foo Fighters

And the Kids
TURN TO EACH OTHER (Signature Sounds)
★★★

There is a bold, youthful naivete in And The Kids' optimistic, if simplistic, suggestion: "Let us all take off our pants/So we'll argue less". Pouring out repetitive, childish phrases in an arresting whoop (made oddly sensual by a surreal drawl), lead singer Hannah Mohan brings a demanding, adolescent intensity to this all-girl alternative rock trio. There is strident conviction in the nonsensical refrains (Devastation Celebration's "Give me your spirit animal", for instance) and a wide-eyed sincerity that seems worthy of attention. The musical backdrop is notably mature by comparison. Heavily distorted guitar, ukulele, glockenspiel, kit and keyboards frequently spin themselves into an expansive nebula of throbbing beats and relentless guitar lines. "If I had kids they would never be bored," Mohan declares in No Countries, as an electric guitar line dances around a pounding drum kit that is attempting to kick your head in. It seems fair to take her at her word. JESSIE CUNNIFFE

Various Artists
BURN RUBBER CITY, BURN (Soul Jazz)
★★★★

Long before the Black Keys sprang from its tyre factory rehearsal spaces, Akron, Ohio, was a musical city, in defiance of industrial grime, environmental grimness and economic gloom. This rich compilation - a natural sequel to Soul Jazz's summary of the 1970s United States underground, Punk 45: Kill The Hippies! Kill Yourself! The American Nation Destroys Its Young - ends with funk, touches on arthouse and finds its way from punk to new wave (Remember the Waitresses? You will.) to the edges of electronica. And under much of it was the after-effects of protest, most deadly of these the 1970 Kent State killings. Among those at the university that day were members of Devo - their Mechanical Man here a prickly, motorised swirl and Auto Modown a nagging, mechanised groove - who were not that far really from either the razor guitars of Chi-Pig's Ring Around The Collar or the German-influenced terseness of Denis Defrange and Mark Frazier's The Manikin Shuffle. BERNARD ZUEL

The Cope Street Parade
THE COPE STREET PARADE (Yum Yum Tree)
★★★

Justin Fermino's growly sound on a tenor saxophone is a throwback to a glorious era when jazz was fat and cigarette-holders were slim. Take Sydney's Cope Street Parade at face value - an exercise in pure fun - and you'll likely feel the corners of your mouth twitching upwards. Of course writing original songs in a 1920s pop idiom could be seen as a curious choice, but thankfully they do it with a sly wink rather than earnest reverence, while interweaving gypsy swing and classic jazz elements. Along with Fermino's playing that of Ben Panucci and Aaron Flower (guitars), Grant Arthur (trombone, sousaphone) and Sam Dobson (bass) is nothing short of magnificent, but perhaps they should think about adding a specialist singer, because the songs cry out for a bigger and grittier voice than any on hand. As a consequence the instrumentals are the highlights. Guests include Judy Bailey, Gary Daley, Daniel Weltlinger and, beefing things up, the Basement Big Band. JOHN SHAND

Ryley Walker
PRIMROSE GREEN (Dead Oceans)
★★★★

Last year's debut album from Illinois' Ryley Walker was so indebted to the traditions of United States and British folk that even the artwork looked like it was from another era. Luckily the music distinguished itself thanks to Walker's expansive songwriting, skillful fingerpicking and deep, burly voice. For album two he again wears his influences on his sleeve, though this time it's the blue-eyed soul of Jackie Lomax and Terry Reid. The songs are heavier, spacier, and Walker's lyrics tell a wider range of narratives. The accompanying orchestration is also more impressive, giving the sense of a real band incorporating elements of jazz and funk without sacrificing the overall folk-rock feel. Like Townes Van Zandt and Loudon Wainwright III, Walker is unwilling to stay within genre expectations. Distorted guitar, electric piano and upright bass all receive prominence, and instil a genuine sense of aural diversity. A tad too much reverence for Nick Drake on The High Road is the only misstep, but it's a small one on an otherwise impressive album. SEAN RABIN