Birds Of Avalon - Bazaar, Bazaar

This album is a brilliant example of how to bring classic rock influences into the 21st century. This is despite - or perhaps because of - Birds Of Avalon’s apparent progressive and psychedelic intentions. With duelling guitar solos, the like of which have been seldom seen since Thin Lizzy, riffs taken from the Sabbath copybook, and bass lines befitting the greatest of power trios, this album should be another piece of tedious ‘70s nostalgia rock. Yet, by varying their sound, BoA manage to conjure something fresh from the oldest of resources. Superpower has a brilliantly chugging lead riff, yet Wanderlust by comparison would happily sit among a collection of dreamy Yeasayer tracks, partly thanks to Craig Tilley’s urgent and near desperate vocals. While the guitars jostle with one another to compete for centre stage, it's his voice that draws you in, winning you over, allowing the music to work its insidious magic. [Neal Parsons]