Album: Danny & the Champions of the World, Streets of Our Time (Loose)

Anyone remember Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance? This lot don't sound exactly like that but they do aspire to the same things, which is to reimagine rock as a footloose folk music big on soul, complete with poachers, swans, parakeets and bluebirds.

You'll hear banjos, pedal-steel, strings and a wailing, granular voice that really means it, man. What marks it down as a bit special – other than the avian overkill – is the clear determination to keep eyes wide and the vibe relaxed. Pretty convincing.