POP: ALBUM REVIEWS

The Clint Boon Experience `The Compact Guide to Pop Music and Space Travel' (Artful) The rejuvenated Boon is a pop maestro. The first three collectible CBX singles are all here with their spacey organ tempered with operatic blasts, and rocking good tunes. Crazy brilliant stuff. HHHH

Royal Trux `Veterans of Disorder' (Domino)

Following on from last year's tasty Accelerator, this aptly named record sees Neil and Jennifer adopting an even more tuneful approach. But the trick and the talent is in the way they disjoint them and scatter the bits around like a wonderful aural jigsaw. HHHH

Terry Callier `Lifetime' (Talkin Loud)

A quick follow-up to last year's TimePeace (his first album in 15 years) and the soul-jazz-folk genre-busting fusionist delivers the goods once again in the same beautiful, emotionally warm way. HHHH

Arab Strap `Elephant Shoe'

(Go! Beat)

A mellower, less shocking, less Scottish album, and it's generally better for it. Think Slint with beats and lyrics more terse than the Afghan Whigs. It's a winning album, sometimes even surprisingly beautiful. HHH

Martine McCutcheon `You Me & Us'

(Innocent)

A competent, well-produced album, she sings well on Crystal Gayle's "Talking In Your Sleep" and tackles show tunes and wispy indie songs well too. Mind you, if she hadn't been Tiffany this album would sell in the hundreds rather than tens of thousands. HH