RECORDS / The IoS playlist the five best sounds of the moment

Tchaikovsky Romances: Olga Borodina (Philips, CD). A seductive recital from the fast-rising Kirov mezzo. MW

Purcell: Secular Songs. King's Consort (Hyperion, CD). The latest in Robert King's Purcell series, with some fine voices: Barbara Bonney, James Bowman and the new Ferrier-prize winner, Susan Gritton. MW

Frank Black: Headache (4AD, EP). Four songs catch the former Pixies singer on an all- time roll. An album follows on 23 May. DC

The Damned: Neat Neat Neat (from Eternally Damned, Music Collection, CD/tape). Unintelligible but unsurpassable single from 1977 kicks off a patchy compilation. DC

Pretenders: 977 (from Last of the Independents, WEA, CD/LP/tape). Like the single 'I'll Stand by You', but better: the chord changes recall John Lennon, and so does the honesty level ('He hit me with his belt / His tears were all I felt'). Tim de Lisle