God Help The Girl - God Help The Girl (Rough Trade)

Catherine Ireton is a Limerick singer that you are likely to be hearing plenty more of as the year progresses. She has been plucked from obscurity by Stuart Murdoch — frontman of Glasgow twee-pop favourites Belle & Sebastian — to lead the line-up in a girl group he has created.

It's an intriguing prospect and one that pays off handsomely — when it works. And the shtick only works sporadically on an over-long album that veers dangerously close to self-indulgence.

It starts well, with Ireton sounding all mellifluous on Act of the Apostle and the title track. She is by no means an outstanding singer but, with charm and frailty in abundance, there's something about her voice that draws you in. The album features an array of singers including Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy, other members of Belle & Sebastian and a 45-piece orchestra conducted by composer Rick Wentworth.

Burn it: Pretty Eve in the Tub

Marc Carroll - Dust Of Rumour (Own Release)

The Dubliner is something of a music industry veteran, having served his time in local also-rans The Hormones and Puppy Love Bomb (whose ranks also included The Thrills manager Alan Cullivan).

Carroll has released three albums prior to this one, always stark, often cathartic and all suggesting a fine talent underneath the surface but never quite delivering.

Dust of Rumour, unfortunately, continues in this vein.

There are the bones of good songs here — with some exceptional guitar playing and sympathetic orchestration that recalls such jangle pop icons as The Byrds and Teenage Fanclub, as well as obvious folk leanings — but Carroll's singing is devoid of colour and character.

There's a blandness to his vocals that unfortunately really detracts from any message he’s trying to get across.

Burn it: The Boy Who Dreamed

White Denim - Fits (Full Time Hobby)

The Texan trio have wasted no time in following up last year’s acclaimed debut, Workout Holiday, with an album that consolidates their status as one of the more thrilling young combos to emerge from the States in the past five years.

Their proto-garage stomp, boasting unexpected flourishes such as brass, comes into its own in concert when their manic, yet controlled energy really takes off. Yet, it is to their credit that they can capture that on-stage splendour in the studio. All Consolation is a swampy, psychedelic powerhouse featuring some quite extraordinary drumming from Josh Block, the hardest working percussionist in the business at the moment. The Latino-edged Hard Attack, meanwhile, boasts music that fizzes with innovation. White Denim’s brand of turbulent rock is utterly absorbing.

Burn it: Hard Attack