This week, Stuart is deliriously uplifted.

The Sleepy Jackson – Vampire Racecourse (Virgin)

Peculiar pop comes your way in the shape of Australia’s The Sleepy Jackson, led by evangelical frontman Luke Steele, a man whose self-destruct button of yore has been turned off in favour of faith in the power of God. Vampire Racecourse eschews the Mercury Rev/Neil Young/Flaming Lips-isms of much of Steele’s new album, Lovers, it being the LP’s only dark, angst-ridden track. Here, the evils of gambling and corruption are used as a metaphor for the state of the world. Heavy, man.

Clearlake – Come Into The Darkness/The Mind Is Evil (Domino)

South Coast crafters of quality guitar pop, Clearlake possess one of those horrible de rigueur indie monikers, like Coldplay or Longview, that make you wince with foreboding at the bed-wetterness of it all. But no worries, as tough guitars duelling over hard rocking drums make Come Into The Darkness a nice slice that details a grubby seduction in some low rent boudoir. The whole then builds into a quite Omen-esque rock opus. The rather limp The Mind Is Evil, meanwhile, doesn’t live up to its title.

Freeform Five – Electromagnetic EP (Ultimate Dilemma)

Keep hep to the profusion of electro-based dancefloor workouts with this, a piece of boogie skulduggery that comes on fresh and funk-laden with Parliament-style basslines and vocals, while the electronics eschew “cold-wave” in favour of “Prince-wave”, ie, warm not droid. That’s Electromagnetic, while Shake goes the way of 4/4 beat bland. Thanks then, for Have It Your Way, a cheeky love song that’s almost Eurovision and most certainly Costa del Sol.

Kid Acne – Radio Music (Invisible Spies)

From some hole in Sheffield comes a piece of council estate hip-hop backed with what sounds like Mrs Mills on the piano. The beats are scuzzy and the mix is messy – Kid Acne being the embodiment of anti-bling. He’s the MC who rhymes “bath full of cider” with “Sue Ryder” while tipping a hat to “Ben Sherman” and “Fray Bentos”, so all is well. In fact, Kid A is keeping it so real you’d need a forensic squad to unearth any pretence. Best witnessed live, catch him now, rhyming through a weed fug on tour nationwide.

Relaxed Muscle – Billy Jack/Sexualized (Rough Trade)

Peculiar Bontempi chords and hysterical crowd noises usher crazed glam rhythms, fried Moog riffs and cowboy movie gunshots. Cocker here sings of Billy Jack, a strutting small town peacock who growls like an alleyway shagger: a nasty piece of work. The bizarre Caribbean vocal inflections are plain weird, though, as in “I’ll put you inna de grave / save your tears and prayers / do as Billy Jack sez”. Like Chicory Tip with a thuggish beat, Relaxed Muscle play it taut as a primed pitbull.

Stuart Turnbull 04 July 03

All singles released 07 July 03.