The sassiest, most powerful new release of 2012 so far, Clairy Browne and her Banging Rackettes rock a huge rhythm-and-blues sound, filling your speakers with dark jazz and generally being so distractingly catchy that it’s about impossible to write a review and listen at the same time. There are piano-laden doo-wop tracks like 'Aeroplane'; rootsy tracks like the green-eyed 'She Plays Up to You'; spicy saxophone over thick vocals in jazz-hands-inducing 'Frankie' … ultimately, an entire album of ballsy classics and soulful beauties.

Fiona Hardy sells books and talks too much to customers at Readings Carlton, and puts together Dead Write for the Readings Monthly. She blogs haphazardly about movies and books (and sometimes music) and you can follow her on twitter - @readwatchtweet.