This time we are taken calmly through the mind and thoughts of Rou's narrator role, before we drop back into the beautiful mayhem that is Shikari's dub-step influenced break downs. The bass continues into first single off the album 'Sssnakepit', where we are hear what is sure to be a crowd favourite, with an almost 'OK Time For Plan B' esque crowd chant of 'Yeah yeah, were nice guys, UNTIL WERE NOT' guaranteed to be screamed by adoring fans up and down the land.

There is no rest during the first half of the album, as we are thrown and flung around in a mish mash of preaching, singing and teachings courtesy of Mr Rou Reynolds and co, and no song better represents this than 'Arguing with Thermometers.' The listener is swiftly led into a false sense of calm, as track six takes us on to the popular slower acoustic aspect of Enter Shikari's brand of music. With the strong political stance of the band shining through, with lyrics such as “Money is made as bombs are dropping in Afghanistan, and white phosphorus falls in Palestine.” The teachings of Reynolds carry on into second single and former Zane Lowe's hottest track in the world 'Gandhi mate, Gandhi' and takes us back into the controlled explosion of a genre that Enter Shikari have created.

Track eight, 'Warm Smiles Do Not Make You Welcome Here' has a distinct 'Juggernauts' feel to it, with the anthemic lay out to the song destined to see crowd surfer's come out in force during the bands tour in March 2011. We are guided nicely through to Constellations, the final track on the album, a slow narrative that sounds like some of Shikari's early B-Sides, along the lines of 'Acid Nation.'

It’s a calming Outro to an album that batters every musical sense, but an album that does it in the way only Enter Shikari can. For all the loyal Shikari fans out there (and there are a lot of them), they will be delighted to have a new batch of weirdly wonderful songs to construct human pyramids to. These four gentlemen know how to please their fans, and they have done it again with album number three.

Opening with the title track as an introduction, the happy-go-lucky lads from London push deep from within with a few vocal cries over a handful of static notes that give off the impression that you’re twisting and turning through your own mind for a moment. Not giving you the chance to dwell too much, without a pause for thought the track then leads straight in to the horn aplenty ‘Child’. A slow and euphoric number with a real sense of lyrical detail, Weeks‘ charismatic articulation gives the song a sense of mystique - the understanding of the track is hard to grasp yet you’re drawn in anyhow.                                                                                                                                                  

Having taken almost two years to put the project together, a sense of achievement is easy to pick out when listening to Given to the Wild. The fact that The Maccabees have enlisted the help of both Tim Goldsworthy of UNKLE fame, whose recent work with Hercules & Love Affair seeps through in to this release, and Bruno Ellingham, known for his work with LCD Soundsystem and Massive Attack, is not something the average artist is able to make work. So when tracks like ‘Glimmer‘, ‘Go’, or even ‘Heave‘, passes through the listener’s ear you’re left feeling like you were just privy to an exclusive live recording of epic proportions because of how good they really are.                                  

With word that the band recorded this album in a slightly different manner in comparison to their previous two works - each member reportedly went away and concocted what they were thinking and then reunited at a later date to put it all together, it’s obvious that something changed. Now whether it’s the fact that lyrically there are less tales about in-depth love, like previous hits ‘Love You Better’ and ‘First Love’, or maybe it’s because Weeks’ vocals come a close second to the band’s new and innovative production, you just won’t be able to put your finger on it.                                     

Putting it simply, The Maccabees seemed to have constructed a well thought out project with an instrumentally descriptive backdrop that pushes the boundaries of music. Life, love and late night tales are on the menu as far as topics of discussion goes, and there’s a lot more if you read between the lines.    

Cut-up introductory track 'All Covered In Darkness (Pt.1)'  gets things off to a good start with a darker than ordinary introduction that with its science fiction vocal clips establishes the theme of the album as an audible journey through the "engine" (so to speak). From there proceedings kick into an immediate groove with 'Giant' by presenting a drum beat that each of the following tracks gyrate around and build upon. The resulting effect is in a sense, a hypnotic one, induced by the almost circular motion of the tracks continuously riffing on one another.

As futuristic as the theme of the album is, the production tends to recall the 90s cut up style, exacerbated by flirting with genres as diverse as techno and garage rock. This is by no means a bad thing as the rock orientated 'Illectrik Hoax' bleeding into the bass heavy 'Sentinel (Shadow Guard) is a seamless transition that results in one hell of a drop, exhibiting just how important the craft of the DJ really is. However the old school sounds of the LP do wear a little thin in the middle, becoming unfortunately forgettable in the way that is found on the other side to the double-edged sword of mixing.

Despite this the album manages to reignite the pace introduced by the first few tracks with a heavily crafted sequence present in the last few tracks that allows the album to finish on a high. As a result 'The Search Engine' is a mixed bag overall that sadly falls short of the heights reached by 'Kaleidoscope', yet at the same time when it is really gunning for the listener it works brilliantly. In these moments the philosophy behind the DJ Food premise is clear as it is extremely engaging in the noggin region, particularly from the perspective of anyone who might spend any time behind the ones and twos.

Boys Noize is one of the most prolific producers out there - impossible to define purely by genre he is a long-standing institution that like The Chemical Brothers has unapologetically dominated the last decade of electronic music with a truly unique style. As such each track present on the roster is wholly different to the other in genre, style and sound  from electro, to techno, to house, bass and hip-hop.

The reason for this is that each of the remixes were commissioned by artists as diverse as Snoop Dogg and Marilyn Manson all the way to David Lynch and Editors. This sheer variety of artists alongside novel approaches to each remix leaves the album nothing short of a spectacle of studio work not to mention a testament to his roster of work. Ultimately the flow is tied together perfectly by his infuriatingly innovative process of extracting the essence of a song only to riff on it in a way that never fails to get the crowd moving.

Instead of whacking together a bunch of random singles for the double CD pack, the track list is one hell of a piece of work that to hunt down individually would be a mammoth undertaking. Ultimately this makes the album extremely valuable to fans both of Boys Noize as well as the featured artists.

Often remixes are overshadowed by original works, at least over time that is. But the work on here ranks among the best any dance music figure could feasibly offer, throw in a semi-autobiographical booklet that gives a little insight into each track and you're onto a winner sir.

Here we have a testament to one of the best DJs out there solidified by a remix CV so expansive that it would make even the most knowledgable music meister's head spin. If you claim a stake in dance music, are a DJ, or a fan of modern music in general 'The Remixes 2004-2011' is an addition to your collection that is beyond vital. Get it, but not for a relative, for yourself...

Like Spinal Tap before them and the Munkees before that Gorillaz are a fictional band, a meta-pastiche of the music industry if you will. Yet unlike the aforementioned they are the first to exist solely as animated creations, complete with a surreal back story explored through the music videos, games and pieces on the band's website. There is an extensive lore that lies behind the band, comprised of the fictional characters of 2-D, Russel, Murdoc and Noodle, each a unique parody of a particular denomination of the music industry. Drawn by the 'Tank Girl' artist Jamie Hewlett they are as much a musical phenomenon as a visual and literary one, as such the DVD packaged alongside the album is a great accompaniment to the compilation, dictating in full the Gorillaz timeline in a music video format. An additional inclusion of live recordings from the infamous Brit Awards and Roundhouse performances serve only to complete an extremely well rounded package.

But what about the music? Well as we all know by now Damon Albarn (the only full time member of the band) has never been one to play conventions, easily matching the imagination given to the band's look and story in his songwriting.  The entire decade of singles laid side by side acts as a testament to this, truly displaying how remarkably eclectic the Gorillaz really are in fusing elements from as many genres as the mind can fathom. Ranging from the hip-hop infused 'Feel Good inc.' and 'Clint Eastwood' all the way to the ambience of 'Tomorrow Comes Today' and 'El Manana', the roster of compositions is truly a marvel to behold, both pop genius and progressive experimentation. Additional highlights are present with the inclusion of the Souldchild and Ed Case/Sweet Irie remixes that have been smashing dance-floors for a good long while.

The only real issue to be raised with collections is the problem of perhaps initially owning the tracks prior to the release, however the DVD alone almost makes the purchase worth it. Also if you haven't yet delved into the world of Gorillaz 'The Singles Collection 2001-2011' is an album that you most certainly should endeavor to add to your collection, being an amalgamation that is an inherently impressive achievment. Roll on the next ten years, hopefully they won't go by quite so quickly...

The business strategy is one that is very hard to fault in this day and age, especially when considering Radiohead's 'TKOL' remix album that has put them at the top of the indie music world alongside the electronic scene. Lady Gaga's offering is a tad more on the commercial side comprised of both bombastic floor fillers ripe for reach for the lasers, tops off session at Heaven. Adversely the album is infinitely more varied than the original 'Born This Way' featuring a range of guests that lend it a credibility rarely found within such a mainstream offering. The roster is certainly impressive with Metronomy, The Horrors, Goldfrapp, Foster The People and Wild Beasts pouncing onto production duties.

In places the final product is very impressive with Goldfrapp taking 'Judas' to a surprisingly dark and audibly interesting reinterpretation on none other than the second track in. Other highlights include the Wild Beasts' remix of 'You And I' and The Horrors' remix of 'Bloody Mary' that also stays on the more ambient side of the LP - playing with a sound much less bombastic than the usual offerings from Gaga's camp. It's more downbeat and experimental in places, a style that on first glance you would think is worlds apart from miss Gaga's working formula. Fortunately it suits her graciously as at the heart of her personality is indeed experimentation, she does what she likes with a clear air of flamboyance in her vocals that leave the songs rife for reinterpretation. Most notably it would have been easier to go down the road of jumping on the dubstep and drum and bass bandwagon in the same fashion as Rihanna, Snoop Dogg and Cher Lloyd. Yet what she has done with the album is so much more interesting, indicative of a view of the bigger picture in the world of music, rather than a transitory trend.

As a whole the album does have a stuttered pace as the fluctuations in sound from tracks like 'Marry The Night' to the stylings of Metronomy can be vaguely jarring here and there. But that in a way is the point of a remix album. The result is very impressive with it being hard to fault the commitment of releasing additional material for the fans alongside hosting guest features that never fail to impress.

Unlike 'Dedication' which was a categorically dark lamentation of a lost family member, 'Nothing' is much lighter in sound and appearance, considered by its reflective white front cover. The first track 'Labrynth' is a throwback to 90s hardcore, complete with jungle beat, distant whistles and distorted vocals. The song is akin to looking back at the era through a mire of bass-heavy memory. Immediatly this renders the album a sense clarity in comparison to 'Dedication', clearly Zomby has put those ghosts to rest, moving back to much more vibrant sound.

From there 'Nothing' takes the listener on a journey as the second track 'Digital Fractal' winds thing down to a more hypnotic pace punctuated intermitently by double keyboard strokes that move up and down the scale with each beat. Complimented by the bass which works on an opposing rhythm to the melody it is a testament to the often simple component parts of Zomby's production combined to a comprise cohesive whole with a definite sense of purpose.

'Equinox' has more wondrous sound (appropriate considering the title) complete with rolling bass layered beneath an ever increasing sequence of melodies as well as contrasted ambience. Bleeding into 'Sens' the album immediatly picks up pace with a 4 x 4 jungle drum loop and distinct bassline. It sounds unlike anything other than Zomby's incredibly novel style of production that recreates the audible sensation of music within a rave environment. Listening to the tracks on headphones alone, the echo effects perfectly mimic the muddy shaking of a club sound system.

The album continues it's post 'Dedication' journey subsequently essentially infecting the listener with the same vibe as the famous 'Peep Show' line "he's taking it up, he's taking it down'. 'Ecstacy Versions' is a particulaly great note upon which to end the record, truly as if it was a glimpse into the past.

'Nothing' is a superb piece of work that encapsulates exactly the sort of subversive perspective that transcends the dumbing down of bass music currently effective in modern production. It is both thoughtful and provocative whilst always engaging.

Despite it's melancholy subject matter the album rolls along at a superb pace, beginning with the excellent single 'By Your Hand' that is a definitive singalong anthem complete with rhythmic hand claps and layered levels of instrumental complimenting singer Gareth's poetry. The lamentation aspect of the album is intrinsicly tangled with tuneful composition that feels much like a regurgitation of grief in the face of emotional adversity. The title track of the album 'Hello Sadness' embodies this perfectly each versing building to a warm and emotional crescendo; Gareth's poetry is at its best here as he sings "a wish-bone hangs between your breasts/I hope you haven't pulled it yet/and this little finger doesn't have the strength/and I'm scared that this bird's backbone breaks".

Conversely the album can border on the pretentious side of misery. These moments tend to coordinate when the guitar, keyboards and drums drain from the track leaving the focus on Gareth's vocals - for example: "this one family photograph always floats to the top/like a beaming corpse that hadn't been made-up/my memories are seepier the photograph is not". Combined the Campesino's vocal style which shakey, indy, mockney tones can border on irritatingly dated make this side of the album stand out like a sore thumb.

However the instances are few and far between, 'Hello Sadness' is a slickly coordinating offering that feels as fresh as its impromptu beginnings. It might suffer in it's most minimalist moments but they are few and far between. Where it succeeds is tapping brilliantly into a musical representation of the emotional rollercoaster birthed by severance from a loved one - complete with all the ups and downs.

With many questioning whether Take Care is a rap or R&B album, this is something that has been dissected and deliberated over for the past week or so since its leak. With melodic instrumental arrangements that at times mimic something that Sade might croon over, there’s no denying the album’s crossover tendencies.                                                                                    

With ‘Over My Dead Body’ kicking things off in a fashion similar to that of ‘Fireworks’, taken from Thank Me Later, a delicate piano riff acts as the perfect backdrop for Drake’s witty yet confident words to be heard at a pace easily digested by its listener. With the opening line being: “I think I killed everybody in the game last year, fuck it I was on one,” alerting you to his cocky demeanor from the offset, you’re immediately privy to how the Canadian emcee is feeling at present after a turbulent year going from Hip Hop high school freshman to full blown college graduate. Playing like a year long biography, the intricate look in to life as a 25-year-old high profile celebrity is both exciting and honest with many recite-worthy moments.                                          

While Drake has admitted that his debut LP had slight interference from label execs, he has gone on record to say that Take Care is 100% him. With that said, it would be fair to say that his track positioning skills still need a bit of work. While songs like ‘Doing It Wrong’, which features a harmonica accompaniment from Stevie Wonder, and ‘Shot For Me’ are great songs in their own right, even if they are on a more R&B tinged tip, their odd placement in between some heavily rap associated records sends the flow AWOL.                                                                           

With the Rihanna featured title track getting a lot of flack for its House-inspired backdrop, you have to question why? Amongst today’s array of mundane club hits that lack substance and delivery, ‘Take Care’ is actually a musically attractive song with major rewind capabilities that could work in clubs all over the world. The piano break paints a picture of exotic nightlife and free spirit amongst a heightened state of emotional realization. Drake’s not afraid to push the boundaries of creativity and it’s what makes him such an easy target. Another track that pushes the envelope is ‘Crew Love’. Featuring up-and-coming crooner The Weeknd, the non-conforming instrumental, which has polar opposite syndrome, thanks to its heavy duty drum introduction at odd moments and then atmospherically steady synths and finger snaps, is a definite highlight.                                                                     

The Just Blaze produced ‘Lord Knows’ is a banger of epic proportions, but the moment Drake really comes to life is on the UGK inspired ‘Underground Kings’. Fast-paced, lyrically faultless, it’s like a coming-of-age moment for the young emcee. A hard slice of production to ride to with some expansive wordplay, Drake gets his grown man on. Think ‘Unforgettable’, with Young Jeezy, but polished.                                                                                            

As a whole Take Care is a great collection of individual records. The track listing arrangement leaves a lot to be desired, and there are some hiccups in the form of ‘Practice’, a cover of the Juvenile track ‘Back That Azz Up’, and the unnecessary Nicki Minaj verse on ‘I’m So Proud Of You’ - “I’m a star, sheriff badge,” anyone? However, this is all a part of witnessing the growth of an artist who has a lot to offer. Not quite on par with Thank Me Later, Drake wears his heart on his sleeve. The haters will hate while the followers will embrace this side of their personality. You can’t please everyone. Newbies take note, Drake is still the one to watch. Take care.

Right off the bat it's fairly evident that the troublesome trio have left all conventions of genre restriction at the door in approaching the production of a full EP. The first track 'Taken Over Me' (one of the few solo outings present in the tracklist) harkens back to the breaks sound of past decade; however incorporating elements of the dubstep/bass sound that over the past few years has redefined the way producers approach their work.

'And The Beat Goes' featuring Pyramid and Roisin Brophy is perhaps most indicative of how much things have changed since the last albums offerring. Since then the breaks scene has fallen to pieces pinned down by its own generic trappings and inherent generalisations that have left the public at large uninterested as a whole. The track shows both Aquasky and Pyramid finding a new sound carved out from the road paved by the likes of Rack 'N Ruin: essentially formulating a new sound that takes the framework of 90s rave music only to fill in the gaps with a novel combination of raucous bass.

Much like an Aquasky set, the album fails to sit still, switching up genres faster than a DJ with a bad case of ADD; yet the formulation works perfectly as one track bleeds into the other. The altercations instead of stuttering the album as a whole provide a refreshing sense of variety rarely found in many LP's these days. 'Cold Crush' featuring Bex Riley is a particularly great example of this, utilising a rowdy drumstep melody totally separate from what is predominantly an 140BPM outing. All this following on from 'Phantom' featuring the excellent Engine Earz Experiment who guest on one of the best tracks of the album, sounding like a curious mash-up of Plan B, the London Philharmonic and Flux Pavillion. Truly a testament once again to the album excellently drawing on all influences and sounds whilst firing on all cylinders like there is no tomorrow.

It's not a perfect venture however, although it is pretty bloody close, regrettably it is actually better to hear the band exorcise their drum and bass and acid house origins, as opposed to their breaks roots. Just to clarify we are referring to modern breaks here, tracks like 'Superbad' featuring The Ragga Twins and Mr. Thing are an excellent hark back to the golden age, whilst 'Girls, Girls, Girls' featuring Daddy Freddy is a little bit of a misstep, pushing a rather garish sound that hasn't really been missed.

That is literally the only fault that is concievable to pick out from what is otherwise an excellently concieved album that succeeds in the difficult task of looking back retrospectively whilst at the same time pushing things indefinetly forward. The album is a testament to Aquasky's long career in the industry and features a nostalgic crew of talent rarely seen working together, but it all works perfectly ending up sounding like one big old party in your iPod.

Despite signing to BMG, the band have never let up on giving something back to those that have supported them over the last 6 years. 'Fools And Worthless Liars' in many ways exhibits this exact sensibility, what with the first track 'One For The Cool Kids' going so far as to be a tribute to the fans themselves - referring in particular to their notorious new years gig at The Purple Turtle.

This adds a huge dimension to what is already a sublime album that is one part Incubus, one part Brand New, whilst retaining a completely unique sound that is indicative of a band reaching their plateau. James Amadeus despite expressing insecurities about captaining vocal responsibilities after the departure of Ryan Mellor, is the perfect frontman; leading the album with extensive vocal capabilities that have seen the band improve by leaps and bounds, even reaching Muse like levels of crescendo.

'Youth In Retrospect' is a song indicative of exactly how self-aware Ryan and the band have become in relation to their role within the music industry and in relation to their audience - this is a facet that further lends gravitas to the album. It enables a certain amount of metaphysical tendering towards the listener with a slice of good humor complimentary to the heart-felt music. 'Royston Vasey' for example is immediately tounge in cheek referring evidently to the ever disturbing 'League Of Gentleman' television series.

Undeniably this is an endearing characteristic as it shows Deaf Havana don't take themselves to seriously, but at the same time have a lucrative ability to fire on all cylinders affecting any mood they may choose. That is representative of a hugely well-rounded band that have an inherent maturity rarely displayed within the scene from which they gravitate.

'Fools And Worthless Liars' is a perfect album for what it is, transcending expectations to present a diverse, weighty and tuneful experience that is a flawless chapter in Deaf Havana's history.

As stated in our recent interview with the Hackney rapper, 'At Your Inconvenience' is a hugely broad record, elaborating on the winning formula inherent in the first outing. Compressing genres as wide as drum and bass, dubstep, pop, hip-hop and rock is no mean feat, often leading to a relentlessly disjointed experience. Furthermore balancing chart success with underground credibility is an inherently contradictory pursuit that in recent memory has only worked for Wiley. To Green's credit however choosing to stake his career on such a risky outlook has paid off dividends, resulting in an album that everyone under the sun should be able to engage with in some form. 'Read All About It' will no doubt smash the charts with Sande's melody offset by rap lyrics, whilst 'How Many Moons' will appeal to your average Hoxton "hipster" looking for a "skank-out". It only takes one glance at the album's  production credits including MTA's 16 Bit, DJ Khalil, TMS and Alex Hayes to see why it works in such a fashion. It is Professor Green's diverse lyricism that glues these component parts together, demonstrative of an artist aware of his target audiences.

'At Your Inconvenience' is not without its problems however, it presents an artist who would perhaps do well to decide which road he wishes to travel rather than pursuing all evident avenues. The persona presented as a whole is inherently contradictory being at times a leering and volatile individual sounding worryingly like an early Eminem, at others a dangerously loveable individual with a more unique style of expression. Perhaps the latter would benefit Professor Green in future outings as the white rap gremlin persona is something we've all seen before and outgrown. 'Trouble' with its jungle melody and clever flow is a perfect indication of what in the long-term would be a more beneficial path to travel. Disappointingly the title track of the album being released as a single is indicative of exactly which route Green has been coerced to follow, it's not a big, clever, or funny track and sounds like it was released ten years ago.

It's hard to know how to take the album as a whole, when it shines it really shines, yet when it stinks, well...

Professor Green still has huge amounts of promise alongside a natural talent, pulling off an album that under the supervision of many others would be an utter travesty. It avoids its own trapfalls but only serves as a question to where the professor's career might gravitate to in future.

Initially the LP kicks off with superb furore, the first track 'Slaughter House' featuring Silas of Turboweekend fame is an example of all the characteristics that made Joker such an exciting young artist in the first place. The song begins with an epic intro with the resonance of Plastician's 'Japan' before dropping into a full on distorted bassline complimented by Silas' emotive, dark and abstract style of singing. It is certainly a testament to Joker's progression as a producer that plays upon conventions bought to the table by the listener before inverting them into a melodic composition complete with synth solos and Mortal Kombat-esque tones.

From there dissappointingly 'The Vision' takes a fairly swift dive off the cliff into the same traps that often befall producers used to releasing material within the confines of an A-side/B-side format - namely a tendency to include unnecessary filler. 'Tron' is a track that has been circling for a while now and whilst it's fluctuating dubstep melody may impress some, the fact that the track 'My Trance Girl' (four songs down the line) sounds almost identical is a big dissappointment. Especially considering that once you remove the 'Intro' and interlude track you have an album whose runtime of roughly 30 minutes in no way reflects the amount of time taken to release the album.

The proceedings do pick up on the latter half of the album as things take a more vocal turn, 'Back In The Day' featuring Buggsy, Shadz, Scarz and Double exhibits how Joker has the ability to bring out the best in the artists he works with. Each bar on the track is hard and fused perfectly with elements of R&B, garage and dub, it's just a shame that the album is constructed in an order opposing its own benefit.

'The Vision' is not terrible by any stretch, in fact it is very good, it's just the experience of listening has an air of the same frustrations one might experience when trying to sneeze. Run the album backwards and you might have more fun, not in a satanic way, simply due to the fact that it works much better as a construct.

An interesting start but bigger and better things can be expected from Bristol's biggest bassonian.

'Bad As Me' is a very different beast. Firstly, you'll notice the near-total absence of the carnival barkers, circus sideshows, dodgy oddballs and eyeball kids who've been populating Waits' songs ever since he swapped the nicotine-yellowed barroom balladry of his 70's incarnation for a dizzying cavalcade of strangely tender clatter on 1983's classic 'Swordfishtrombones', the fantastical Waitsiana gradually devolving from an imaginative masterstroke to a byword for Waits operating on cruise control. We're still a gazillion miles from the soul-baring confessionals of a standard-issue songwriter, but tunes like 'Let's Get Lost' - a souped-up jalopy polished to perfection careering down a gravel road, speed-guzzling rockabilly screaming on the hi-fi - and the stunning 'Kiss Me', which, startlingly, could fit right in amidst the boozy regret of 1978's seminal 'Blue Valentine', seem to nod toward Waits' long-standing marriage to co-writer Kathleen Brennan. Add to this the political fury that fires up the foggy small hours swing of 'Everybody's Talking' (“we bailed out the millionaires/they’ve got the fruit, we’ve got the rind”) and the righteously berserk anti-war bark 'Hell Broke Luce' (“How is it that the only ones responsible for making this mess /Got their sorry asses stapled to a goddamn desk”), and it's hard not to detect at least a portion of the 'real' Waits in these tracks.

More importantly, there's the music. Listening to the rhythm 'n' blues racket of the title track (despite its brilliance one of the weakest tunes here, which says a lot about the overall quality), it's tempting to imagine that the guy Waits admires for being "the same kind of bad as me" is in fact his jazz-bingeing, string-soaked, perma-smoking former musical persona, dismissively treated for the past 28 years as Waits has headed deeper into the choppy waters of percussive rattle and feather-spitting skronk.

Oftentimes, repeating old tricks is a tell tale sign of exhaustion and routine settling in. In the case of 'Bad As Me', trekking through a wealth of tried and tested templates, coupled with the strongest bunch of tunes on a Waits album for several years, is a creative coup, a long-overdue admittance that pleasing the listener doesn’t automatically translate into blandness. Whereas in the recent past, band members could've expected any non-spiky decorations to hit the editing room floor, 'Bad As Me' revels in milking every drop of expressiveness from the squad of astounding musical talent at Waits' disposal. From the intertwined guitar riffs that whip up hypnotic potency at the roots of the drizzle-splashed 'Face to the Highway' and the almost submerged horns lurking at the bottom of 'Everybody's Talking' to Los Lobos chief David Hidalgo's and long-term Waits collaborator Marc Ribot's guitars going for a relaxed stroll through a Mexican village on the simply wonderful, Roy Orbison-with-a-hangover lilt of 'Back in the Crowd', 'Bad As Me' sparkles with the kind of relaxed musicality that was ejected from Waits' lexicon aeons ago. Even the proudly one-dimensional 'Satisfied' justifies its inclusion for allowing Waits to indulge his Rolling Stones fixation with no less of an authority on riffs than Keith Richards – who also croaks along on the sparse celebration of longevity ‘Last Leaf’ – reporting for duty for the first time since 'Bone Machine' 19 years ago.

The only reasonable criticism you can level at 'Bad As Me' is that the breezily Buddy Holly-esque 'Tell Me' should never have been relegated to the lowly role of a bonus track on the deluxe edition. Bound to make old fans reach for fresh superlatives in awe, 'Bad As Me' is an ideal introduction to the wonderful world of Tom Waits for newcomers. And there's not many 22nd (counting live albums and soundtracks) albums by 60-something musicians you can say that about with a straight face.