Back catalogue: All genres

Review: It's funny to think about the Blur v Oasis contest that defined British music in the mid-1990s. Then bright young things looking to shake things up after years of electronic rave dominance, the fact so much emphasis was placed on these two bands makes for an incomplete story of those times, while their individual output was not quite polar but certainly harder to compare than headlines suggested. Skip forward a few decades and differences are now pronounced. The Gallagher Brothers have pursued relatively familiar sounds in the 21st Century. Blur, or at least Damon Albarn, created a 3D animated virtual band while overseeing the first few editions of the globally acclaimed Manchester International Festival. Now, 33 years after the debut single, Blur return with studio LP number nine, and it's a stunner. Not so much growing old gracefully as tackling challenges that come with it, it's though proving, poignant and grittily woozy.

Review: For all of the "it's like 1995 all over again" analysis that greeted the surprise return of Britpop stars Blur, it would count for nothing if the music they were making was a hollow pastiche of the past. Fortunately, The Ballad of Darren, the band's first new album since 2015, is a giddy blast from the past - and reportedly one recorded in a much more cooperative and good-humoured atmosphere than expected. Fans will immediately feel at home, with tracks such as 'St Charles Square' and 'The Narcissist' offering that now familiar mix of weary vocals, squally guitars, low-slung bass and shuffling drums. Whether or not it's a "return to form" is debatable, but it's certainly a refreshing blast from the past for those came of age in the 1990s (and those inspired by Britpop's messy, lager-fuelled energy).

Review: Everyone has their favourite Bowie, of course, but Ziggy Stardust has a special place for all and sundry as it marks a noticeable shift in Bowie's sound from Hunky Dory into the fabulous, glam rock 70s era. The classics are so iconic it's almost surreal to consider them in the context of their original presentation on this album, but from 'Starman' to 'Suffragette City' there's no end to the songwriting rock n' roll perfection Bowie achieved here. There's not much more that needs to be said about such an important record, but this newly half-speed remastered version is not to be sniffed at for those who like to hear the music with the best possible fidelity.

Review: Given his never ending influence and enduring legacy it is hard to believe it has now been 50 years since David Bowie put out his celebrated Hunky Dory album. The occasion is marked with this special edition on a limited picture disc with new insert and a poster. Frankly, the music still speaks for itself and doesn't need fluffing up, as it remains one of Bowie's most admired works. The first single on the album, 'Changes', had very little success upon the time of release but eventually grew into one of his most iconic singles. Other big moments like 'Life On Mars?' still sound great, too. This one lands a day before what would have been Bowie's 75th birthday, and is a fitting tribute.

Review: The late, great David Bowie's reputation only seems to grow and his legacy improve as the year following his death pass by. Buddha of Suburbia was his 19th album all the way back in 1993. It's one of his more rough around the edges affairs and was a soundtrack for Hanif Kureishi's exemplary dramatisation of his book. It finds Bowie exploring all sorts of sounds that go right back to his roots in partnership with Erdal Kizilcay with David Richards. 'South Horizon' is a dinner jazz cut, 'Strangers When We Meet' is classic Bowie pop and these are just two of the highlights.

Review: This special reissue of David Bowie's Young Americans album drops on the exact day of its Golden Jubilee. It was the late, great creative maverick's nine studio album and as always found him broadening his musical horizons. He embraced what he described "plastic soul" and it worked as this album gave him his first ever number one in the US with 'Fame' which was co-written with John Lennon and Carlos Alomar, who at the time played guitar with Bowie. It has been remastered for this reissue and cut at half speed so you can really luxuriate in the details.