Read reviews below of our Fopp loan albums and others too.

Arcade Fire ‘Neon Bible’ (Reviewed by Simone Willis)
This follow up to a brilliant debut album isn’t as different as it seems on the first listen. Owen Palette’s use of the organ and a full classical orchestra grows naturally out of the string arrangements on first album 'The Funeral', and 'Ocean of Noise' provides a relaxing interlude to the opening complexity of textures. The melancholy energy of 'Windowsill' expresses feelings that seem a recurrent theme in many people today. This album is abundant with honest lyrics and fantastic orchestration and shows the diversity of a set of musicians, who will be a favourite for anyone wanting mainstream but not quiet music.

The Rakes ‘Capture/ Release’ (Reviewed by Chloe Jones)
The Rakes, another indie rock band to emerge out of London, along with the likes of Razorlight and Bloc party, are certainly going to create some competition within the genre. There are many standout tracks, the best being '22 grand job' and 'The guilt'. Though it seems post-Libertines wannabe bands are arriving every other day, The Rakes have taken the term indie off to a new and unique level, making you think they won't just be another of those bands that fade out of memory as fast as they came in.

Ms Dynamite ‘Judgement days’ (Reviewed by Sarah Marks)
Ms Dynamite has stormed back with a more mature outlook on life and a new style! This 'must-have' album has a great sound and fine lyrics. Standouts are the title track and "Shavaar", named after her 3 year old son.

Franz Ferdinand ‘You could have done it so much better’ (Reviewed by Chloe Jones)
The Scottish post-punkers have done it again, with toe-tapping beats and glamorous indie rock and roll melodies; they’ve definitely matched their incredible debut.

Air ‘Talkie Walkie’ (Reviewed by Komal Patel)
'Talkie Walkie' is French for 'WalkieTalkie'. We can excuse the minor linguistic 'faux pas' because these Frenchmen have got the songs on this album very right. The Air duo (Jean-Benoit Dunckel & Nicolas Godin) have made an outstanding album and the only similarity it has to the infamous 'Moon Safari' is it was made by the same artists. That’s not a bad thing in this case- Their music has taken on a more simplistic tone from the early days. Every instrument, rhythm and voice in the layered songs have come together and are indispensable adding their own edge. They have taken what seems to be the bare essentials and have used it to make a damn good album but the sound still feels as full and satisfying as other Air creations. This album sounds as if it went through a lot of careful editing and experimenting by Air in creation, yet does not sound heavy (like other albums do after to much editing and experimenting). It has kept the essence of Air- it's light and free flowing. The album is best described as a Sponge Cake: it’s layered, rich, sweet and fluffy.

The best word to describe all the songs on this album is Tingly. 'Cherry Blossom Girl' and 'Alpha Beta Gaga' are the most likely to appeal to larger audiences because of their vibrancy and life. Personally I prefer the more haunting songs like 'Run', 'Venus' and 'Biological'. This album should appeal to the fans and I doubt there will be many critics saying they have changed the music too much or they have stayed stagnant. Air have developed their sound and made each track suitably distinctive yet still able to fit in with the rest of the album. The change of direction is good after the flop that was '10000Hz Legend' which failed to live up to all early expectations. It’s an appealing album to those who have enjoyed Air’s previous songs. To those who don’t enjoy Air’s music it should be used a cure for insomnia. (8/10)

Alex Parks ‘Introduction’ (Reviewed by Lucy Hilditch)
This album comes less than 2 months after Alex was crowned the 2nd series winner of ‘Fame Academy’. Surprisingly, it doesn't sound like a rush job. ‘Introduction’ is a mix of cover versions sung by Alex during the weekly heats of the competition, along with some new material. Her voice is often reminiscent of Annie Lennox, however Alex’s voice does not sound quite as raw and emotional on record as it did on the show.

She tackles a range of musical styles. Piano ballad ‘Maybe that's what it takes’ contrasts sharply with fast and fuzzy rock track ‘Dirty pretty words’. Other original material such as ‘Cry’ and ‘Not your average girl’, show Alex is not caught in a musical rut. ‘Yellow’ by Coldplay, and ‘Beautiful’ by Christina Aguilera were among Alex’s best-loved Academy performances, but a reworking of the Eurythmics’ track ‘Here comes the rain again’ stands out, along with the haunting ‘Mad world’ by Tears for Fears. The mawkish ‘Imagine' and ‘Everybody hurts’ fail to make such a favourable impression and seem to fade into the background with other covers.

However, in this debut album, Alex Parks shows that she is far more than just a pair of ‘pouty’ lips and a mightily spiky hairstyle.

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