World Perfect Ken Spiro

Spiro are an engaging, experimental acoustic band from Bristol who defy categorisation. They play violin, mandolin, accordion, guitar and cello, make use of traditional English melodies in many of their intricate compositions, but are definitely not a conventional folk band. The traditional influences are "enmeshed" (one of their favourite words) into an elaborate, atmospheric or quietly stirring rhythmic style that makes use of the repeated phrases and patterns of systems music – though they never stay on one riff for long. There is no improvisation and no solo work; each piece has been meticulously worked out in advance, with melodies and riffs juggled between the different instruments. On tracks such as the opening Yellow Noise, it sounds as if there are more than four musicians at work, but the album was recorded live, with no overdubs. Spiro are that rarity: true English originals.

Astor Piazzolla’s Nuevo tango transcends categories and represents an amalgam of international influences. All the arrangements in this album are of instrumental works that Piazzolla composed for his Quinteto Nuevo Tango. Most prominent is the Vivaldi-inspired Las cuatro estaciones porteñas (‘The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires’) reimagined in concerto style for solo violin and string orchestra by Leonid Desyatnikov. The seven other companion pieces, arranged by Ken Selden, use printed sources for structure but incorporate improvisations transcribed from original recordings made by Piazzolla and his band. On this, his third Piazzolla album for Naxos, internationally recognised violinist Tomás Cotik pays homage to his birth city of Buenos Aires.

Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf (1973). This is the solo debut of Uriah Heep's resident keyboardist and top songwriter, but it isn't the heavy metal epic one might expect. In fact, Proud Words On A Dusty Shelf uses electric guitar sparingly and instead goes for a moody soundscape built on acoustic guitar and piano. Songs like "Black Hearted Lady" and "The Last Time" even evoke a bit of a country and western feel, thanks to their use of mellow-sounding slide guitar. This subtle sonic style puts Hensley's songwriting in the spotlight and that is a good thing because each of the songs is well-crafted and tuneful: a subtle combination of acoustic guitar and synthesizer brings out the haunting, delicately crafted melody of "From Time To Time" and "Black Hearted Lady" effectively evokes its mood of heartbreak with a descending acoustic guitar riff…