Now They’ll Sleep

Belly: “Now They’ll Sleep” (4AD); Bandit Queen: “Give It To The Dog” (Playtime)

For the lead track, Belly’s guitars take a foggy escalator to limbo, then accelerate into a slippery, sloppy pop that doesn’t seem to serve either artistic or commercial purposes. Far better is the second acoustic track, ‘Thief’ - plaintive, lovelorn and direct in its statement of emotional crisis.

As for Manchester’s Bandit Queen, there’s is far more traditional bad-girl pop, the third generation after Suzi Quatro and Chrissie Hynde. It may lack originality but it has verve and Bandit Queen are blessedly free of collegiate self-regard.