Mellow: Another Mellow Winter (Atmospheriques)

A timely soundtrack for mornings and evenings which are still the wrong side of spring, Mellow's intentions are both honey-combed and toasted. Since they hail from France, they could be touted as a breath of fresh Air; but that is to belie a complicated sequence of grooves and arrangements which lie somewhat below the surface. The gorgeous Paris sous la neige, Lovely Light and the title track shimmy and shimmer like outtakes from a warped sepia-tinged Sixties flick, yet are nowhere near as retro-flecked as that would suggest. Modern music for modern modes of transport, then, Another Mellow Winter can be enjoyed with or without a hot drink.

Jim Carroll

Salt & Pepa: The Best Of (ffrr)

THEY came from behind the counter at Sears and went on to rap and roll to the top of the tree. From the 1986 Showstoppa onwards, Salt & Pepa (not forgetting the mighty Spinderella) have blazed a trail not just for themselves but also for the likes of TLC to follow. Tracks like Whatta Man (with the En Vogue ladies vamping this Linda Lyndell cover) and Let's Talk About Sex are typical of the Salt & Pepa sassy, sussed and storming approach. Somewhat overshadowed of late by the likes of Missy Elliot and Lil Kim from the new school, this greatest hits collection demonstrates that when it came to smart, poppy hip-hop, few could match them.

Jim Carroll

Prefab Sprout: 38 Carat Collection (Columbia)

PADDY McALOON has emerged from his Andromeda Heights eyrie and decided to bring his shiny, crafty songs out on the road in a celebration of Prefab Sprout's enduring brilliance. The band will be arriving in Dublin soon; meanwhile here's a retrospective collection of 38 songs, comprising all the singles plus 18 album tracks. You get prototype Prefab tunes such as Don't Sing and Couldn't Bear To Be Special, the fully-formed Faron Young and When Love Breaks Down, the whimsical King Of Rock'N'Roll and the Springsteen-dissing Cars & Girls. CD2 picks some of the better songs from the band's patchy career, including Bonny, I Remember That and Jordan: The Comeback. The Sprout are one of the few 1980s bands we weren't ashamed to love, and this collection provides some golden indie-pop memories.

Kevin Courtney