A Creature I Don’t Know

by Laura Marling

With a vocal prowess that is warm and soft at the same time and soulful contemplation pouring out of her mouth so effortlessly, this 21-year-old sounds older (read: wiser) than she really is. Born 1 February 1990, Marling hails from Eversley, Hampshire in England and is the youngest of three daughters. Her father, a music teacher, ran a recording studio and she learned the guitar at an early age, which helped shape her musical taste. Aged 17, Marling released a series of EPs, which immediately attracted attention for the richness of her lyrics and melodious, understated vocal presence. Her debut album in 2008, Alas, I Cannot Swim was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2008. Today, the precocious singer-songwriter has become somewhat of a poster girl for UK’s ‘nufolk’ movement. Having just released her third album A Creature I Don’t Know in September 2011, Marling also bagged the title of Best Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards.

Own The Night

by Lady Antebellum

You don’t necessarily have to be a country music lover to enjoy Lady Antebellum’s songs, as their Grammy award-winning song Need You Now has pointed out. Now out with their third album, Own The Night provides more of their easy-to-love music, balancing mainstream pop sounds with a more distinct country sound.

Mylo Xyloto

by Coldplay

Coldplay does what they do best with their fifth studio album. That said, some critics have lamented, “Why buy five CDs of the same music?” The answer is simple: because it’s good. In Coldplay’s electric sound resonates the old adage that ‘if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it’, and this album is solid.

A Reason To Swim

by Joe Brooks

This self-taught singer/songwriter from Southampton, UK, became an online sensation when he put up his bedroom recorded songs on MySpace. Now out with a six-song EP, we’ve fallen for his smooth vocals, saccharine sweet words and musical talents. It’s no wonder he’s been dubbed the next John Mayer.