superiority complex

Various Artists: Across The Pennines VI

The heightened sense of regional pride in The North can become a bit absurd sometimes. Then again, on the strength of the deeply Northern music on the sixth Across the Pennines compilation, perhaps a little superiority complex is allowed.

Liam Frost: Show Me How The Spectres Dance

At only 22 years old, Manchester's Liam Frost, with the accompaniment of The Slowdown Family, has received enormous praise for his brooding and thoughtful brand of acoustic-folk-indie, likened to Badly Drawn Boy, and hailed by some as Britain's answer to Bright Eyes.

Arctic Monkeys: Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

There's that little bit of elitist in me that would just love to shoot this album down right from the off, to rip into it with merciless vigour and launch a tirade about how why it's because of bands like the Arctic Monkeys that music isn't like it used to be.