Album of the Week

Headache already? Take some ibuprofen before you go out with Jamie xx. The British producer has been planning this night for almost a decade, and it's hard to deny that he pulled out all the stops. Even more than In Colour , In Waves seems to have been cooked up in a dance floor lab, especially the skittish beats, sugary piano licks and nostalgic sampling. (Hey, that sounds suspiciously like 'Lady (Hear Me Tonight)!') Speaking of nostalgia: In Waves actually features a full-fledged The xx reunion, after the three members have worked together in multiple capacities - just not all at the same time for a very long time. And more pacemakers have been invited, including those other sample wizards The Avalanches, Kelsey Lu, Panda Bear and, to top it all off, Robyn. CD / LP

	Actually, Tramhaus did n't need a debut album. The Rotterdam punk band has had a decent live reputation for a few years now, and has played for huge, moshing crowds. But now it's here: The First Exit, and that the band has had some time to streamline their fiery wrecking balls works out well. This is the rare punk record that also sounds great at home. CD / LP
	Bright Eyes ' most consistent album in years - it's not called Five Dice All Threes for nothing - also flies in all directions. It starts, as always, not exactly easy, with field recordings and bullshit. What else? A beautiful guest role by Cat Power, makeshift rock 'n' roll, rustic intimacy and, yes really, record scratching . Freed from the pressure of the comeback, Oberst and co can do all sorts of things again. CD / LP
	While Floor Jansen was busy with her solo debut, she told her Finnish bandmates from Nightwish to make the next album sound a bit heavier. She succeeded. At the same time, Yesterwynde is surprisingly hopeful and optimistic in nature. A hefty epic of 71 minutes, but one that invites you to get lost - with tears in your eyes. CD / LP
	When Nubya Garcia was finishing her breakthrough Source Code , the London jazz scene was at its peak. In the four years since, much has changed and the tenor saxophonist has also broadened her horizons considerably. Odyssey lives up to its name: this is a musical road trip through vast landscapes, far from London, along dub, R&B and neoclassical. CD / LP

 

Of course, there's more that came out this week: for the real, real Bob Dylan fans, all of The Band's '74 shows have now been released on one whopper of a box set ( 27CD ); Thurston Moore mercilessly messes with your brain on Flow Critical Lucidity ( CD / LP / Cassette ); and Katy Perry still acts like it's 2013 on 143 ( CD / LP ).

Pre-orders

	It took Michael Kiwanuka five years to make: a worthy successor to his epic Kiwanuka . What to expect from Small Changes (November 15)? CD / LP
	It came about almost by accident: Linkin Park 's first album since the death of Chester Bennington. On From Zero (November 15) they face the future with new members and a slightly different sound. CD / LP