Alan Pownall - True Love Stories

Alan Pownall's True Love Stories is an enjoyable and detailed sequence of songs that starts out sounding a bit like The Mike Flowers Pops but soon reveals hidden depths with strains of Bowie and more than a little resemblance to a cheerier version of Pownall's one-time neighbours Mumford and Sons.

If you like to wallow in angst or unrequited emotion, True Love Stories probably isn't the best idea for you. Those themes are among the topics covered, but the pace and Pownall's optimistic-sounding delivery mean that this is something of a feel-good album nonetheless.

Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling and Dharohar Project EP

This one's for the iTunes users only, apparently, as a four-track EP created by Mumford & Sons and Laura Marling goes up for download this week. There were a few teething problems on the planned launch date, but Mumford & Sons say everything's in place now and working just fine.

Actually, iTunes might be the only place to buy the EP, but it's not the only place you can hear it - all four tracks are currently available on Spotify, so you can get a preview before deciding whether or not to splash out on a digital copy of your own.