Album: School of Seven Bells, Alpinisms, (FULL TIME HOBBY)

In terms of self-interest, Benjamin Curtis chose a hell of a moment to leave Secret Machines, when they're about to tour with Oasis.

In aesthetic terms, however, he'll have few regrets. SOSB is the band he's formed with twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza; built with quasi-Indian structures and close harmonies, their debut owes much to 1990s shoegaze and 1980s etherealism, though unlike the Cocteau Twins, a blatant inspiration, it's anchored to reality by its use of the English language.

Pick of the Album: 'Wired for Light': power from the laser to the plastic