Swing Out Sister Shapes And Patterns (Mercury) The best Bacharach/Warwick shit out there since 1986! 9 (CY)

Carter USM A World Without Dave (Universal) Like Billy Bragg with a synth and no politics. No complaints here! 8 (MS)

VariousThis is Home Entertainment Vol. 3 (Liquid Sky/Cargo) Why do NYC electronic people think so much? 7 (MS)

Various Red Hot+Latin: Silencio=Muerte (PolyGram) Red Hot's artist tributes (Porter, Jobim) are hotter. 7 (CY)

Various Funky Desert Breaks 2 (Moonshine) Paint-by-numbers acid breakbeats. For the big logo set. 7 (MS)

Lunar Drive Here At Black Mesa, Arizona (Nation/Beggar's Banquet) Pomo Navajo techno à gogo. So-so. 6 (RB)

Slider Sudden Fun (A&M) Didn't your mothers ever tell you guys about playing in the middle of the road? 5 (JC)

John Hyatt Little Head (EMI) OK when trespassing on Robbie Robertson's sounds; otherwise, radio drivel. 5 (JC)

Masters Of Reality Live At the Viper Room (Malicious Vinyl) Vintage Black Sabbath moments and too many blues duds. 5.5 (JC)

Knockout Pill Can I Open the Big Present First? (Independent) The monicker suits them... yawn. 4 (RB) more discs...