And still that yellow ball thing in the sky ...

brings out the best in the latest Ulrich Schnauss (almost as good as his first, and if it weren't for nostalgia, it WOULD be his best).

Also Bridget St John - some distant (contented) Nico relative.

Also the new Darkstar "News From Nowhere" and Bvdub "Serenity".

Elsewhere, Low, Depeche Mode, David Bowie and OMD all continue with varying degrees of success:

Low "The Invisible Way" - great band, and perhaps a great album. Would be hard to top "Trust", "The Great Destroyer", etc, but it is getting there. Certainly a "return to form".

Depeche Mode "Delta Machine" - with possible exception of "Soothe My Soul", this has settled as faultless (that's good, by the way).

David Bowie "The Next Day" - good fun. Much has been said about it already. My view is it is possibly a bit too long (even without the extra tracks) (and I hate to say that - isn't it becoming rather a cliche to say that 35 to 40 minutes is the perfect album length?). A few classic songs, especially "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" and "How Does the Grass Grow?", but not much ground broken? But is there really any ground left to break? Maybe next time. Could have been recorded immediately after "Reality"? The lyrics are the striking highlight this time.

OMD "English Electric" - two listens so far, very very promising indeed.

Praxis Makes Perfect - Neon Neon (bonus track version)

I've got quite a soft spot for Bridget St. John's debut album - I didn't realise she was still doing stuff.

Praxis Makes Perfect: Yep - brilliant album. That, and English Electric is all I'm playing at the monment.

Don't think she is, sorry, I meant to say it is her "Songs for the Gentle Man" from 1971. I love "Back to Stay" and the sweet (but barking) voices on "The Pebble and the Man".

Possibly album of the year ... from 2011, that is ... Magazine "No Thyself".