These are heady days for reggae music as Stephen Marley continues with the next chapter in his music career.

Following his traditional roots reggae album Revelation Pt. 1: “The Root of Life” some five years ago, he has now expanded his repertoire. The new album is about expressing the impact that Jamaican culture has worldwide. Revelation Pt. II: “The Fruit of Life” looks like a who’s who of the current hip-hop world, with the eighteen track album featuring a collaboration on almost every track.

These feature, right from the start with the lead off track ‘Babylon’, a great hook up with Dead Prez and Junior Reid. This is clearly a demonstration of the far reaching arm of Rasta culture. The legend of hip-hop pays homage with Rakim and Busta Rhymes influencing the album. There is always a danger that too much collaboration can dilute or upset the overall balance of any album. However, as Marley has produced this himself there is a clear and defined flow that is sure to make this another multi-award winning venture.

It is not just the old legends of hip-hop that feature. The Marley family are embraced and show off their obvious talents, with the most celebrated offering coming from Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley on the track ‘Picture Perfect’.

Some of the strongest tracks on the album come from the rising stars of hip-hop and beyond. ‘Rock Stone’ which features the Kings of Dancehall Capleton and Sizzla is a wonderful illustration of the power of collaboration and is sure to be huge this summer - a straight up dancehall track which is infectious and embodies the talents on show.

The same can be said of ‘Ghetto Boy’ which features Bounty Killer and Cobra. However, some tracks that have huge names attached to them are not as strong. ‘Father of the Man’ featuring Wyclef Jean and ‘So Strong’ featuring Shaggy feel like they are offerings from Marley to simply join him on the album, and a way of offering a hand in recognition of previous services to music.

However the album ends well with a sure fire summer hit from the bald headed wonder of hip-hop. ‘When She Dances’ features Pitbull and is a lazy summer anthem which incorporates all things Jamaican along with a sprinkling of hip-hop vibes and house rhythms.

All in all this album displays a wonderful array of talent which in the most part has been excellently produced. Some tracks are easily describes as fillers and maybe Marley would have been better to simply go it alone rather than hire in a name to enhance the track. However for the most part this album is a continuation of his ability to expand and dominate the world of reggae and beyond.

Revelation Part II: The Fruit of Life is available from iTunes and Amazon.

The adverts on Facebook about Avec Sans feature a quote from The 405 which states the following: “Think simple but sweet electro in the CHVRCHES mould.” They certainly aren't lying, so there's no grounds for a claim of false advertising here. There are a number of comparisons to be drawn between these London-based synth-poppers and their Glaswegian counterparts, but let's set aside that barrel of similies for now.

Alice Fox of Manchester and Jack St James of Trinidad comprise this outfit, and their debut record Heartbreak Hi falls snuggly into its carriage on the electro-doused hype train. 'Even The Echoes' provides a gentle and spacious opening, whilst the following title track represents the Smash Hits pop peak of the band's craft as Fox's vocals and agile synths perform a thoroughly entertaining dance. 'Shiver' feels colder (sorry) and more direct by comparison, and showcases a darker and far incisive side to the pop star dream.

Aesthetic appears to be the key to said pop star dream in today's industry, and Avec Sans have that down. From the image implied through their sound to the striking simplistic of Heartbreak Hi's artwork (which features Fox). The record itself progresses through a number of subtle gears on its course, and whilst a start-to-finish listen is likely to dissolve into a blur of synth and vocal melodies, each track holds a degree of beauty when given attention and room to shine.

For example, 'Hold On' and 'The Answer' strike an uplifting and positive tone despite their somewhat introspective and emotive lyrical content, whilst 'Resonate' and 'All Of Time' embrace the negativity and display the sombre portion of the duo's repertoire. 'History' however embraces that shameless pop ambition with pulsating synths and an anthemic and entirely relatable chorus, with the latent energy present in following track 'Close My Eyes' allows the listener to see the bones of a stadium-filling setlist beginning to form. 

There are gems and glimpses of greatness within Heartbreak Hi, but Avec Sans have been too long-winded in their telling of their electronic story. Whilst the shades of melody and emotion can be rewarding on repeat and close listens, perhaps consolidating several similar tracks into honed super tracks would have pushed this to more of an accomplished record than the fully commendable and enjoyable declaration of intention that it is.

Heartbreak Hi is available from iTunes and Amazon.