Album: Dr Dog, Fate (Park the Van)

Album number five for the Philadelphia-based quintet and critical opinion Stateside is divided: 'Entertainment Weekly' declared 'Fate' an "expertly honed tribute to the past", while 'Slant' magazine called it "phenomenally uninteresting".

It all depends on where you stand on bands who can't escape their influences: in this case, the Band, the Beatles, the Beach Boys and Wilco (whose Jeff Tweedy is a fan). So yes, this is often unoriginal, derivative even. But it is also gorgeously melodic and catchy rock music that salutes the greats without ever standing in the shadow of any of them.

Pick of the Album: 'The Ark' wouldn't sound out of place on a Zombies record