The Presets – Beams (Modular)

On planet electro 2006, there are admitedly the fun-but-shallow likes of White Rose Movement and The Modern to contend with. But then Australian duo The Presets come along, and the competition crumbles. Beams is simply the finest electronic album since Depeche Mode's Violator, bringing together Moroder, acid house, Kraftwerk, Pet Shop Boys, The Human League, Orbital and, yes, even tarnished tarts Fischerspooner into one glorious whole. Aimed predominantly at the dancefloor, it also plunges expertly into the sexual aggression ('I Go Hard, I Go Home'), cocky pop suss ('Are You The One') and soul-mining depths of melancholy ('Girl And The Sea') of which the very best electro is capable. An unexpected blast of menthol in a world of cabbage soup.

Charlie Ivens

Psapp – The Only Thing I Ever Wanted (Domino)

“Songs with little noises poking out” is how Psapp (the “p” is silent, as in water) describe themselves, and while this may seem unhelpful, it's surprisingly accurate. German Carim Clasmann and adoptive Londoner Galia Durant choose their Domino debut to focus more closely on their quirkily wonderful take on left-handed glitchpop. The effect pitches them somewhere in the Bermuda triangle between CocoRosie, Pram and Four Tet: intricate, warm electro ballads played on Lego instruments. More bands should sound like this.

Charlie Ivens

Neal Casal – No Wish To Reminisce (Fargo)

New Jersey singer-songwriter Neal Casal has been dutifully sticking out albums for the last decade, creating barely discernible but nonetheless extant ripples on the US and mainland European scenes. This, his 12th long-player, doesn't deviate in any way from his well-worn template of heartfelt, chiming Americana, not a million miles from, say, Neil Finn or Evan Dando in essence. “You Don't See Me Crying” and “Travelling After Dark” showcase his crystal-clear vocals just fine.

Charlie Ivens

Hot Chip – Warning (EMI)

It was only two years ago that Hot Chip showed up with 'Down With Prince', a bizarre, jerky sideswipe at the sort of fairweather fans many bands rely on but most would rather not have to. If you don't mean it – really mean it – then don't bother trying, they seemed to say. It's telling, then, that after an interesting but bitty and ultimately frustrating debut album, Hot Chip have regrouped, rethought, grabbed a major label deal and legged it to the motherlode. Warning is twisted weirdo funk for masochistic Chris Morris fans – The Research mugged by Aphex Twin, but in the most pleasurable possible way. Their threats that “Hot Chip will break your legs” on this album's title track are straight out of the playground: what shines through from the lyrics is quite how lonely a hipster's life can be. Intriguing stuff, certainly, and more rewarding with every listen.

Charlie Ivens