The latest reviews from Kevin Bryan.

Joshua Radin,"The Rock and the Tide" (Mom & Pop Records)- "The Rock and the Tide" is the third studio album from Ohio born Radin,a gifted singer-songwriter in his mid thirties whose work has graced the soundtracks of a string of successful American television series in recent years,including "Scrubs, " "Grey's Anatomy" and "One Tree Hill." Joshua's understated songs have prompted comparisons with everyone from Elliott Smith to Simon and Garfunkel, and he's certainly a consumate melodic craftsman of the highest order, excelling here with "Road To Ride On, " "Wanted" and the subtly intricate "Think I'll Go Inside."

Martin Simpson,"Purpose + Grace" (Topic TSCD 584)- The multi-talented performer's latest Topic collection finds him working in tandem with folk luminaries such as Dick Gaughan and Richard Thompson as he applies his distinctive musical imprint to everything from Bruce Springsteen's "Brothers Under The Bridge" to Yip Harburg's "Brother Can You Spare A Dime." Martin has always seemed happiest in the role of stylish sideman,and "Purpose + Grace" finds him reverting to this familiar role on several occasions,with Gaughan tackling lead vocals on "Jamie Foyers," and the redoubtable June Tabor taking a trip down memory lane to revisit "Strange Affair," a haunting Richard Thompson creation that the duo first recorded together in 1980.Splendid stuff.

"O Brother,Where Art Thou?- Deluxe Edition"(Universal Music) - The original version of this bluegrass based soundtrack album was first released in 2001, and has gone on to become one of the most unlikely success stories of the century to date, notching up sales in excess of nine million worldwide .Universal have decided to mark the 10th anniversary of its appearance on the market by releasing this expanded 2CD version featuring alternate versions of many of the songs and hitherto unreleased material from the film, and devotees of roots music and Americana in general should find it an essential purchase.

Charlie Siem, "Bruch/Wieniawski/Ole Bull"(Warner Classics 2564 66661-2)- The latest offering from this photogenic young British violinist finds him joining forces with the London Symphony Orchestra to breathe new life into much loved violin concertos by Max Bruch and Wieniawski. Siem also tackles a splendid but rarely performed violin fantasia penned by one of his own distant ancestors, the Norwegian virtuoso Ole Bull, and should be congratulated for bringing the music of this unjustly neglected figure back into the public eye.

Peter Murphy,"Should The World Fail To Fall Apart" (Cherry Red CDBRED 507)- Murphy's first solo album was released in 1986, and captured the former Bauhaus frontman and "godfather of goth" at his most beguiling and accessible as he worked in close collaboration with producer Howard Hughes to create a package which has withstood the passage of time remarkably well despite being steeped in the musical production values of the mid-eighties.Self-penned gems such as "Canvas Beauty" and "God Sends" rub shoulders with impressive covers of Magazine's "The Light Pours Out Of Me" and Pere Ubu's "Final Solution," and this CD re-issue also features an interesting second disc of bonus material, along with new notes and an enhanced booklet.