A Swedish folk singer for whom words like bewitching and ethereal seem to have been invented for, Lisa O Piu is the kind of artist who instantly transports you to other worlds the second you hear here whispery voice. On her latest release, BEHIND THE BEND the singer/songwriter delivers a collection of songs about as achingly beautiful and dreamlike as any you've ever heard.

A Versailles born musician who has already achieved huge success in France, Romain Turzi is the brainchild behind Turzi. Following two albums A and B in their native country, BALTIMORE is the first single to be lifted from B, an album set for a full release over here later in 2010.

Featuring vocals from Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie and inspired by the April 1968 riots in Baltimore following Martin Luther King's assassination, this is a single bursting with attitude and thrusting krautrock bombast. Though the Bobbie Gillespie connection and the general musical direction Turzi takes here does result in BALTIMORE sounding exactly like it could have been lifted from Primal Screams XTRMNTR album of a few years back, this isn't necessarily the worst thing you could hope for. Like the Scream's work on that record, this is urgent sounding stuff, raw, rough around the edges and vibrant, the kind of thing that immediately grabs you by the scruff of the neck and refuses to let go for the entire duration. Gillespie sounds as fired up and direct as ever, whilst Turzi provide all the electronic squelches and beats you need, perfectly cross pollinating Neu, Primal Scream and Guru Josh. Steve Moore under his Lovelock guise offers up a slowed down mix of BALTIMORE, letting Gillespie's vocals breath over rumbling bass grooves, nineties synth work and Madchester guitar licks.

BALTIMORE is an urgent sounding single from Turzi, and for anyone appreciating XTRMNTR era Primal Scream this is near essential stuff.