After a rather unexpected hiatus I have at last made the difficult decision to make this, the comeback of all comebacks, to a blog I left decaying and rotting to inevitable ruin. In this October issue I will be recommending a sextet of tracks that I've been enjoying over these past few bleak, sombre weeks.

1. Tinashe - All Hands On Deck
From her excellent recently released début album, Aquarius, comes perhaps one of the more generic hip-hop songs I've heard all year. Though don't assume my labelling as the song as being 'generic' as a necessarily bad thing, the production is slick, the tune is insanely catchy and the breakdown is perhaps the most unexpected breakdowns I've ever heard (there's a flute in it!!!). Tinashe has this incredible capacity to be 'cool', this is never clearer than on 'All Hands On Deck', she's the Bugatti Veyron whilst you're the Mini Cooper. I would usually have some extravagantly abstract metaphor for the song, but it's so generic that none sprang to mind.

2. Elijah Blake - Strange Fruit
A dark, brooding, seductive piece of R&B perfect for a bleak winter's night. Mr Blake's smooth vocals float delicately over subtle production and when listening the sexual tension is the song is almost palpable, even without the rather disturbing noises that occur throughout in the background. Stunning, despite the fact that death always seems to be on my mind once the song reaches it's minimalist conclusion.

3. Wookie & Zak Abel - Higher
A beautiful, jazzy little number set alight by the soulful vocals of Zak Abel. A little like Rudimental's Feel The Love, except toned down about a million times, this song sounds perfect for your average middle class dinner party. Whilst Elijah Blake's Strange Fruit would be a bottle of vodka (after which you would never live to drink again), 'Higher' would be a bottle of champagne, bursting from the seams with reticent saxophone melodies et al.

4. Autre Ne Veut - Counting
This number by the French musician whose stage name translates to 'I want no other', for me at least has all the entities required to make a perfect pop song. 1) a set of restrained, reflective vocals 2) a confused and irregular beat 3) a saccharine melody 4) the sound of doors creaking cropping up throughout so as to genuinely terrify the listener and 5) a singer with a very indie sounding name. When listening to the song, a warm bath rather obscurely crops into my mind. Just a passing thought.