The French singer Maeva Fischer is, as the headline promises, a bright star, and her collaboration with rapper T Mike on the song "Supernova" is proof positive of that. You can hear distinct influences from French chanson, jazz, pop, and soul in this song. It represents all that is free, pleasant, and warm in our souls. Her dedication to the song's subject matter is constant throughout...

Right, so, Manchester's own Robert McGinty is back. "Reflections," they call it. Twelve classical instrumentals. Twelve! Like the apostles, but...less preachy, more piano-y. It's supposed to be uplifting and joyful, this album, a sequel of sorts, tracking his growth since the debut. Did you know the collective noun for owls is a parliament? Completely unrelated, I know, but owls are wise, and there's a...