Lydia Loveless: Real (Bloodshot/Southbound)

Now onto her fifth album 25-year old Lydia Loveless (born Lydia Ankrom) draws a thread between brittle power pop, whatever passes for alt.country these days and classic guitar jangle with a smidgen of post-punk energy.

As a lyricist she nails down some alarmingly visceral imagery (“If self control is what you want I'd have to break all of my fingers off” she yowls on the betrayal song More Than Ever) and you'd have to say there's a thread of fury and disappointment at lost love coupled with self-loathing or self-directed rage across many of these songs.

Samples: “These January nights really make me hate my life and I wanna get into a fight” (on Midwestern Guys); “Paradise is only for the weak man, no one goes to Heaven” (Heaven) and “I'm watching TV and I know I shouldn't be because it doesn't compare with walking down your street” (the title track).

Her delivery contains more bruised sensitivity than some of the blunt blade lyrics and treble-heavy production suggests.

So not an easy outing, but it certainly lives up to the ethos of its title, this is about very real stuff and never once do you think she might be faking this for effect.

Real.