A decade since their previous effort, and 14 years since their previous masterpiece, Portishead returns with Third – and, oh, what a mindblowing third act. The first thing you'll realize about Third is that it's not Dummy Part 3 – a welcome and surprising trait – but it does take their earlier way with a spooky, brooding and ominous framework to new dimensions. Secondly, there's no obvious single – it's to be taken as a whole. Beth Gibbons's vocals are as soul wrenching as ever, and an overall stark, melancholic beauty connects Portishead '08 to the old stuff, but they go deeper. Some bits are quite minimalist, wringing emotion from a low strum, a distant chime, or a haunting bit of dissonance – other parts are more richly layered and even a bit jarring. Pulp cinematic aura, feedback textured psychedelia, haunting European pop, and traces of field recorded folk flavor the sound – they've dabbled in all of these elements before – but never with this particular feel. The sound of epiphany. How many acts in the pop realm create a whole new style with a classic album, and then pull off something nearly as great almost 15 years later, without ripping themselves off? Add Portishead to that small list. We'll call '08 early, this is the best pop album of the year. Titles include "Silence", "Hunter", "Nylon Smile", "The Rip", "We Carry On", "Deep Water", "Machine Gun", "Small", "Magic Doors", "Threads". CD

A really fantastic idea for a project – and one that comes off even better than we would have guessed – new versions of classic grooves from the nations of Cabo Verde and Guinea Bissau, performed by a really well-matched group of singers and musicians, in a mode that's quite different than the usual revival record of this nature! The songs are definitely classics, but the presentation is very contemporary – directed by producer Guts, and Francisco Sousa, with a special ear for avoiding the sorts of cliches that both mar a project like this, and some of the stereotypes that get reinforced by reissues on the market. Instead, there's a fresh criss-crossing of cultures, but one that never waters down the roots at all – maybe a bit like some of the best Parisian productions of the 70s and 80s post-colonial years. Titles include "Dunia Be Tene", "Riba Bass Di Mi", "Citi Ku Liti", "No Guinea", "Mulato Ferrera", "Segunda", and "Di Mas". (Global Grooves, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A bit more of a stripped-down set than other work that Benny Sings has given us in recent years – definitely a record with the vibe of the beat tape promised in the title – but one that still has some of the soulful elements that Benny's given us on other records too! The hip hop element is stronger here than usual, right down to the record's guests – who include Koreatown Oddity, Cola Boyy, Mocky, St Panther, Rae Khalil, and others – and Benny put the album together out of elements that weren't used in the final version of his album Music – but which still carry some of the soulful currents of that set. Titles include "Money & Guns", "Don't Look", "CGEOOL", "Green Grass", "Watch Me Heal", "Song 13", and "Mag Ik In Je Huid". (Neo Soul, New Grooves) LP, Vinyl record album

A second set of abstractions on Brazilian references from Fachada – and like his first, a record that has a lean vibe overall, and a funky blend of keyboards, percussion, and some well-chosen guest instrumentation! The set is plenty soulful, but never too smooth – and although much of the instrumentation is electric, the acoustic touches here are key – and really reference a Brazilian style of production, without ever rehashing older territory at all. Titles include "Danca Das Cadeiras", "Bebidas Frias Noites Quentes", "Busca", "Recordacao", "For a Das Sombras", "Pegue", "Segundo Tiro", and "Madrugada Anjaulada". LP, Vinyl record album

(Rock, New Grooves) CD

Sault have always been fantastic, but it also seems that with each new release, they get even more powerful and progressive – opening up a more radical agenda that really comes through in their music! The group don't state their position with the title of the record – which is essentially untitled – but their message comes through loud and clear in the way the righteous lyrics mix perfectly with their spare, stark instrumentation – a range of rhythms that often make it hard to tie Sault to any one category or scene, but which also makes the record bristle with excitement – on titles that include "Don't Shoot Guns Down", "Wildfires", "Sorry Ain't Enough", "Black Is", "Stop Dem", "Hard Life", "Hold Me", "Only Synth In Church", "Why We Cry When We Die", and "Bow", which features a guest appearance from Michael Kiwanuka. CD

Thievery Corporation are back after a long hiatus – and they've returned to the fold with a host of surprising guest stars! The set's got a really wide range of grooves – as one might expect when the group's working with artists that include David Byrne, Perry Farrell, and The Flaming Lips! But over and above these bigger crossover names, the team's also sticking very true to their roots on other tracks – bringing in some great downtempo and Brazilian influences, and fleshing out tunes with an equally great array of lesser-known talents that includes Sista Pat, Gunjan, Verny Varela, Gigi Rezende, and Patrick De Santos. Titles include "Marching The Hate Machines", "Pela Janela", "Sol Tapado", "The Time We Lost Our Way", "A Gentle Dissolve", "Holographic Universe", "The Heart's A Lonely Hunter", and "The Cosmic Game". CD

That's Thelonious Monk on the cover, getting an egg yolk removed from his head – and while that image may seem a bit sacrilegious, it's also a great way to portray the sound of this unusual Japanese group! Wonk have a sound that's begun in jazz, but quickly taken to much farther-out territory – maybe part of the funk, cosmic, and soulful currents you'll know in the music of Robert Glasper in recent years – but with even trippier, more abstract moments at times – as acoustic instrumentation comes into play with some hip hop-styled production, but always with a warmly beating heart that really holds the record together! The core group features keyboards, bass, and drums – plus vocals from Kento Nagatsuka on some tracks – and the album also features guest appearances by a few MCs, who further help extend the righteous vibe of the music. Wonderfully fresh, and with a sense of variety that really rewards deeper listening – on titles that include "RdNet", "Savior", "DOF", "Minton", "1914", "Glory", and "Emly". CD

A wonderful overview of contemporary sounds from the Brazilian underground – artists all marked by the "10s" in the title, as they've just begun to blossom in the current decade! The set's one of the freshest we've heard in years – and really gives us a great opportunity to sample music we might have missed otherwise – as recent years haven't seen the influx of Brazilian acts to the global market that we've known in decades past – which has kept so much recent music hidden from our ears! The range of styles is wonderful – still plenty of older roots, but often inflected with lots of new ideas, in a manner that's maybe a bit like some of the Cuban experiments that Gilles Peterson has been promoting on his own label – yet maybe even stronger, as these cuts have sprung from the underground on their own. Titles include "Obatala" by Abayomy, "Zulumbi" by Zulumbi, "O Rei De Tupanga" by Iconili, "Cervejas Populares" by Ive Seixas, "Lucifer Colombia" by Burro Morto, "Zebrabeat" by Zebrabeat Afro-Amazonia Orquestra, "Ecos De Niafunke" by Andre Sampaio E Os Afromandinga, "Faria Lima Pra Ca" by Passo Torto, and "Feito Tamborim Para Ceu" by Fabricio. (Brazil, New Grooves) CD

Essential! A hard to find compilation of seminal grooves, the long-out-of-print first volume to the legendary Headz compilation! This one blew everyone's mind back in the mid 90s, and it shaped the world of beathead production dratically for the next few years. Loads of great titles, including "Slipper Suite" by Palmskin Productions, "2000" by R.P.M., "In Flux (alternative interlude '93 version)" and "Lost & Found (SFL)" by DJ Shadow, "They Came In Peace" by Tranquility Bass, "Stars" by Nightmares On Wax, "Contemplating Jazz" by Attica Blues, "The Time Has Come" by UNKLE vs Major Force Orchestra, "Head West – Gunfight At The OK Corrall" by Howie B, "Destroy All Monsters" by Skull, "Lowride" by Autechre and 'Ravers Suck Our Sound" by La Funk Mob, plus a bunch of other smoked out trip hop grooves! (Hip Hop, New Grooves) CD

Very groovy! This series never stops being great – and this 7th volume is a stunning set of mellow jazzy grooves, with kind of a slight 60s easy bent to them! The list of tracks is very nice, with many light lilting groovers – including a number with a good Brazilian feel to them. Titles include "Misturada" by Kjeli Ohman, "A Starlett For You" by Andre Luterau, "Samba Para Norma" by Joel Wanroogenbroek, "Summertime" by Herb Alpert, "We've Only Just Begun" by Frank Cunimondo Trio, "Take Seven" by Roger Roger, "Bim Bom" by Silvio Silvera, "Berimbau" by Americo Bellotto, and "Kidnapping" by Karlheinz Schafer. Nice cover, too! (Funky Compilations, New Grooves) CD