In preparation for a quiet run to the end of the year, I’ve been stockpiling albums — some are yet to arrive, including a hot-of-the-press album by I:Scintilla (gotta love that high dollar!) — but a few have lobbed and I’ve had a chance to wrap my ears around them.

In fact, the wonderful Ladytron albums Velocifero and Witching Hour supplied a delightful soundtrack to a cyberpunk short story I was working up — just the right combination of synths, guitars and wicked vocals to do the trick!

And I finally got around to tracking down Sarah McLachlan’s best-selling album Surfacing, featuring the stunning Building a Mystery. She was a charming performer when I saw her a bunch of years ago — she’s touring again with a Taste of Lilith Fair concert.

And now I’ve cracked the seal on another breakout album, Real Life’s Heart Land, and oh the memories evoked by Send Me An Angel! I’m sure that was on a mix-tape (remember them?) I put together on an after-school visit to my mate’s to soak up his vinyl collection on ’80s hot hits. There’s no mistaking David Sterry’s voice — it’s heartening they’re still out there, doing the job — as the album unfolds, such a strong outing it pains me that it’s taken this long for me to grab the CD.

Good company, this lot; I can’t wait for the rest to arrive to so we can get the party started.