Following on from this year's mammoth 69 Love Songs album, the prolific New York songwriter Stephen Merritt has assembled his side-project the 6th's to revisit his back catalogue. If you're already a fan then you're in good company; guest vocalists here include Neil Hannon, Sarah Cracknell and Gary Numan. The mood is languid and bittersweet; vindictive lyrics apart, the songs could easily form the basis of a superior Broadway musical. A fine album, although you end up feeling that Merritt really shouldn't need the presence of stars to get his songs heard.