Return to Paradise EMI****

In 2008, Sam Sparro’s single Black and Gold conquered charts around the world, picking up a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording in the process. Four years later, the Australian is back with a dodgy moustache and a new collection of slick pop songs. Although there’s no immediate equivalent of his biggest hit here, Return to Paradise is a consistently good record, similarly informed by soul and funk music with Sparro’s rich, varied voice leading the charge.

Happiness and We Could Fly borrow heavily from 1970s disco, but they're so irresistibly finger-clicking that it's impossible to resist them, while the Scissor Sisters-aping Closer and zippy dance-oriented tune Hearts Like Us bring things up to date. A quality pop album all round: one that bows to the golden era without forgetting the future. samsparro.com

Download tracks:Happiness, We Could Fly