Song: Living In Another World

Artist: Talk Talk, England

Album: The Colour of Spring, 1986

Notes: A complete aural masterclass from Mark Hollis' band - swirling Hammond Organ, driving rhythm track, urgent melodies, pleading lyrics and a spiffing harmonica solo thrown in for good measure. How was this not a hit?

Song: Don’t Look Down

Artist: David Ryan Harris, Los Angeles

Album: Soulstice, 2004

Notes: Delightful, smooth Sunday strummer from LA-based tunesmith who formerly fronted the Atlanta-based rock combo, Follow For Now. Harris can sometimes be found performing on those sea-faring Rock Boat cruise-ship festivals.

Song: Overjoyed

Artist: Bastille, England

Album: Overjoyed EP, 2012

Notes: Promising new band with a fresh rock-tronica number. A quartet from South London in England, firmly fronted by songwriter and lead singer, Dan Smith, recently signed to Virgin Records.

Song: Bloom

Artist: Paper Kites, Australia

Album: Woodland EP, 2011

Notes: Breezy, intricate, organic folk pop from down under. Quartet is based in Melbourne, fronted by Samuel Bentley and Christina Lacy. Check out the sweet video accompanying video clip.

Song: It’s Been Done

Artist: Angela McCluskey, Scotland

Album: The Things We Do, 2004

Notes: Delicious, inventive soundscapes underwriting the smokey vocal class of the hugely under-appreciated McCluskey. She has a parallel career as the lead singer of the LA-based folk rockers, the Wild Colonials - though she's originally from Scotland.

Song: May You Never

Artist: Snow Patrol, N. Ireland

Album: Johnny Boy Would Love This, 2011

Notes: Empathetic rendering of a classic composition by the sorely missed British folk troubadour, John Martyn by Gary Lightbody and chums from a terrific tribute album to the late Martyn.

Song: Dear Sister, Your Brother

Artist: Talain Rayne, Phoenixville, PA

Album: Attic Lights, 2010

Notes: Featuring guest vocals by his girlfriend, Meg Lynch, a delightful peppy, ukulele-driven nugget. He got the music bug after his high-school teacher helped him buy a keyboard. Full name is Talain Rayne Blanchon.

Song: Hooked

Artist: Eilen Jewell, Los Angeles

Album: Queen of the Minor Key, 2011

Notes: Short, jazz/blues-flavored acoustic nugget from another hard-working, quality songstress trying to get heard above the noise in the City of Angels. More on Eilen at eilenjewell.com.

Song: Lisa

Artist: Eric Hutchinson, Los Angeles

Album: Moving Up, Moving Down

Notes: Shades of an old Lenny Kravitz number here, but just one of several worthwhile winners on one of the best new intelligent pop-rock CDs of the year thus far.

Song: Woman In The Waves

Artist: Michael Franks, La Jolla, CA

Album: Blue Pacific, 1990

Notes: Usually only heard on smooth jazz radio formats, Franks recorded a remarkably accessible catalog of work which deserves wider attention. Often constructs seemingly awkward, off-melody verses only to reveal complete harmonic bliss in the chorus.

Song: Driving With The Brakes On

Artist: Del Amitri, Scotland

Album: Twisted, 1995

Notes: Killer acoustic strummed ballad, so much more to Del Amitri's catalog than the frequently spun 'Roll To Me' which was included on the same CD.

Song: Fooling Myself

Artist: Leddra Chapman, England

Album: Telling Tales, 2009

Notes: Nu-folk songstress with a beautifully constructed gem. Still only 21, she's already worked with top tunesmith and L&F veteran, Ed Sheeran.

Song: Keeping The Dream Alive

Artist: Freiheit, Germany

Album: Fantasy, 1988

Notes: ELO-esque, highly melodic, melodramatic lost gem by German popsters, aka Munchener Freiheit, which has shifted more than five million album sales across Europe over the years.

Song: I Am

Artist: Guru Singh with Seal & Friends, Houston, TX

Album: Inspiration - The Sounds of Yogi Tea, 2003

Notes: Spiritually uplifting number from actor/singer now based in Los Angeles, with fine guest vocals from Seal. Featured on a couple of soothing Yoga compilations.

Song: Avalon

Artist: Roxy Music, England

Album: Avalon, 1982

Notes: Smooth musical cocktail by Mr. Style, the ever-dapper Bryan Ferry with his Roxy cohorts from the latter end of their career , the title track from the wonderful 'Avalon' album. Thorough new Roxy boxed set anthology just released, 'Roxy Music: The Complete Studio Recordings 1972 - 1982'.

Song: Without A Word

Artist: Birdy, England

Album: Birdy, 2011

Notes: Raw and imperfectly formed, but so promising. The only self-penned track on the exceptional maiden album by 15-year old Birdy (Jasmine van den Bogaerde).

Song: Change

Artist: Tears For Fears, England

Album: The Hurting, 1983

Notes: Before they changed the world in 1985 with their first US chart-topper, Tears For Fears released a brace of top-notch singles which flew under the radar including this one, all of which can be found on their largely overlooked freshman album.

Song: The Glow of Love

Artist: Change, New York

Album: The Glow of Love, 1980

Notes: L&F goes disco with a Chic-inspired diamond featuring an unmistakable vocal masterclass by soul legend Luther Vandross. Change was the vision of French Italian entrepreneur, Jacques Fred Petrus and Italian songwriter and producer, Maura Malavasi.

Song: Running Down The Aisle

Artist: Morning Parade, England

Album: Morning Parade, 2012

Notes: First class alternative rock from promising new band from London. Formed in 2009 and fronted by lead singer and guitarist, Steve Sparrow. Album will be available in the US in June.

Song: Take A Giant Step

Artist: Taj Mahal, Harlem, NY

Album: Giant Step, 1969

Notes: One of the most enduring cuts by one of the great American bluesmen of the past 50 years. Mahal has a unique finger-picking guitar style mostly using his thumb and middle finger - still going strong today and will turn 70 this year.

Song: Feel So High

Artist: Des'ree, England

Album: Mind Adventures, 1992

Notes: Smooth, easy flowing, soulful grooves of Desiree Annette Weeks from the same album which spawned the global smash, 'You Gotta Be'. No new material by her in a decade.

Song: Hangin’ On By A Thread

Artist: Kim Carnes, Hollywood, CA

Album: Checkin' Out The Ghosts, 1991

Notes: Haunting end-of-relationship-themed, old-school ballad with a lovely strings arrangement by 'the female Rod Stewart' whose signature hit was 'Bette Davis Eyes'.

Song: Love and Happiness

Artist: Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris, England/Nashville

Album: All The Roadrunning, 2006

Notes: Less is often best - so simple, pure and melodic, two evergreen musicians at the top of their harmonic game. From a collaborative album seven years in the making.

Song: Scatterlings of Africa

Artist: Johnny Clegg & Savuka, South Africa

Album: Third World Child, 1987

Notes: World Music nugget originally recorded by Clegg's first band Juluka in 1982, but updated on this version by his subsequent combo, Savuka. One of the few white musicians inside South Africa who openly performed and protested against apartheid.

Song: A Kiss To Build A Dream On

Artist: Mozella, Detroit

Album: Not available, 2012

Notes: Delightful, contemporary update by the ever-surprising Mozella on her treatment of the standard originally made famous by the great Louis Armstrong in 1951. Mozella can tackle any genre with class.

Song: You’re The Kind of Girl

Artist: Lee Fields, Brooklyn, NY

Album: Faithful Man, 2012

Notes: Sensational throwback rhythm and blues by vocal veteran, the sorely underrated soul belter, Lee Fields. Hard to believe this is from a brand new album, utterly authentic and winning old school soul underpinned by his ace backing band, the Expressions. Entire album is superb.

Song: Weather With You

Artist: Crowded House, Australia

Album: Woodface, 1991

Notes: Strong shades of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young one of so many overlooked pearls from New Zealand tunesmith, Neil Finn and his lauded Aussie combo.

Song: Long World

Artist: Christopher Cross, San Antonio, TX

Album: Another Page, 1983

Notes: One of the artists who came to define Adult Contemporary radio back in the early '80s, five-time Grammy Award winner Christopher Charles Geppert with a gorgeous overlooked ballad.

Song: Heavy Home

Artist: Spring Standards, New York

Album: Yellow/Gold EP, 2012

Notes: Tuneful trio of James Cleare, Heather Robb and James Smith, originally from Pennsylvania and Delaware, but now based in the Big Apple. More at www.springstandards.com.

Song: Love’s Crashing Waves

Artist: Difford & Tilbrook, England

Album: Difford & Tilbrook, 1982

Notes: The only 'solo' outing by the heart and soul, and main songwriters, for all things Squeeze, the pair recorded one album during a temporary split in the British group in 1982.

Song: Keep Warm

Artist: Ingrid Michaelson, Staten Island, NY

Album: Human Again, 2012

Notes: Tender and warm musical magic from what is already one of the best albums of the year.

Song: Lose Again

Artist: Karla Bonoff, Santa Monica, CA

Album: Karla Bonoff, 1977

Notes: Too sad for words, the internal struggle of someone trying to get out of a bad relationship, but somehow hanging on. Karla's "All My Life" retrospective is essential listening.

Song: Silver Thunderbird

Artist: Marc Cohn, Cleveland, OH

Album: Marc Cohn, 1991

Notes: "If there's God in heaven, he drives a silver Thunderbird." Terrific make/model-obsessed lost diamond on Cohn's signature freshman set.

Song: Haitian Divorce

Artist: Steely Dan, New York

Album: The Royal Scam, 1976

Notes: Why wasn't this a hit? Fabulous talk-box guitar work throughout by session great, Dean Parks, a brilliant reggae-laced evergreen outing from perfectionists, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.

Song: We Go On

Artist: Shelly Fraley, Nashville

Album: Hush, 2012

Notes: Fast becoming a L&F preferred vendor, another mournful pearl tucked away on her already overlooked but fab new CD. A promising newcomer among the non-country Nashville musical community, more at www.shellyfraley.com.

Song: Sailortown

Artist: Energy Orchard, N. Ireland

Album: Energy Orchard, 1990

Notes: A+ rock from Belfast by subsequent top solo tunesmith Bap Kennedy and his band from yesteryear. Signed to MCA Records on the recommendation of Steve Earle.

Song: What Can I Do?

Artist: Corrs, Ireland

Album: Talk On Corners, 1997

Notes: Typically engaging, harmonious outing from the charming sibling Irish group of three highly telegenic sisters, Andrea, Caroline and Sharon and their brother, Jim, one of the biggest-selling groups worldwide in the late '90s.

Song: The Scientist

Artist: Willie Nelson/Coldplay, Abbott, TX/England

Album: The Scientist (single) 2011

Notes: A typically sparse recording made last year for charity by Nelson somehow updating the Coldplay classic segued into the original masterpiece by Chris and chums.