Statistics are a baffling thing. They tell us that Sweden enjoys Europe's highest standard of living and its highest suicide rate. Statistics also tell us that The Cardigans are the country's most successful musical export since Abba. This actually makes perfect sense, for the quintet's music is an uncannily accurate microcosm of the country that spawned it-deliciously breezy pop melodies lent just enough bite by Nina Persson's fatalistic vocals. It's a recipe they perfected with unnerving confidence on Life, which exhibits an instinctive familiarity with the pantheon of timeless pop. Burt Bacharach's shadow looms unmistakably over the pensive autumnal strains of "Celia Inside" and "Tomorrow", whilst fragrant indie-pop nuggets such as "Rise And Shine" and "Gordon's Gardenparty" suggest that guitarist/songwriter Peter Svensson spent more than the occasional evening learning his craft from old Smiths records. It is, of course, impossible to discuss intuitive 90s female-fronted pop acts without mentioning Saint Etienne. The appreciation, in this case, is mutual; so impressed were the Etienne with the airy pristine sound of Life, that they were inspired to record 1997's Good Humor in the same Malmo studios. -Peter Paphides These days it's getting harder to tell the real pop twerps from the hip parodists-both of whom make music sweeter and more dizzying than cherry wine. Take Sweden's Cardigans, for example: On one hand, they work the same delicious Bacharach lounge jazz and gooey '60s girl swoons as Pizzicato Five, a group whose retrokitsch is delivered with a big, fake-eyelashed wink. [+]

Having pretty much cornered the market for great dance compilations with Clubber Guides, Trance Nations, Annuals and the like, Ministry Of Sound took a step away from the dancefloor with its first major chillout compilation The Chillout Session. And as with their more uptempo assortments, the quality of the tracks is superlative. From the subtle downtempo beats and pieces of Jakatta's "American Dream" to the Ibizan sunset vibes of York's "The Awakening" to horizontal classics like Lemon Jelly's "In The Bath" and Leftfield's "Melt", you can almost picture the lava lamp steadily bubbling away in the corner of the room. It's not all instrumental tracks, either, Alex Gopher's "The Child" and Fatboy Slim and Macy Gray's collaboration on "Demons" both pop up to add a little bit of late-night soul. The only problem is who gets up to put the second CD on. -Helen Marquis.

Hotel Costes 5 continues the tradition set by its predecessors, highlighting the music policy of Paris' most hip hotel. As a more Western answer to Paris' other great lounge export, The Buddha Bar, DJ Stephane Pompougnac mixes up a set of 15 interesting downbeat tracks built upon a backbone of jazz, Latin rhythms, electronica and deep house. It opens with the twee, unbridled optimism of "Galaxy" by Hippiehaus where it's difficult to stop a heart-warming smile from breaking across your face as you relax and sink further into the imaginary big comfy chair. Other highlights along the way are "Cocaine is a Sin" by the Strike Boys, which grinds a dirty organ riff that cuts through like a funky knife and then curiously blends in with the uniform sound of a ping-pong ball on "Ponger Star". One slight drawback to Hotel Costes 5, and indeed this series, is that a few of the selections, while very chilled and sonically satisfying are little more than Parisian lift music but thankfully these are in a minority amongst a wealth of intriguing and diverse pieces of music. -David Trueman.

This mix compilation by French DJ Dimitri From Paris of "Sacre Bleu" fame demonstrates the French preference for smoothness and elegance, which is fine when it comes to a twin set but a bit dry as far as dance music is concerned. Dimitri's unwillingness to get down and dirty in his mix denies these grooves by Masters At Work, Stetsasonic and Bah Samba their right to funk. His own remixes of Ashford & Simpson's Found A Cure and Atmosfear's Motivation are equally nice, chic and just a bit flat. The emphasis on sophistication hits its height with the reference to the Playboy Mansion, a fantasy zone of less than real pleasure where cool rules over content and a bloke in his 70s gets laid a lot. If you need a soundtrack to your lava lamps and brown shagpile carpet then here it is. -Jake Barnes.

It's been five years since Angie Stone's debut and her third album, Stone Love, is still taking the neo-soul approach with dabbles in hip-hop, funk and classic soul from throughout the years. The big song is "I Wanna Thank Ya", a funky, up-tempo hip-hop break that sees Stone dueting with Snoop Dogg-the production is a fresh take on the old skool sound while Stone's melody has a breezy disco-soul vibe. "Stay For a While" with Anthony Hamilton and "You Don't Love Me" are two highlights from the selection of silky smooth numbers where the warmth in Stone's voice is enhanced by the subtle arrangements. There are some poppier moments in "My Man" and "Lover's Ghetto" where the sound is influenced by the decadence of 80s soul, best summed up as a hybrid of Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan. Stone Love is another great album for both soul lovers and people who like their pop with a bit of soul in it. There is very little filler and above all, with Angie Stone's experiments in all things urban, it never gets repetitive or boring. -Georgina Collins.