"We were happily married until he waved a gun at me." No, this is not a topic on the Jeremy Kyle show, rather a tale of domestic bliss as portrayed by Ms Macy Gray.

However, you do not want to mess with Macy. By the end of Strange Behaviour, our modern-day Miss Otis is unashamedly spending a heavy insurance policy payout after bumping off her spouse.

Charming stuff, I'm sure. No wonder Ms Gray is hardly a family favourite.

Yet despite the spiteful, provocative lyrical content, Big is an album of beauty, and Gray proves herself as a major talent.

Fans will delight in guest appearances from will.i.am, Fergie, Justin Timberlake and the fabulous Natalie Cole.

Another rock chick not ready to play nice, ex-Spice Girl Melanie C, comes up with a couple of gems on her latest.

Although the movie theme song I Want Candy grates with the remainder of the album, the remake of The Runaways' greatest hit is a frothy summer sensation, and Mel's collaboration with Cathy Dennis and Guy Chambers, Protected, has the potential to resurrect Ms Chisholm to the upper echelons of the charts.