AFTER the critical and commercial failures of the latest albums from dance giants The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim, it is left to others to step in.

The more alternative, but infectious, styles of Lemon Jelly and LCD Soundsystem could be what people want.

Both new albums trawl heavily from the Seventies and Eighties but the results could not be more different. Fun-loving chill masters Lemon Jelly return with an ingeniously colourful package, with a masterful eye for detail. And that's just the album sleeve - the tracks don't sound bad either.

The title, '64-'95, signifies the span in years of the samples used. It generally works well, albeit in smaller doses than with their previous two outings.

While maintaining their dreamy melodies and laid-back grooves, the duo have deserted their trademark kids' TV samples and the like, for something more grown up. The gorgeous acoustic track Only Time shuffles along at a doddering pace, but in a good way, while Stay With You makes excellent use of Gallagher & Lyle's I Wanna Stay With You. A thrilling sample of The Blue Garden by heavy metallers Masters Of Reality on Come Down On Me makes the biggest impact.

Meanwhile, New Yorker James Murphy, alias LCD Soundsystem, has resurrected the dying art of "punk funk" and made it all his own.

This impressive debut covers two discs, the first featuring nine new tracks and the second comprising his singles so far, including Losing My Edge and Give It Up. Murphy, one half of the infamous New York production duo/label DFA, is a very cool customer and will appeal to anyone into The Gang Of Four, Prince and The Fall.

The pulsing opener, Daft Punk Is Playing At My House, sets the tone for a record that combines noisy basslines, hook-laden punk and catchy melodies.

The gently psychedelic Never As Tired As When I'm Waking Up is fantastic, like listening to Pink Floyd in one headphone and White Album-era Beatles in the other. The Brian Eno-flavoured Great Release, is also inspired. Unfortunately Murphy's poor, nerd-like vocals are the record's real weak point.

Updated: 08:51 Thursday, February 03, 2005