THE Welsh music scene has greatly changed since Kelly Jones and the other two came to our attention with Stereophonics' 1997 debut Word Gets Around.

Back then, the Manics were enjoying a post-Richie Edwards wave of success before ageing strangled their revolution, a booze-fuelled Cerys Matthews was at the helm of Catatonia, and Feeder were barely known.

The 'Phonics, with their quirky tales of Valleys life and punky-pop sensibilities, filled a hole by having a strong identity while also appealing to the everyman. In writing this, their fifth album, Kelly apparently tried to recreate that magic - but the sound of the record could not be more different.

It is rocky, heavily produced and full of wizardry, with Kelly's voice reined in from its growling excesses. And the lyrics no longer seem to tell stories, merely describe feelings. It is a good rock record, but one that appeals to the middle-of-the-road, aping U2, Oasis and even The Charlatans on Brother.

At the other end of the Welsh music spectrum are Jo And Danny, organisers of Brecon's Green Man Festival and pioneers of the acoustic-electronic movement which spawned acts such as The Beta Band and anti-folk performers. The re-release of the pairing's critically acclaimed debut, plus four bonus tracks, sounds fresh despite being five years old. A beautiful, bliss-out album, worth revisiting or trying for the first time, it will stand the test of time. Jones's new offering may not.

Updated: 08:57 Thursday, March 17, 2005