Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's alternative CD releases.

Barclay James Harvest, "XII" (Esoteric)- BJH may have been riding on the crest of a wave in purely commercial terms when this polished set first saw the light of day in 1978 but all was not well behind the scenes in the prog-rockers' line-up, and mellotron ace Woolly Wolstenholme left the fold soon after its completion . Woolly's vinyl epitaph was a typically tuneful affair however , blessed with classic BJH creations such as his elegaic "In Search of England" and singer-guitarist John Lees' "Nova Lepidoptera" and "The Streets of San Francisco." This lavish 3CD re-issue features a newly re-mastered version of the original album alongside a couple of new stereo mixes of the contents and no less than seven bonus tracks.

Albert Hammond, "In Symphony" (BMG)- This veteran performer is still primarily regarded as a pop songwriter these days, but the Gibraltar born tunesmith did enjoy a brief flurry of chart successes in his own right during the early seventies with infectious singalongs such as "It Never Rains in Southern California" and "The Free Electric Band." This mildly grandiose offering finds Hammond revisiting those hits and some other choice extracts from his illustrious back catalogue with the support of the massed ranks of a symphony orchestra and choir.

Daphne's Flight, "Knows Time, Knows Change" (Fledg'ling)- This eloquent showcase for the talents of five of Britain's finest female roots music performers serves as a very, very belated follow-up to their critically acclaimed 1996 debut, "Daphne's Flight." Christine Colliister, Melanie Harrold, Julie Matthews, Helen Watson and Chris While have assembled another eclectic and wide-ranging collection for your listening pleasure, harmonising exquisitely as they blend elements of folk, jazz, blues and pop to create a captivating package which also features a vibrant cover of Elvis Costello's perenially topical "Shipbuilding."

Calan,"Solomon" (Sain Records)-I must confess that very few Welsh folk albums have winged their way to me over the years, so I wouldn't profess to be an expert on the subject. I can therefore say with some certainty that Calan are the finest Welsh folk outfit that I've ever heard, and the youthful quintet deliver a nicely varied assortment of songs and energised dance tunes with commendable verve and panache. alternating between Welsh and English language material in the process . "Apparition" and the resonant opening track, "Kan," are the best of an excellent bunch.