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

The Psychedelic Furs,"Made of Rain" (Cooking Vinyl)- The "Pretty in Pink" hit-makers have remained active on the touring circuit since emerging from their self-imposed hiatus in 2000, but "Made of Rain" marks their first new album since "World Outside" appeared in record stores almost three decades ago. Founder members Tim and Richard Butler may be the only surviving members from the post punk rockers' creative heyday in the early eighties, but the current incarnation of the band never deviate too radically from the Furs' distinctive brand of widescreen melancholia as they serve up compelling gems such as "Wrong Train," "You'll Be Mine" and "The Boy That Invented Rock & Roll" for your listening pleasure.

The Texas Gentlemen,"Floor It!!!" (New West Records)- This five piece outfit cut their teeth as the studio backing band for country luminaries such as George Strait and Kris Kristofferson, but these consumate professionals are now firmly established as a major performing unit in their own right. The Texas Gentlemen may be loosely pigeonholed as practitioners of Americana, but frontmen Nik Lee and Daniel Creamer lead an eclectic line-up whose genre busting sound effortlessly fuses elements of funk,soul, country and gospel to create a life enhancing hybrid which has prompted favourable comparisons to such illustrious names as Little Feat, Booker T. & the M.G.'s and Bob Dylan's former sidekicks The Band. Snowy White,"Lucky Star-An Anthology 1983-1994" (Esoteric / Cherry Red)- This unassuming character enjoyed a brief glimpse of solo stardom when the evocative "Bird of Paradise" soared into the higher reaches of the UK singles charts in 1983, but the Devon born guitarist is probably best remembered these days for his fruitful collaborations with Thin Lizzy and the various incarnations of Pink Floyd. This richly rewarding retrospective from the good people at Cherry Red concentrates on Snowy's solo output, bringing together half a dozen highly listenable albums along with a generous helping of expertly crafted bonus tracks.