From fragile gifts for children to party inflations, early hot air expeditions to the plight of dirigible blimps and zeppelins, balloons offer a profound literal and metaphorical set of emotions to fill the lungs of song

Aliens to unexpected identity, unusual sounds to strange artistic combinations as well as the lyrical subject itself, guest Marco den Ouden brings a box of brilliant surprises in response to our Big 10th Birthday Topic

Suddenly, out of nowhere we are 10 years old! A big celebration then, and a theme that’s surprising (or is it?) with lyrically with narrative twists, or unpredictable turns of phrase, bizarre sounds, odd instruments, strange key changes, or structures made to take the listener by surprise

Liquorice stick? This is more like a full musical feast as we tootle across multiple nations, eras and genres courtesy of the nimble fingers and ears of guest Nicko, who picks many great notes from last week’s theme

Across all the genres it's time for a tootle on the old liquorice stick. Versatile in sound, from a smooth, pure voice, to a dirty growl, a gradual glissando to a noisy blast of so-called blarinet, from resonant, lovely soloist to a voluminous harmonised group

New album: Following 2024’s Natural Magick, the British rock band fronted by Crispian Mills continue their late-career purple patch with their third album in just four years and eighth across their three decades with a kaleidoscopic, unabashed high-octane dive into 60s-style psychedelia

New album: Lauded by the likes of Chappell Roan and Doja Cat, and now with a big Tiktok fanbase for her oddball videos, a quirkily original, humorous, melodious DayGlo DIY-ethic 80s-influenced synth pop debut LP by North Carolina’s Isimeme Udu

New album: Following his 2024 release as Caribou with Honey, Canadian composer and musician Dan Snaith returns as his other moniker, the dance/electronica and instrumental side with a selection of fun experimental sounds loosely evocative of the gently fluttering insect

New album: After a decade away, a welcome, warm return by the revered, charismatic, golden-voiced neo-soul and R&B singer, songwriter, actress, and poet from Philadelphia, with a new full-hour collection of smooth, jazzy, funky, heartfelt, positive, defiant and uplifting numbers and a selection of guests

New album: Enormously fun, inventive, experimental, colourful pop-art-rock by the Brighton quartet of Jamie Chellar (guitar), Greg Burns (bass), James Gillingham (drums) and Leah Stanhope on vocals, bringing a cocktail of 80s pop and 00s indie through humour, mischief and clever, quirky musicality

Song of the Day: An intricate, glimmering fusion of guitars, synths, pacy rhythm and emotive delivery with stylistic echoes of Radiohead by the Melbourne indie band of Noah Harris and co, heralding the upcoming EP, 8HRS, out on 24 April via Community Music

Song of the Day: Mesmeric, repetitive, jangling ambience over gentle, infectious beats with a looping vocal by the London electronica artist Kate Lloyd with number about embarking on a journey into love with excitement, yet with an undertone of uncertainty and apprehension, then giving into surrender and euphoria

Song of the the Day: A quirky, sharp, clever, jerky, catchy nod to disco punk of the early-2000s by the Montreal art-punk collective with a a mix of hooky riffs, pacy drums and crunchy bass, themed across the chance numbers game and a spin on creativity, and also now the title track heralding their upcoming album out on 12 June via Mothland and Bella Union

Song of the Day: A beautiful, passionate, stirring and serene love song from the New Jersey rock band fronted by producer and singer-songwriter Jack Antonoff, heralding the upcoming sixth album, Everyone For Ten Minutes, out on 22 May via Dirty Hit Records

Song of the Day: Beautiful, evocative indie-folk with a Celtic flavour by trio of Evelyn Gray (previously of Tapir!) on guitar/vocals, Suzie Nicholls on bass, and Sophia Bartlett on violin, heralding the forthcoming project I Am Building a House (out on My Life is Big) which also includes a novel