Why music gets better and better. (Talent).

The announcement of the Mercury Music Prize shortlist each year offers an opportunity to reflect on the quality of current music, and this year's list has been quite rightly better received than many. But beyond a list of albums there are broader reasons to be upbeat about the health of UK music--and to believe that next year's Mercury list should be stronger still. Put aside such structural issues as the state of the singles market, pricing, illegal downloading and CD burning for one moment. The fact is that there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful about music, and here are a few of them.

Sophisticated teens

Edgy pop finds new attitude--and new fans