What the pop papers say: Week two of the bravest new world

Let's cut Conor some slack, shall we? Okay, last week his vision of a post-boy guitar band NME would have been scuppered by the Coldplay exclusive.

This week, of course, was the chance to show what a magazine turning away from the lads' bands would look like. Indeed, heavily trailed in last week's edition was what we should expect this week: Scarlett Johansson. Should be fascinating - a chance to try and get to grips with her surprising album, to see Hollywood royalty being up-front about their attempts to try and turn themselves into a left-field pop act. There are many questions to be asked. Much to be said. And at least it's not one of those bloody guitar-blokes we see so much of.

But what's this as the magazine falls to the floor? Big picture of Pete Doherty on the cover, under a white stripe promising Noel Gallagher banging on about those Oasis leaks.

Business as bloody usual, in other words. There's even space found for more some pages of Pete's latest prison diary. Where his last book was self-indulgent me-wank, the next one looks to be so half-arsed and so clearly just knocked up to have something to tout around the publishers, it makes those Christmas books that parody Harry Potter novels look like Ulysses.

Still, Conor slaps himself on the back for the "overwhelmingly positive" feedback to the new look magazine, and they're promising Scarlett J again for next week. Holding over such a big scoop to give the cover to Doherty's latest mea culpa seems to be a fatal decision, though.