Review: Kelly Finnigan, based in San Francisco, continues his rich legacy of soul with a fresh collaboration alongside fellow genre legend Renaldo Domino. The pair's new 45, kicks off with 'Keep Me In Mind,' is a track originally laid down in 1967 by Buffalo's Samson & Delilah, but Finnigan brings a modern, soul-soaked touch to the tune, locking in with tight rhythms and vibrant horns, all while channeling the essence of classic male soul duos like Sam & Dave. On the flip side, 'Let Me Count The Reasons,' pulled from Finnigan's recent A Lover Was Born, dials down the tempo into a more tender, romantic groove. Written with long-time collaborator Max Ramey, it beautifully weaves influences from Detroit to Philadelphia soul. This 45 is yet another nod to Finnigan's knack for crafting timeless soul, making it a must-have for DJs and lovers of classic, heartfelt music. With every release, Finnigan proves why he remains at the forefront of modern soul.
Review: Have you ever wondered what might happen when you collide Mighty Ryeders' timeless rare-groove classic 'Evil Vibrations' and De La Soul's iconic hip-hop jam 'A Roller Skating Jam Named 'Saturdays'' into one new tune? Well, wonder now more, because that's exactly what Groove-Diggers have done here. This fresh version blends the sampled parts of 'Evil Vibrations' with De La Soul's raps and vocals while Japanese hip-hop group FNCY have added their own new mic work into the mix as a way of paying tribute to De La Soul's original hit. Also included is a Japanese cover of 'Evil Vibrations' by Taiwanese jazz and neo-soul singer 9m88 which brings a whole different respective. A fun and sure-to-be effective package.
Review: Emma Noble, the emerging soul singer from London, delivers a powerful performance on the girl group soul anthem 'Unstoppable'. Her second single, it's poised to become a next-gen floor-filler; catch us playing it on repeat, *in flagranti*, after it premiered on Craig Charles' BBC6 Soul Show in early 2025. 'Going Going Gone' backs it up on the B-side, as the first single from FPE's upcoming album Waves. Hearing rising Australian singer-songwriter and pop genius J Mahon on vocal duties, the track's catchy brass sections combine with J's androgynous soul vocals, and evokes the sounds of young Motown artists in the style's 60s adolescence.
Review: Froid Dub return to the dubbing fold full of cold sang-froid with new one 'Tears Maker Chant'. The landmark 50th release for the label and editorial Ransom Note, this new progeny of Paris duo Stephane and Francois, known both for their own distinctive productions and self-released Delodio label curations, offer a stripped-back, slow-smouldering blunderbuss of bass-heavy minimalia with the sliest of sly nods to Italo disco on the B, creating what they call "low-slung mood music. Measured, murky, magnetic. It's a debut outing on Ransom Note for the duo, and a sharp alignment with the label's taste for genre-blurring system oddities.
Review: Montreal producer Jesse Futerman returns a refined sound that has carefully developed since the early 2010s. With past support from BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music champions like Gilles Peterson and Benji B and collaborations with the legendary Beverly Glenn-Copeland, Futerman is a real contemporary favourite. These four cuts blend swinging vocals and organic live drums with introspective downbeat bliss outs like 'Velvet Glove' and 'The Case of The Lost and Found' marries the sort of life-affirming piano lines and persuasive Balearic grooves that will light up more mature parties. 'You Are All The World Of Hero' is a delicate dub with fluttering percussion and hand drums lending it great intimacy.
Review: In the wake of unprecedented flooding that devastated Rio Grande do Sul in May 2024 - claiming over 170 human lives and countless animals, and submerging entire cities -local artist Carlos Ferreira created Flux as a means to survive. Composed and recorded in just one week during the height of the crisis, the album began as a personal coping mechanism but soon evolved into something more: a sonic document of a region in trauma. Born of catastrophe, Flux manifests as a twinkling sonic blanket despite it, buoyed by dreams of alterity and belonging, its incredible Max granulations matching the pockets of hope implied therein. Stark, urgent textures mirror the patent despair of the moment, yet embedded within are quiet meditations on endurance, reflecting a labile openness to change from the guitarist-composer and longtime AvantRoots resident.
Review: There's something timeless about the way this veteran UK singer carries himself and this 2010 album, now reissued on striking red vinyl, makes that all the more clear. It feels like a continuation of the Roxy Music legacy in spirit, mood and style, with that familiar air of suave detachment and immaculate detail, with a production styler that's lush and forward-thinking, bridging classic lounge-pop stylings with modern textures that still sound fresh over a decade later. The sleekness is no accident - every element is meticulously placed, from the glossy synths to the hushed guitars and orchestral flourishes. 'Shameless' is one of the more adventurous tracks, pulling in electronic flourishes courtesy of Roots Manuva. It's a bold move that actually works, blending suave vocals with a beat-driven framework that never feels forced. The real surprise, though, is the version of 'Song to the Siren' - a haunting, fragile take on the track made famous by Tim Buckley and This Mortal Coil alike, that shows just how much weight his voice can carry with minimal backing. Easily one of the most affecting covers in his catalogue. 'Tender Is The Night' rounds out the highlights with a melodic, romantic glow. There's an added layer of interest with Brian Eno - a Roxy member in its early days - contributing, creating a sense of full-circle collaboration. The sound of a seasoned artist evolving gracefully, without losing the qualities that made him magnetic in the first place.
Review: Now reissued on vinyl, this 1999 album from veteran solo crooner and former Roxy Music frontman sees him in full command of his cabaret croon and vintage sensibilities, diving headlong into a collection of pop standards from the 1930s and 40s. Known for reshaping rock and pop songs in his own image, Ferry here takes a more classical routeinot to reinvent, but to evoke, with renditions rendered with delicate, period-authentic arrangements: intimate string sections, lilting piano and subdued brass, as Ferry's famously tremulous voice drifts like perfume through the arrangements. He approaches standards like 'Lover Come Back To Me', 'I'm In The Mood For Love,' and 'You Do Something To Me' with characterstic effortlessness, and rather than sounding like a museum piece, As Time Goes By feels lived-in and cinematic. A smooth, sepia-toned reverie.
Review: Turning the clock back to 1991, legendary Welsh DIY pop band Ffa Coffi Pawb repress their second album for the modern listener. Recorded with experimental electronic studio head Gorwel Owen, in a flat, above a Post Office in Rhosneigr, on the island of Anglesey, it makes no apologies for its uptempo and cacophonous sound, swagging out the starting blocks like a Celtic Happy Mondays. Or, more accurately, Black Grape. Shades of Primal Scream are equally audible in at least some of the guitar riffs, although given the group were fronted by a young Gruff Rhys - who would go on to form Super Furry Animals before embarking on his own critically acclaimed and musically outstanding solo career - you can bet your bottom dollar this is far more original than any lazy comparisons would suggest. Or whatever that translates to in Welsh.
Review: Fine Glindvad Jensen's Rocky Top Ballads is an album that feels as though it's suspended in time, capturing moments that are both timeless and ephemeral. Fine's lyrics, often vague in their specifics, convey a sense of days slipping by, with an urgency to grasp reality through songwriting. Drawing from the Copenhagen scene, where she's collaborated with Erika de Casier and Astrid Sonne, Fine's music under her solo moniker defies easy categorization. While hints of Mazzy Star and a touch of "countrygaze" permeate the album, her sound is also rooted in the traditional folk music of her upbringing. Rocky Top Ballads is a deeply personal and intuitive collection, blending sample-based production with organic instrumentation. The result is a debut that feels both assured and strangely new. Tracks like "Days Incomplete" capture a yearning that is both fervent and detached, while 'Losing Tennessee' and 'Big Muzzy' explore themes of love, loss, and self-discovery. The album's beauty lies in its ability to evoke emotions and leave lingering questions, keeping listeners entranced.
Review: The haunting score for the most recent episode in the beloved series has finally arrived on vinyl, marking the game's tenth anniversary. This release celebrates a soundtrack that brilliantly mirrors the eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere of Sevastopol Station while paying homage to the iconic style of Jerry Goldsmith's original Alien score. Pressed on translucent "blood green" marbled vinyl, the music takes listeners through a tense journey, balancing orchestral dread with unnerving electronic textures. Tracks like 'Welcome to Sevastopol'. 'Quarantine' and 'Working Joes' perfectly encapsulate the game's blend of suspense and terror.The soundscape reflects the game's grimy, retro-futuristic aesthetic, immersing the listener in cold industrial corridors and the vast loneliness of space. Moments of creeping dread are interspersed with fleeting glimmers of resilience, mirroring Amanda Ripley's determined journey. iam8bit's release also features stunning artwork by Nimit Malavia, capturing the isolating terror of the game's universe. With its gripping combination of atmospheric design, tense compositions and nods to the original Alien legacy, this soundtrack doesn't just accompany the gameiit becomes part of the chilling experience.
Review: Built on two decades of collaboration between drummer Sam Hobbs and bassist Neil Innes - no relation to the Monty Python and Rutles man of the same name - the pair's new ATA project blends rootsy Jamaican groove with the syncopated strut of New Orleans funk. Though technically a new release, it's more a continuation than a debut: the lineup includes jazz organist Bob Birch and session guitarist Chris Dawkins, drawing from deep wells of soul, rocksteady and r&b. Tracks like 'Grafter' and 'Bust Up' land squarely in the crossover zone between Studio One and The Metersiraw but slick, with a tight pocket and loose-limbed flair. 'An Autumn Sun' leans sweet and sentimental, while 'Strong Fish' pays organ-heavy homage to Jackie Mittoo's Hot Milk-era work. Elsewhere, 'Power Cut' and 'Night Bus' arrive with horn motifs that seem tailored to I Roy-style toasting, and 'Tough Swagger' is a heavy-lidded jam that could've wandered in off a Bunny Lee tape. But it's 'Iron Fist' that best captures the group's method: groove-first, melody-second, built on intuition and the friction of mismatched rhythms. Despite the vintage touchstones, it never feels like pasticheithe record balances reverence with invention, keeping one foot in Kingston and the other in Treme. For a group with so much history, it sounds impressively fresh.
Review: Robert Forster, co-founder of the Go-Betweens and one of Australia's most acclaimed singer-songwriters, releases his new album on Hamburg's stellar Tapete Records, which is the pop arm of Krautrock label Bureau B. What's clear is Forster's ear for jangly 60s pop is as refined as you can get. He's up there with Creation Records legend Pete Astor, who influenced Ultimate Painting. It's the softer more melodic side of indie pop, but ultimately, hard to argue against as an approach to songwriting. In terms of highlights, 'Tender Years' is a must-listen as it has a darkness to it thanks to the minor chord guitar twang that underpins the rambling lyrical explorations perfectly. This is up there with Nick Cave's best stuff.
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