Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Don Blackman's 1982 self-titled debut is an underrated jazz-funk gem that fuses soul, funk and jazz-fusion into a sophisticated groove-laden journey that was produced by Dave Grusin and Larry Rosen for GRP Records. The album showcases Blackman's keyboard wizardry and soulful vocals across standout tracks like 'Heart's Desire' and 'Holding You Loving You.' With playful cuts like 'Yabba Dabba Doo,' it balances polish with joyful experimentation and though not a commercial hit, its influence has quietly grown and ir has been sampled by hip-hop greats and revered by collectors alike. This reissue reaffirms its status as a cult classic and a crucial slice of 80s funk.

Review: Funk and soul album don't come much better than this. Chocolate Milk's Action Speaks Louder Than Words is a 1975 classic and an essential piece of New Orleans music history. Discovered and produced by the legendary Allen Toussaint, the band's debut blends tight grooves, sharp horn lines and socially conscious lyrics with the rich musical heritage of their hometown. The standout title track is a rare groove classic still sampled and revered decades later. With polished arrangements and undeniable rhythm, this album firmly established Chocolate Milk as a force in 70s funk and remains a superb boogie-infused release that is as vital and infectious today as ever.

Review: 2002's Hooverphonic Presents Jackie Cane always felt like the odd jewel in the Belgian outfit's catalogue i part concept album, part theatrical detour, wrapped in lush strings and Bond-theme bravado. The 2025 reissue brings it back into focus, and it's certainly worth revisiting. There's drama i torch songs, twisted pop, and trip-hop filtered through a cinematic lens i but also a tangible sense of melancholy beneath. Tracks like 'Sometimes' and 'Human Interest' still land with weight, while the nocturnal psychedelia of 'Jackie's Delirium' and 'Shampoo' adds hallucinogenic depth to the collection. It's all very stylised, but that's part of the charm. You can hear the ambition, the restlessness. Not quite cool, not quite kitsch, but somehow it works.

Review: There's more to US funk god Rick James than just 'Super Freak' and this sprawling retrospective proves it. Across four sides, the Buffalo-born musician's full-spectrum funk is on glorious display i from the righteous bounce of 'You & I' and weed-soaked romance of 'Mary Jane', to the hard-grinding grooves of 'Ghetto Life' and 'Give It To Me Baby'. The hits are all here, but so are deeper cuts like 'She Blew My Mind (69 Times)', 'Cold Blooded' and 'Can't Stop', showing off James's twisted humour, whip-smart arrangements and genre-bending instincts. Highlights like 'Glow', 'Dance Wit Me - Part 1' and the Temptations-featuring 'Standing On The Top' cement his reputation as a psychedelic soul innovator who consistently defied convention. Even the closing Busta Rhymes flip of 'In The Ghetto' feels earned i a nod to his lasting influence on rap and r&b. This isn't just a greatest hits i it's a flex, a time capsule and a reminder that Rick James could outplay, outsing and outfreak almost anyone.

Review: Peter Hook's post-New Order venture with David Potts resurfaces after 25 years with Monaco, the duo's second and final album, finally seeing a vinyl pressing for the first time. The self-titled LP followed Music For Pleasure and leant into Hook and Potts' foundational fondness for rock-dance hybrids, with the buoyant 'I've Got A Feeling' and the moodier 'See Saw' among the stereo-steroidal standouts; we've everything from Brit-pub rock whimsy to club-shuttling indie house respectively. This UK-only edition lands as a deluxe gatefold double crystal clear wax; with a four-page booklet and a deluge of bonus tracks, this is the first proper physical revisit to a project that closed the 90s in the shadow of Hook's better-known bands.

Review: Between 1995 and 2000 Joy Division's Peter Hook and his collaborator David Potts formed Monaco and released two cracking albums. The second of which is now getting an anniversary release in the best possible audiophile quality. It didn't fare as well commercially as the first album, which had the hit 'What Do You Want From Me' and was more electronic in nature. But the janglier nature of this second record is a joy to delve into. 'I've Got A Feeling' has melodies to rival The La's and 'Kashmere' is a sign that in terms of production Monaco were operating on another level compared to most in the post-Britpop space. Meanwhile, hearing Hook's signature basslines throughout, but within a sonic bedding that you haven't quite heard him play before, is a compelling joy. Under-championed excellence here from Monaco.