Back catalogue: All genres

Review: This 2017 remaster revisits Paul McCartney's 1989 return to critical favour i a release that saw the UK artist bridging new studio technology with classic songwriting craft. Working with Elvis Costello on several co-writes, and producers including Trevor Horn, Mitchell Froom and Steve Lipson, the record pulls in tight arrangements, layered instrumentation and a refreshed lyrical sharpness. Tracks like 'My Brave Face' and 'This One' pair bounce and brightness with detailed melodic phrasing, while deeper cuts like 'Don't Be Careless Love' and 'That Day Is Done' show a darker, more reflective register. The band lineup features long-time collaborators including Hamish Stuart, Robbie McIntosh and Chris Whitten, laying down solid, versatile performances across brass-led pop, mid-tempo ballads and soft rock with orchestral touches. It's a reissue that doesn't add much new material, but the pressing is clean and the Japanese-translated lyric booklet adds an archival touch. A sharply focused, musically rich snapshot of McCartney reasserting himself in the late 80s, with arrangements that still hold shape and detail decades on.

Review: The turn of 1980 saw limited quantities of Salty Miller's lone album, a hidden gem of the beach music scene of the Carolinas, after which the properly named Beach Music Records names itself (they monopolised the scene early on). Miller's album blends soul, disco, and mid-tempo steppers, perfect accompaniments for the shag, beach music's signature dance. Though an 80s classic in its own right, Album 1 was made after Miller took extended time away from releasing: his masterwork heard a noble North Carolinian cast, including members of fellow The Embers, then join him on backing duties. Oceanic soundscapes and emotive string arrangements contrast with a local joviality; 'One More Time', 'Music Makes Me High', and 'The Fox' are standouts, though the peak sensation 'Happy Is The Word' has to be our highlight, bringing boardwalk-strutter soul and pitchy electric organs to a well chorused mix.