Back catalogue: All genres

Review: This posthumous release offers a fascinating glimpse into the life and music of an enigmatic artist whose haunting voice and unique sound impressed listeners in the late 80s and early 90s. The collection brings together a treasure trove of previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1985 and 1995, showcasing the artist's diverse range that spans new wave, synth-pop and even house music. Each song is infused with her distinctive, smoky vocals, delivering a powerful emotional punch whether it's a haunting ballad or a danceable groove. The album demonstrates the artist's ability to transcend genres, with some tracks offering an updated, new-wave twist on her most iconic hit, while others dive into experimental soundscapes that reflect her creative depth. The compilation is a poignant reminder of her brief but impactful career, as well as the mystery that surrounded her life after her rise to fame. Accompanying the release is a documentary that delves into the artist's journeyifrom her early days as a taxi driver to her rise to cult status, followed by her disappearance from the music scene. This music, long hidden away, offers a powerful reflection on a life marked by both brilliance and tragedy, providing fans and newcomers alike with a chance to experience the full breadth of her artistic legacy. This version is available on 'summertime' green vinyl.

Review: Carrying the legacy of their late uncle, who was the cult and crate digger's favourite qawwali legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali return with a profoundly moving collection of songs on At the Feet of the Beloved. The album pulses with the intense emotions of love's anxious passion and the dreamlike devotion it inspires. The vocals and arrangements are masterfully refined throughout so sit in harmony with the work of the ensemble to create a transcendent musical experience that takes you way beyond your own world and into new realms.

Review: Quade's second album is steeped in the isolation and raw beauty of its birthplace: a crumbling Welsh barn surrounded by moors. The Bristol four-piece i Barney Matthews, Leo Fini, Matt Griffiths and Tom Connolly i channel this wild setting into a sound that's both fragile and immense, blurring ambient-dub textures with ghostly folk melodies and the drifting crescendos of post-rock. The Foel Tower feels like it was pulled from misty hillsides and long, firelit nights, an album of quiet intensity: tender one moment, potent the next, yet always emotionally direct. Tracks unfold patiently, as if shaped by the slow grind of weather over stone. There's a strong undercurrent of personal grief and resilience here too. The band's longtime friendship and collective hardships add a tangible intimacy, turning these atmospheric compositions into acts of quiet survival. The Foel Tower transcends as it is stark, gorgeous and deeply human. This is music for the in-between moments: dusk turning to night, silence folding into sound.

Review: This first outing on the new Jazzybelle label marks the first reissue in 25 years of Quarteto Novo's legendary Brazilian jazz album licensed from Universal Music Brazil. A fusion of northeast Brazilian music, bebop, jazz and folk creates a wonderfully alive and arresting organic sound from the influential group which features Hermeto Pascoal, Airto Moreira, Theo De Barros and Heraldo Do Monte. Quarteto Novo released only one album yet left a significant impact on Brazilian music after originally forming as "Trio Novo" for a live event. They gained popularity through a tour led by Geraldo Vandre in 1966 and this historic album was a real highlight of their early years.

Review: Given how much they became part of the rock establishment furniture in their later years, it's easy to forget what a radical and even threatening - using gay slang was a very different and altogether more dangerous prospect for a start - band Queen were in the early 70s. They cut a unique musical corner for themselves, not quite glam, not quite metal, but definitely leaning towards both, with Freddie Mercury's gusting voice and Brian May's raw guitar sound both thrusting away with plenty of feisty vigour. Anyone who's heard and loved thair legendary Live At The Rainbow 74 album - one that even avowed Queen haters have been known to admit has a certain charm - will appreciate the thrills on display just six or so miles up the North London road a mere year earlier. As ever, the heavier work works even better in the bearpit live atmosphere. Their rendition of 'Liar' approaches top marks on the 'one to Motorhead' rock scale, but the early rock 'n' roll medley and 'Carry On'-style larks of 'Hey Big Spender' are equally fascinating glimpses of these rock legends enjoying their formative years. A lot.

Review: Released in 1977, this Nigerian rock album remains a hidden gem, rediscovered by a new generation thanks to recent reissues. Produced by Odion Iruoje, the album features a group of college students whose music captures the vibrant, post-civil war Nigerian rock scene. With a sound that blends Western rock influences like The Beatles, Buffalo Springfield and early Genesis with a distinct African touch, the album is a joyful yet melancholic exploration of love and harmony. Tracks like 'Love', 'Be Nice to the People' and 'Mary Enne' showcase the band's signature blend of fuzz guitar and heartfelt vocals. The music resonates with the exuberance of other African bands like Blo and Witch, yet it stands out with its heavy fuzz guitar and English vocals, steering clear of political or social activism in favor of pure, emotional expression. This album, recorded in Kenya, captures a moment in history when African rock was evolving, bridging cultures and sounds. It's a timeless piece, equally nostalgic, fresh and perfect entry point into African psychedelia for new listeners and a rewarding revisit for those already familiar with the genre.

Review: Portland, Oregon's Graham Jonson urges our hurries once more with Heard That Noise, an anemological study in ascendant post-rock and psych. Jonson crafts intimate, zigzagging and west windy songs, ploughing the grey, sludgy boundaries of folk, pop, and noise. Following a subtle tangent from SoundCloud renown to 2021's The Long and Short Of It, he now follows that record up through a desultory reflection on breakups, memory, and creative rediscovery; Phil Elverum, Dijon and Nick Drake glance through the sonic cloud cover as ancestral muses, while the record blends warmth and discordance, where sweet ballads unravel into distortion; serene moments jolted by sonic "jump scares."