REEL PEOPLE Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Dropping some 22 years after their debut single appeared in stores, Reel People's Love 2 album - their first full-length for five years - could well be their most assured, confident and polished set of songs to date. In keeping with their soulful blueprint, the music enthusiastically blurs the boundaries between house, nu-disco, 80s soul, jazz-funk and boogie, with a string of guest vocalists (Eric Roberson, Jill Rock Jones and Paula included) swinging by to showcase their undoubted talents. Our picks of an extremely strong bunch include the dreamy, head-nodding Balearic soul of 'Dance In Her Eyes', the synth-soaked goodness of 'Save A Lil Love', the Latin-flecked deep house warmth of 'Something New' and the effortlessly summery brilliance of 'Vibe'.

Review: Long-serving soulful house and jazz-funk band Reel Peeple has decided to inaugurate a new series of disco and boogie covers. On the A-side of this first EP they serve up vocal and instrumental covers of Evelyn 'Champagne' King electrofunk classic "I'm In Love". Although these are largely reverentially faithful to the King's version (even down to the synthesizer settings), they also feel a little more loose and groovy - thanks in no small part to the band's drummer. On the flipside they opt for a more traditional disco sound on their versions of Geraldine Hunt's "Can't Fake This Feeling". Aside from the additional of some synth strings and warm Rhodes chords, they too are pleasingly faithful to their source material.