New releases last eight weeks: Soul

Review: For the first time on green vinyl, cinematic funk and r&b singer Boz Scaggs gives us the Lowdown. One of the breakthrough hits from his 1976 album Silk Degrees, Scaggs' stylised, night-flighty sound is put on full blast here. Co-written by Scaggs and keyboardist David Paich (Toto), the record's unburdened and frolicking feel acts to disguise its subject matter: Scaggs' intention is double-sided, with the lyrics warning the listener about an unreliable, buttery figure, whose romantic trickery warrants an urgent briefing (hence "lowdown"). A twist arrives at the point of the chorus, when we realise that said bullshit artist might just be Boz himself. Well, we can't quite believe it. Are all us romantics loving a lie, to some extent?