Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Writers will appreciate the double play on words no doubt, and trying to figure out who wouldn't get off on the Au Pairs is part of the brain teaser here. That said, the British post punk outfit only managed to peak at 79 in the album charts with this one, so clearly back in 1982 plenty of people either felt differently to us or weren't actually listening. Rediscovering the record now confirms their ignorance. Musically, Sense & Sensuality is a far broader collection than the group's preceding work, smashing through the limitations of a genre that was in its Informed by free form jazz, theatrical cabaret, new wave and art pop, it's a wild and unarguably fun ride instrumentally speaking, while lyrics speak to personal challenges and timely political issues.

Review: Agharta snares Miles Davis and his electric septet in full volcanic mode, recorded live at Osaka Festival Hall during a 1975 afternoon set. Sonny Fortune, Michael Henderson, Al Foster, James Mtume, Reggie Lucas and the incendiary Pete Cosey conspire with Davis to pour molten funk, noise and free improvisation into a dense, swirling suite moulded across four untitled sections. Davis barely leads; rather, the ensemble pushes forward through locked, polyrhythmic surges, Cosey's snarling guitar and FX rig driving much of the intensity. Teo Macero oversaw the recording, though here there's little of his trademark splicing; the chaos is left intact. Though once derided, Agharta is now rightly recognised as the hellish high watermark of electric jazz that it is. This 50th anniversary edition is limited to 2000 copies on translucent blue vinyl.

Review: One of the most underappreciated and perhaps most emotionally resonant albums from this legendary keyboard wizard gets a timely reissue. Released in 1992, it was overshadowed by the shifting tides of popular music, but time has finally begun to catch up to its brilliance. Here, Dolby reveals a matured musical identity that is melodically rich, lyrically thoughtful and sonically adventurous. 'Cruel', featuring the exquisite Eddi Reader, is one of Dolby's most stirring ballads. A lush, heartfelt piece that blends synth sophistication with intimate vocals. 'Eastern Bloc (the sequel)' cleverly reimagines 'Europa and the Pirate Twins', even borrowing rhythmic cues from Johnny Otis's 'Willie and the Hand Jive' before veering into its own layered complexity. On 'Silk Pajamas' and 'I Love You Goodbye', Dolby dips into a warm, Southeastern US sound palette, his intricate electronic textures as well as his knack for genre fusion (without ever sounding gimmicky) shining bright. Even when venturing toward mainstream pop ('Close but No Cigar') or darker territory ('Neon Sisters'), Dolby remains unpredictable yet unmistakably himself. The final track, 'Beauty of a Dream', is a moving, cinematic closer that lingers long after. While The Golden Age of Wireless remains iconic, Astronauts & Heretics is Dolby at his most personal and artistically fearless. It's great to see this album get its due.

Review: Italy's Fun Fun helped define the sugar-rush sound of mid-80s Euro disco, pairing fizzy synth hooks with mannequin-fronted lip-sync routines and high-energy vocal cuts from singers like Antonella Pepe and Ivana Spagna. This archival collection charts their rise through continental clubland, anchored by the Ben Liebrand remix of 'Happy Station'-a fizzy, sample-chopped classic that became a fixture in European discos. Other standouts include the stomping neon throb of 'Give Me Your Love', the melodramatic flair of 'Baila Bolero', and the sleeker, Japanophile synth pop of 'Living in Japan'. Also featured is the 'Mega Hit Mix', a Dutch-style megamix by Martin Boer that stitches their biggest tracks into a hands-up medley of stabs, snares and ecstatic breakdowns. For all its plastic glamour, there's real craft here-this is pure Italo escapism with a polished studio touch.

Review: Formed during New Order's mid-90s hiatus, UK duo Monaco saw bassist Peter Hook and David Potts push Hook's signature bass-driven sound into unabashed pop territory. This expanded reissue revisits their 1997 debut, which hit number eleven on the UK charts and features the single 'What Do You Want From Me?'-a track so reminiscent of New Order it was frequently mistaken for one. Elsewhere, 'Shine' and 'Sweet Lips' channel jangly optimism through punchy synths and glam-flecked choruses, while deeper cuts like 'Blue' and 'Sedona' explore moodier, more textured arrangements. The bonus material includes previously unreleased tracks and two extended remixes of 'Sweet Lips': a warm, dubbed-out version from Farley & Heller and a disco-fuelled slice from Joey Negro. Hook's presence remains unmistakable, grounding even the most saccharine melodies with his driving low-end. What emerges is a curiously compelling time capsule of 90s alt-pop euphoria, full of hooks, heart and heavy basslines.

Review: Stourbridge-raised grebo trailblazers Pop Will Eat Itself are doing their bit to breathe life into an unfairly forgotten scene that they helped start in the late 80s from their town on the outskirts of Birmingham. Whilst Britpop hit major label sales targets, the more nuanced sonics - everything from punk and folk to electronic and hip-hop was referenced - was harder for the labels to package, leaving grebo to gather dust, relatively speaking. But this reissue of the Public Enemy-influenced group's 1996 compilation (released the year they split) makes a case for the resurrection of grebo to prevail. Among the highlights are 'Wise Up! Sucker' and 'Can You Dig It?', which dented the charts in 1988, and the slightly later 'Not Now James, We're Busy', a track about James Brown's arrest in the 1980s which captures their Black Country sense of humour and genre-blending greatness. A fun return to the second half of the band's first era as Clint Mansell - now, of course, an esteemed soundtracks composer - and co prepare to take to the road in reformed guise in October.

Review: Arriving in 1997, a time when the UK's music scene was awash with Britpop and various electronic sub-genres, Unleash The Beast lands between their NWOBHM 80s glories and their subsequent re-adoption as metal national treasures, but that shouldn't put you off. It takes more than a few fads to put the Barnsley crew off their stride and they sound like they're firing on all cylinders on 'The Thin Red Line' or 'The Preacher', which neatly incorporates a ZZ Top-type headnodding funkiness and unusually Bon Scott-esque vocal into their well worn twin guitar trademarks. There are cursory nods to stadium rock and thrash metal here, but Saxon have always stayed relevant by doing what they do best rather than pandering to fashion. You know what they do - and if you like it, you'll love this.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


The American gothic rock and post-punk band She Wants Revenge - formed by founding members Adam Bravin and Justin Warfield in 2004 - hears a reissue of their second album 'This Is Forever' from 2007. A fascinating continuation of the gothic post-punk sound in an era in which it wasn't exactly fashionable, Bravin and Warfield present a brilliant mashup of eerie, gamey electronica and eye-popping, authentic punk here. The record opens with the looming piano castellations of 'First, Love' - a boom-boom-pow instrumental intro that suggests every grim, bloodthirsty motif you need to know, without saying a word - then the real carnage ensues with the likes of 'Written In Blood', 'True Romance', 'She Will Always Be A Broken Girl' and 'Rachel', all of which together tell a fierce tale of high-stakes heartbreak and redded redress; electrified punk, fallen women.

Review: Reggie Lucas assembled Sunfire in the early 80s, drawing from a deep well of experience as a guitarist, producer and songwriter behind era-defining hits for Stephanie Mills and Madonna. With Raymond Calhoun and Rowland Smith circum-pleting the trio, Sunfire's self-titled LP distilled their collective pedigree into a lean set of slick, synth-laced funk, whose rubber sound is as taut as liquid elastane. 'Young, Free & Single', their best known track, leads the charge with infectious bounce, flanked by 'Feet', 'Step In The Light' and 'Keep Rocking My Love', breaststroking between boogie, electro and disco-soul, all neatly fastened by the drum machine. Produced just before Lucas' work on Madonna's debut, the record glows with rawhide studio sheen and radio-ready confidence. This limited edition repress comes to just 750 copies on yellow "flamed" vinyl.

Review: New York glam-metal outfit White Lion carved out a distinct place in late 80s rock with melodic precision, glossy riffs and stadium-sized sentiment. This collection captures their most anthemic highs, with cuts from Pride, Big Game and Mane Attraction laid out in full power-ballad and riff-led glory. The one-two of 'Wait' and 'Radar Love' opens with slick drama, while 'Hungry' and 'Broken Heart' showcase their knack for writing choruses with teeth. Ballads like 'When the Children Cry' and 'Love Don't Come Easy' dial into emotional overdrive, but there's bite too: 'Little Fighter' and 'Lights & Thunder' burn with righteous intent. Two live recordings-'Lady of the Valley' and 'All You Need Is Rock N Roll'-round it off with arena energy. A slick document of their platinum-era peak.