Back catalogue: Pop

Review: Lockdown Records has put together this useful new 12" which offers up the notorious duo of Matt Early & Lee Jeffries. 'Fighting for Your Life' is a classic pop single that comes with the electrifying Blood on the Dancefloor Mix and the sultry After Dark Mix, both of which are inspired by the iconic sounds of Michael Jackson. They make for effective dancefloor weapons that come with a hint of nostalgia and plenty of weighty grooves.

Review: The 2023 film Wonka has delighted audiences with its fantastic original soundtrack featuring performances by lead actor Timothee Chalamet and an exceptional ensemble cast including Hugh Grant, Calah Lane, and Keegan-Michael Key. Composed by Joby Talbot and penned by songwriter Neil Hannon, the score captures the essence of the golden age of Hollywood musicals while paying homage to the beloved classics of the past. Director Paul King's vision of a prequel to the iconic 1971 film comes to life with enchanting melodies and vibrant arrangements, inviting listeners on a whimsical journey through the fantastical world of Willy Wonka.

Review: The late king of pop sees his most defining album - and the best-selling album of all time - reissued once more. It's got everything you could possibly want: 'Beat It', 'Thriller', 'Billie Jean'... on its 40th Anniversary, this one gets a repress by our friends over at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, who have endeavoured to make this version perhaps the best-sounding to ever be set to wax. Of course, the legacies of kings must be preserved in the best format possible, even if their own waking lives lead them to ruin...

Review: This new gold gatefold album captures one of the King of Pop's most electrifying performances during his legendary world tour. Recorded live in Manila, it showcases Jackson at his peak and delivers a setlist packed with iconic hits like 'Billie Jean,' 'Thriller,' and 'Beat It' alongside tracks from his HIStory album. Known for his flawless choreography, powerful vocals, and mesmerising stage presence, Jackson's performance in Manila highlights why he remained one of the greatest entertainers in music history throughout his career. The energy of the crowd and the superstar's passion make this recording an even more immersive listen.

Review: Jake Shears has signed with Mute and his first project for the legendary label is his new album Last Man Dancing. It draws from is lifelong love of club culture and is bar far his most ambitious work to date. A close and high-profile mix of collaborators including Kylie Minogue, Jane Fonda and Amber Martin all feature and the lead single has already proven a big success. The rest of the record finds Jake roller-skating his way through pop culture with glam rock, funky disco bass, life-affirming melodies and big grooves all making it a memorable ride.

Review: Jay Kay's powerhouse of crossover Brit funk maestros never stayed in one lane, but progressed from album to album without missing a beat. On 2001's A Funk Odyssey, they folded some explicitly floor-focused house and disco ingredients into their soul stew and came up trumps, smashing the hits out while staying true to the elevated musicianship they marked themselves out with in the beginning. There are monster hits like 'Little L' and cheeky bangers aplenty dotted throughout this pearler of an album, and despite how long ago it came out, it hasn't aged a bit.

Review: With a streak of hits reaching back to the early 90s, chart-topping Brit funk phenomenon Jamiroquai have plenty to celebrate. In 2006 they decided to remind everyone how much heat they've gifted to the world with High Times, a definitive overview of the singles that thrust them onto prime time radio and beyond. Now that compilation makes its way to vinyl for the first time, giving us the chance to spin such classics as 'Too Young To Die', 'Virtual Insanity' and 'Canned Heat' to our hearts' content - all killer, no filler.

Review: The wave of Jamiroquai reissues continues apace with a return to their 2005 album Dynamite. After so many knockout albums they just kept it coming with this sixth one, holding fast to the disco house vibe they'd picked up on A Funk Odyssey. Finding a sweet spot between the more organic jazz funk of their earlier work and the floor-focused grooves of their later period, this album is another flawless demonstration of their sharp musical chops and their killer instinct for a stone cold groove. It's not been repressed since it first came out, so you know there will be a lot of fans itching to get their mitts on this slice of superlative funky business from one of the best groups to ever do it.

Review: With a streak of hits reaching back to the early 90s, chart-topping Brit funk phenomenon Jamiroquai have plenty to celebrate. In 2006 they decided to remind everyone how much heat they've gifted to the world with High Times, a definitive overview of the singles that thrust them onto prime time radio and beyond. Now that compilation makes its way to vinyl for the first time, giving us the chance to spin such classics as 'Too Young To Die', 'Virtual Insanity' and 'Canned Heat' to our hearts content - all killer, no filler. This edition has been pressed up on green marbled vinyl and comes with insert and a slipmat, making it a must-have for collectors and die-hard fans alike.

Review: Jamiroquai's The Return Of The Space Cowboy celebrates its 30th anniversary with a special reissue on "moon grey" vinyl. This edition includes Michael Gray's 2024 Good Vibe Zone edit of 'Space Cowboy', available on a physical release for the first time. The redesigned packaging, featuring foil accents, enhances the original album's iconic cover. Released in 1994, The Return Of The Space Cowboy solidified Jamiroquai's place in music, following their successful debut Emergency On Planet Earth. Fans praised its blend of jazz, funk, and soul, The album achieved platinum status in the UK, France, and Japan, and its single 'Space Cowboy' became a hit, topping the U.S. Billboard Dance charts. Musically, the album toned down its predecessor's "acid" influences in favor of funk and jazz, with tracks like 'Half The Man' and 'Stillness In Time' having a more mature sound. Political themes, such as on 'Manifest Destiny', highlighted the band's growth, addressing issues of racial injustice and homelessness. Timeless and genre-defying, The Return Of The Space Cowboy remains a classic, with its influence felt in artists like Missy Elliott and Tupac Shakur, who sampled its tracks. This reissue commemorates its enduring legacy.

Review: Making its debut release on vibrant neon green 12" vinyl for Record Store Day 2024, this release from Sony spotlights Jamiroquai's dazzling 2006 BBC live session, recorded at Maida Vale for radio legend Ken Bruce. It features all of the funk one's most epic tunes such as the perma-hit 'Cosmic Girl', the infectious 'Canned Heat' and the superb opener 'Runaway'. A great album, a great new pressing, a great one to snap up for when you need some colourful cosmic uplifting in your life.

Review: Dedicated from May 2019 is a shimmering, synth-pop gem that builds on the emotional depth of previous album Emotion while refining Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen's signature sound. Packed with all the infectious hooks, lush production and heartfelt lyrics you would expect from a pop album, it also offers euphoric dancefloor anthems (such as 'Now That I Found You', 'Want You in My Room') with introspective, melancholic moments on 'Too Much' and 'The Sound'. Jepsen's knack for capturing love's highs and lows with sincerity and charm makes Dedicated an irresistible listen packed with playful grooves and 80s-inspired beats as well as joyful and bittersweet emotions.

Review: Carly Rae Jepsen's latest album The Loveliest Time is said to be a loose companion and something of a thematic inversion of her record The Loneliest Time from last year. It is the third in a series of B-side albums that present her as a likeable everywoman who is self depreciating and always full of conviction. Returning collaborators include Rostam, Patrik Berger, John Hill, and Kyle Shearer, and musically the record is her most diverse to date with everything from IDM-adjacent sounds to French touch and beyond with looping vocal samples and plenty of unabashed emotion.

Review: Daniel Johns is a bonafide Australian rock powerhouse - with or without bandmates. The primary songwriter, guitarist and frontman of Silverchair, an outfit who among other things claim more ARIA Awards than any other name in the ceremony's history, he's also one half of acclaimed duo The Dissociatives with Paul Mac and shares a second partnership with Luke Steel on the Dreams project.

All that aside, his first solo album, 2015's Talk, reiterated his ability to turn hands to almost any musical style, packing his oeuvre with a range of great ideas. Futurenever is the second lone wolf LP, and backs up the idea that he's insanely talented and relentlessly restless. Across the 12 tracks, we're given great pop in the truest sense ('D4ngersboy', 'Someone Call An Ambulance', 'Freaknever'), huge symphonic R&B balladry ('When We Take Over'), sexy funk ('I Feel Electric'), and stadium emo rock ('Reclaim Your Heart').

Review: "Besides selling 40 million albums and winning 9 Grammys in less than
10 years, over the years Norah Jones has collaborated with dozens and
dozens of artists from across the spectrum of music. This album collects
Norah's favorite collaborations from 2001-2010 into one amazing
collection: legends like Ray Charles, Willie Nelson and Herbie Hancock,
rock artists ranging from Foo Fighters to Ryan Adams to Belle and
Sebastian, hip hop luminaries OutKast, Q-Tip and Talib Kweli. No
matter the genre however, Norah's enchanting voice is the common
denominator and while the partners are varied, she ends up owning
every song and this album is a wonderful collection that holds together
brilliantly. The album is a testament to Norah's status as one of the most
in-demand and tasteful musical connectors in music. This album will
be an amazing gift item for any Norah fan and will be hard to miss this
holiday season and then again for Valentine's Day.

TRACK LISTING:
1. Love Me - The Little Willies
2. Virginia Moon - The Foo Fighters featuring Norah Jones
3. Turn Them - Sean Bones featuring Norah Jones
4. Baby It's Cold Outside - Willie Nelson featuring Norah Jones
5. Bull Rider - Norah Jones and Sasha Dobson
6. Ruler Of My Heart - Dirty Dozen Brass Band featuring Norah Jones
7. The Best Part - El Madmo
8. Take Off Your Cool - OutKast featuring Norah Jones
9. Life Is Better - Q-Tip featuring Norah Jones
10. Soon The New Day - Talib Kweli featuring Norah Jones
11. Little Lou, Prophet Jack, Ugly John - Belle & Sebastian featuring Norah Jones
12. Here We Go Again - Ray Charles featuring Norah Jones
13. Loretta - Norah Jones featuring Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
14. Dear John - Ryan Adams featuring Norah Jones
15. Creepin' In - Norah Jones featuring Dolly Parton
16. Court & Spark - Herbie Hancock featuring Norah Jones
17. More Than This - Charlie Hunter featuring Norah Jones
18. Blue Bayou - Norah Jones featuring M. Ward"

Review: American singer and musician Jordy (Jordan Shulman) furthers his brand of lip-biting, suspended latex pop with a new album, following 2021's Mind Games and 2023's Boy. Sluing towards vocal-driven power pop, Jordy flaunts a homosexual, autosexual heat, with bound beats and rebounding gum rubber basses. 'Cruise', 'I Don't Want A Boyfriend', and the title track all charge the libidinal battery as much, with moods of tarry bubblegum glitz turned car-crash gunk. Meanwhile, the more experimental moments such as 'Men' verge on pitch-warbled electroclash, making for a pleasingly turned-on album.