New releases last eight weeks: Soul

Review: Hailing from Tel Aviv, Men of North Country continue their musical journey following their late 2023 digital single, a cover of Keith Richards' 'Hate It When You Leave,' with a spirited vinyl rendition of Carl Carlton's Northern Soul hit 'I Can Feel It.' This 7-" release is accompanied by an exclusive, previously unreleased version of the MONC favourite 'Ravens,' promising to captivate listeners with an ever distinctive sound.

Review: Diane Birch returns with that spellbinding voice - a transportive powerhouse packing a timeless quality that resonates through her music. The American recording world doing what it has always done so well, creating huge, heartbreaking, hopeful, and captivating mini operas disguised as pop. Or, if you want to get technical here: soft rock, country, folk, r&b and soul. OK, so there are elements of funk and jazz, too, and the result is a heady brew that's pretty inescapable. Harking back to the balladry heydays, with shades of Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, and Carly Simon, to name but a few - in delivery and performance, if not necessarily tone - no matter where you're listening from it's going to be hard to forget this one.